Michael Love stories, Page 73
8 is enough for Freeport freshman Kira Schrecongost at PIAA championships
LEWISBURG - Freeport freshman Kira Schrecongost swam four times on the first day of the WPIAL Class 2A championships March 3 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She doubled that during the first day of the PIAA championships Friday at Bucknell. Schrecongost swam two relay and two individual preliminaries and came back...
Ligonier Valley’s Nick Roddy takes silver at PIAA diving championships
LEWISBURG — Ligonier Valley senior Nick Roddy missed out on a chance to dive at the Class 2A state championships as a sophomore in 2020 as the PIAA canceled the entire Class 2A meet at the onset of the covid-19 pandemic. Last year, as the pandemic continued to toy with...
WPIAL swimmers secure top seeds for PIAA Class 2A championship heats
LEWISBURG — After taking the baton from Class 3A, the WPIAL swimmers from Class 2A were off and running Friday morning at the PIAA championships at Bucknell. In the first session, WPIAL boys competitors secured five top seeds for Friday evening’s championship finals. Indiana freshman Preston Kessler secured the top...
Seneca Valley boys capture Class 3A team title at PIAA swimming and diving championships
LEWISBURG — The PIAA Class 3A boys swimming and diving team title is back with the WPIAL. Seneca Valley captured its first team championship Thursday at Bucknell, and it also ended the two-year reign of District 12’s LaSalle College. The Raiders clinched the title in the final event — the...
Strong showing from Franklin Regional, Hempfield boys teams at PIAA championships
LEWISBURG — The Franklin Regional boys 400-yard freestyle relay team had its sights set on capping the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships Thursday evening at Bucknell with a swim in the finals heat. But the Panthers quartet of senior Owen Holm, sophomores Benjamin Holm and Holden Thomas, and junior Aiden...
Kiski Area’s Miller ‘in awe’ of 4th-place finish at PIAA Class 3A swimming championships
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...
North Allegheny’s Christina Shi captures 2nd straight PIAA diving championship
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...
WPIAL swimmers advance to PIAA championship finals on Day 2
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...
Seneca Valley’s Daniel Simoes captures PIAA gold in 200 IM
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 takes silver in butterfly at PIAA meet
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...
Franklin Regional boys swim relay takes 5th at states
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...
Seneca Valley divers compete at PIAA championships
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...
WPIAL swimmers to race in championship heats on Day 1 of PIAA Class 3A meet
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...
After season to remember, Highlands softball team excited for encore
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...
Strong returning core has Highlands baseball team thinking of longer playoff run
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...
WPIAL Class 3A swimmers, divers hope to make their marks as PIAA championships begin at Bucknell
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-K Valley, Westmoreland County swimmers thrilled to return to state meet at Bucknell
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...
Gateway wrestlers cap season at WPIAL championships
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...
Gateway’s Hunter Raymer swims to WPIAL gold medal, eyes success at PIAA meet
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...
Plum’s Kaley Simqu commits to play soccer at Pitt
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...
Plum swimmers look forward to PIAA championship meet
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...
Como earns spot in AK Valley Hall of Fame after helping to build Burrell’s wrestling success
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...
A-K Valley PIAA playoff capsules for March 12, 2022
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...
Alle-Kiski Valley PIAA playoff capsule: Highlands vs. Laurel Highlands, Friday, March 11, 2022
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...
Knoch girls win 1st PIAA playoff game in program history
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...
