Michael Love stories, Page 63

Eliza Miller made the most of her first finals swim at the PIAA Class 3A championships. The Kiski Area sophomore, tied for third after her preliminary swim in the 100-yard breaststroke Thursday at Bucknell , came back in the evening and posted a fourth-place finish in a time of 1...

LEWISBURG — The PIAA Class 3A girls diving championship meet went down to the wire Thursday afternoon, and the pressure was on Christina Shi as she attempted to win her second straight state title. But the North Allegheny junior was more than up to the task. Leading by seven points...

LEWISBURG — The WPIAL will have several swimmers and relays battling for state medals and championship gold Thursday evening on Day 2 of the PIAA Class 3A championships at Bucknell. The boys consolation (ninth through 16th) and championship finals will begin at 6:05 p.m., with the girls consey and championship...

Daniel Simoes placed second in the 200-yard individual medley at last year’s PIAA Class 3A championships at Cumberland Valley High School. He was runner-up to Upper St. Clair standout and current Indiana University freshman Josh Matheny. A move back to Bucknell for this year’s state meet also brought gold to...

Fox Chapel’s Sophie Shao stood on the bulkhead next to the starting block for nearly 10 minutes as PIAA officials worked out a problem with the timing system. “I wasn’t thinking about too much,” Shao said as she waited to swim the girls Class 3A 100-yard butterfly Wednesday evening at...

The Franklin Regional boys 200 medley relay fashioned the best swim in program history at the WPIAL Class 3A championships March 3 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. They clocked a time of 1 minute, 33.50 seconds that day, and it was the standard the quartet of sophomore Holden Thomas, senior Owen...

LEWISBURG — Seneca Valley was well represented at the PIAA Class 3A boys diving championships Wednesday at Bucknell. The Raiders earned four of the five qualifying berths from the WPIAL championships Feb. 26 at North Allegheny. WPIAL silver medalist Isaiah Clerkley, a sophomore, led Seneca Valley and the WPIAL contingent...

LEWISBURG — The consolation and championship finals for the first day of the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships are set. Preliminary swims Wednesday in the 200-yard medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 free, 100 butterfly and 200 free relay determined the top 16 in each event, and swimmers...

The Highlands softball team now is the hunted. After Golden Rams fashioned an 18-6-1 record and made a run to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game and PIAA semifinals last season, the returning players and a couple of newcomers to the lineup hope to hold off the challenges from within...

Last season, the Highlands baseball team came into the WPIAL quarterfinals on a six-game winning streak but left with a third loss of the season to Blackhawk. Now, as a new season dawns, the Golden Rams, with 10 seniors and a solid nucleus of key starters back, hope to take...

After a one-year hiatus, the PIAA Class 3A and 2A swimming and diving championships are back at Bucknell University. Covid logistics moved the meets last year to Cumberland Valley High School. The change in venue didn’t hinder the WPIAL’s ability to make its mark with numerous championships and medal-winning performances....

A sense of normalcy is back at the PIAA swimming and diving championships, and for the numerous qualifiers from the Alle-Kiski Valley and Westmoreland County schools, it only adds to the anticipation. The championships return to Bucknell. Spectators return. The lineups for each event are back to 32 for each...

Arontay Heningcamp’s debut match at the WPIAL/Southwest Regional Class 3A wrestling tournament didn’t exactly go the way he had hoped. The Gateway junior suffered an 8-0 major decision loss to Chartiers Valley junior Brady Joling in the first round. But instead of folding his tent, Heningcamp bounced back and scored...

Hunter Raymer was no stranger to big swim meets before the WPIAL Class 3A championships March 3 and 4 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. But the Gateway freshman still marveled at the spectacle that is the WPIAL meet, with its packed pool deck, boisterous spectator section and intense races over the...

Kaley Simqu helps form the defensive nucleus for the Plum girls soccer team and has been a part of a strong run of success the past three seasons. The junior said she is looking forward to her final season with the Mustangs as they hope to make another run to...

Sam Schohn knows all about swimming at the PIAA Class 2A championships. But last year, the state meet was moved to a high school because of covid logistical issues with Bucknell. Now, Schohn is ready to test his mettle back at Bucknell on Friday and Saturday as the state championships...

Chris Como lives and breathes Burrell wrestling. It has been that way since he started in the sport in junior high close to four decades ago. As a competitor through high school and college and continuing as a coach with the Bucs for the past 25 years, Como has promised...

Today’s games Boys Class 6A Second round Allderdice (20-7) vs. Fox Chapel (25-1) 2 p.m. Saturday, AHN Arena, Peters Township High School Coaches: Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel; Devin Crummie, Allderdice Winner plays: Winner of Northampton (20-7)/Warwick (21-6) on Tuesday in quarterfinals (Site and time TBD) Layup lines: Fox Chapel won...

Friday’s game Boys Class 5A Second round 7-3 Highlands (19-7) vs. 7-1 Laurel Highlands (26-0) 7 p.m. Norwin High School Coaches: Corey Dotchin, Highlands; Rick Hauger, Laurel Highlands Winner plays: Winner of 3-3 Hershey (21-6)/7-4 Gateway (16-6) Layup lines: After a week away from game action following the loss to...

Three was the magic number for the Knoch girls basketball team in its PIAA Class 4A first-round home game Wednesday evening against District 9 champion St. Marys. The Knights, playing in the program’s first PIAA game, hit 15 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half, and took control early en...

The Mt. Pleasant girls swim team captured five WPIAL championships and had numerous other medal-winning and point-producing performances last Thursday and Friday at Pitt’s Trees Pool. It all added up to the program’s first WPIAL Class 2A title. Now, they will join dozens of other swimmers from throughout the Westmoreland...

Ryan Loebig is confident. The Plum graduate and senior defenseman on the Pitt club hockey team likes the way the Panthers are shaping up heading into the 20-team American College Hockey Association Division I national tournament set for Thursday through March 20 in St. Louis. “It’s all about embracing the...

Brashear scored the first two points of Tuesday night’s PIAA Class 5A first-round game at Highlands. But the Golden Rams scored the next 13 to establish themselves on their court. Highlands led by 12 at the end of the first quarter and at halftime, then extended it to 22 at...

Boys Class 6A 3-7 Cumberland Valley (19-7) at 7-1 Fox Chapel (24-1) 6 p.m. Wednesday Coaches: Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel; David Vespiognani, Cumberland Valley Winner plays: Winner of 8-1 Allderdice (19-7)/7-3 Central Catholic (18-6) Saturday in the second round (site and time TBD) Layup lines: Cumberland Valley earned a spot...

Tuesday’s games Boys basketball Class 5A First round 8-1 Brashear (8-10) at 7-3 Highlands (18-7) 7 p.m. Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Laurel Highlands (25-0)/3-9 Elizabethtown (16-10) on Friday in the second round (site and time TBD) Layup lines: Brashear’s postseason run began with an upset victory over Obama in...