Michael Love stories, Page 60

Sam Alexander fashioned one of the top varsity careers in the history of Gateway boys soccer as a lockdown goalkeeper who earned numerous all-star honors for his play. His athletic endeavors continue at Penn State but in a slightly different direction. Last month, Alexander, a freshman on the University Park...

Lizzie Suwala-Sheaffer could hit a shot from anywhere on the basketball court. With a layup, a mid-range jumper or a 3-pointer, the Ford City and Clarion University graduate often frustrated opposing defenses while energizing her teammates, coaches and fans of the teams she represented. Suwala-Sheaffer probably is best known for...

Allison Polesnak knows all about running marathons and half-marathons, especially the one closest to home in Pittsburgh. The Monroeville native, 2007 Gateway High School graduate and Plum resident ran the Pittsburgh Marathon for the fifth time on May 1, her 33rd birthday, while also putting the finishing touches on wedding...

Riverview and Springdale are rivals in every sport, and baseball this spring is no exception. So, you can’t blame the Raiders players for being a little excited when they finished off a two-game Section 3-A sweep of the Dynamos last week. Game 1 went down to the wire, and Game...

Jarrett Heilman (Freeport) has been a steady force for the Mercyhurst baseball team. The sophomore crafted a 7-0 record in 10 games — eight starts — through a complete-game 14-2 victory over Seton Hill in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action April 29. In seven innings that day, Heilman gave up...

Rain has yet again forced Lernerville Speedway officials to cancel Friday night racing. The announcement came Friday morning after steady precipitation began to fall late Thursday and continued to drench the area. The forecast calls for additional showers well into the day Saturday. Racing is scheduled to resume next Friday,...

Second verse, same as the first. The first Section 1-4A meeting between the Freeport and Burrell softball teams last Friday was a pitchers’ duel between Burrell’s Katie Armstrong and Sydney Selker. Each struck out 19 in the 1-0 Bucs victory. Both pitchers again were solid in Thursday’s rematch at Bon...

Morgan Dunkel was ready to take the ball, toe the rubber in the pitching circle and have a breakout freshman season for the Valley softball team. But the early stages of the growing covid pandemic snuffed out the 2020 spring campaign. “It was difficult. I was looking forward to the...

The Burrell softball team had an outright Section 1-4A championship in its sights as it hosted Highlands on senior night Monday evening at Bon Air Field in Lower Burrell. The Golden Rams had other ideas. Highlands broke through for four runs in the fourth inning — taking advantage of four...

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is back on top of the Class 2A rankings as the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 6 WPIAL boys top-10 polls Monday morning. The Chargers defeated No. 5 Ambridge, 3-1, in Section 1 play last week and also toppled No. 4...

Despite a sometimes-rocky trip through the Section 1-5A schedule this spring, the Plum softball team still was alive for a WPIAL playoff spot as it entered its home stretch of games. “It’s been a progression throughout the season, and the girls have dealt with a lot, from injuries to a...

The 2022 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon will be held Sunday morning in Downtown Pittsburgh. Here are some interesting facts and figures about the race: Fastest times Men’s full marathon record: John Kagwe, 2:10.24, 1995 Women’s full marathon record: Margaret Groos, 2:29.50, 1988 Men’s half-marathon: Leonard Korir, 1:01.53, 2019 Women’s...

The Kiski Area boys tennis team opens the WPIAL Class 3A team tournament Tuesday as the No. 9 seed, and the Cavaliers, the runner-up to Franklin Regional in Section 1, will take on No. 8 Central Catholic at 3 p.m. at Norwin. The matchup comes almost 10 years to the...

Maddie Kee was key for the Deer Lakes softball team in its Section 1-3A clash at rival Valley on Thursday afternoon. Under sunny skies, Kee led the way at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. She also scattered four hits in the pitching circle...

The Kiski Area softball team missed the WPIAL playoffs in 2019 and ‘21 after a run to the quarterfinals in ‘18. But the Cavaliers have assured themselves a return to the postseason this spring. They solidified their positioning in the Section 1-5A standings and clinched Wednesday at home against rival...

The Leechburg and Springdale softball teams ended long weather-related layoffs Monday with the resumption of a Section 3-A rivalry that has produced its fair share of close and competitive outcomes. The contest at Leechburg-Gilpin Park — the first this season between the Dynamos and Blue Devils — was no exception....

North Allegheny and North Catholic kept their places at the top in the Class 3A and Class 2A boys volleyball rankings, respectively, as the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 5 top-10 polls Monday morning. The Tigers solidified their hold on the Class 3A top spot with three...

Caleb Lehman has made an impact on the Chatham University baseball team for several years, and the Cougars senior catcher continues to perform in his final collegiate season. The Gateway graduate produced a .358 (34 of 95) average through Chatham’s first 25 games with 18 runs batted in, 21 runs...

When breaking down early-season progress of his boys and girls track and field teams, veteran Gateway coach Tom LaBuff said that his athletes have worked hard to cut through adversities such as less-than-stellar weather and the fight to stay healthy in the quest to meet their goals and expectations. “The...

Ray Sharick was just beginning his Burrell varsity track and field career as a freshman when he met Frank Phelps. Many hours of training with Phelps in and out of the weight room, Sharick said, was instrumental in helping him earn a trip to the PIAA track and field championships...

The Plum and Mars baseball teams set the standard for close and competitive games the past two seasons. That was evident when the Section 2-5A rivals met April 12 and 13. The Mustangs swept the Planets last year — both games ending in one-run results — and Mars returned the...

The Highlands softball team returned to game action Friday after a nine-day, weather-related layoff, and it put a second win on the board against Section 1-4A rival Freeport. Playing just their second home game of the season, the Golden Rams got solo home runs from Jaycee Haidze and Maera Williams...

After nearly a decade, the Pittsburgh Karate Championships return to the Pittsburgh area. The event, which ran for nearly four decades prior to its hiatus, will kick off Saturday morning at the Quality Inn in New Kensington and will feature more than 300 competitors of all ages, from those who...