Michael Love stories, Page 29
Young Fox Chapel softball team finding stride ahead of WPIAL playoffs
The Fox Chapel softball team came as close as a team could to clinching a playoff spot from Section 1-5A when it dispatched Oakland Catholic, 20-5, last week to improve to 4-4 and remain one game behind third-place Plum in the section standings. Coach Chris Olbrich said his team, with...
Kiski Area high jumper DeVito striving to soar higher as WPIAL meet approaches
Gianna DeVito leapt to a top height of 5 feet, 2 1/2 inches in the high jump at the Lady Spartans Invitational on April 13 at Latrobe Memorial Stadium. She finished second that day, and the height, a career-best for the Kiski Area sophomore, ranks fourth on the Kiski Area...
Knoch softball team prepares for huge section showdown
When Knoch softball coach Chris Gardner was asked in a preseason questionnaire what his expectations were for this season, his response was simple and to the point. “Win the section,” he said. A month and a half after that direct appraisal, Gardner’s Knights are on the cusp of an attempt...
New Gateway duo wins WPIAL doubles title; Montour team makes school history
When Gateway junior Adam Memije advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A singles championship match two weeks ago and qualified for the PIAA tournament, and fellow Gators junior Zidaan Hassan lost in the semifinals, Hassan knew immediately that to win a second straight WPIAL doubles title, he would have to do...
Plum baseball continues winning ways with shutout of Gateway
Plum is starting to hit its stride in Section 1-5A. The Mustangs have won five straight games after a tough section sweep at the hands of Penn-Trafford. Plum took care of Penn Hills twice last week, scored a key nonsection victory over North Allegheny last Friday and finished off a...
Playoff picture looking good for Fox Chapel after win over Penn Hills
The Fox Chapel softball team took one step closer to securing a spot in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs with an 11-0 win Monday afternoon. The Foxes, who have only two seniors in the starting lineup, pounded out 11 hits, and freshman pitcher Jillian Haigh limited the Penn Hills bats...
Ranked WPIAL boys volleyball teams aim to remain in contention during season’s stretch run
The boys volleyball stretch run to the end of section play May 9 and the WPIAL playoffs the following week has begun, and teams are making preparations to battle for postseason positioning and berths to the tournaments in both Class 3A and Class 2A. The Western Pa. Volleyball Coaches Association...
Gateway grads Julius Rivera, Jae’Len Means continue running careers as professionals
Julius Rivera and Jae’Len Means were sprint teammates at Gateway more than a decade ago, and then stayed connected on the college level at Cal (Pa.). Rivera ended up finishing his collegiate career at IUP, but he and Means never lost touch. Their journeys in sprinting have not waned, and...
Gateway boys volleyball making playoff push in Section 2-2A
The Gateway boys volleyball team found itself squarely in the mix of the Class 2A rankings from the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. The Gators have been in the top 10 since the start of the season, and were fifth in the Week 5 rankings released April 15. “We are...
Plum baseball battling toward playoff berth in Section 1-5A
Carl Vollmer was quick to extol the virtues of baseball games in Section 1-5A, one that is filled with close, natural rivalries. The veteran Plum coach said that with matchups against Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford, Penn Hills, Fox Chapel, Gateway and Armstrong, there will be the highs of big wins and...
Freeport freshman pole vaulter Magness already turning heads with her performance
If opposing teams didn’t already know about Mackenzie Magness through her accomplishments during the indoor track and field season, the Freeport freshman pole vaulter opened more eyes at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association outdoor championships last Saturday at West Mifflin High School. Magness cleared the bar set at 11 feet,...
Dave Pucka, one of Plum’s own, hired to coach boys basketball team
Dave Pucka put his stamp on Plum athletics more than 25 years ago as a standout running back for the Mustangs, and he also was a member of the boys basketball team. He was Plum’s all-time rushing yards and touchdowns leader from his senior year in 1997 to 2022, when...
Apollo-Ridge softball team, with small roster and new coach, starts to find its footing
The Apollo-Ridge softball team began the season with 11 players. There was one recent addition to the group, but it has been all hands on deck for a team with aspirations to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs for the seventh season in a row. It also has been a get-to-know-you...
Burrell builds momentum with win over Deer Lakes
Mother Nature’s rain overnight from Sunday into Monday necessitated a change in venue for Monday’s Section 1-3A softball clash for first place between rivals Burrell and Deer Lakes. Originally an evening contest at Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary, it was relocated to Deer Lakes’ new artificial turf field for an afternoon...
Coaches rankings: Shaler, North Allegheny, top 2 teams in Class 3A, battle for tournament title
Shaler and North Allegheny remain the top two boys volleyball teams in the latest Western Pa. Volleyball Coaches Association Class 3A poll released Monday morning, and the Titans and Tigers finished last week in the championship match at the prestigious Koller Classic on Saturday at Central York High School. The...
Gateway’s Adam Memije looks forward to PIAA tournament
Gateway junior Adam Memije entered the WPIAL Class 3A singles championship match last Wednesday at Glen Creek Tennis Club in South Park Township hoping to finish off a WPIAL-championship triple crown. Last year, he captured a WPIAL doubles title with fellow Gators junior Zidaan Hassan and also helped lead Gateway...
Gateway looks forward to promising 2nd flag football season
The foundation bricks for the Gateway girls flag football team were put in place last spring. Now, the Gators are taking the next steps in their second season. High school girls flag football in the Pittsburgh area, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Steelers, grew from six teams in the first season...
Returning athletes bolster Riverview track and field teams
The Riverview boys and girls track and field teams are fueled by a nucleus of returning, experienced talent, some of whom powered their way to last year’s WPIAL Class 2A championships at Slippery Rock. Veteran coach Dave Illnicki said a mix of those athletes, along with newcomers who are setting...
Plum players learning, improving during inaugural flag football season
Anna Zanchi didn’t know much about American football before coming to Plum as an exchange student from Italy. But she has immersed herself in the game and now is a key member of Plum’s first girls flag football team. “This was all new to me,” said Zanchi, who began her...
A-K Valley campus clippings: Duquesne standout Myers enters transfer portal
Tess Myers is on the move for her final year of NCAA women’s basketball eligibility. A Lower Burrell resident and Duquesne standout the past four seasons, Myers announced Wednesday evening on X (formerly Twitter) that she will enter the transfer portal. Myers started 32 games in her final season with...
Preparations nearly complete for Saturday’s Pittsburgh Karate Championships
Frank Caliguri made a trip Thursday to the Quality Inn in New Kensington to check on the status of a number of things in advance of Saturday’s Pittsburgh Karate Championships. “We also had a time keepers and score keepers meeting the other night to make sure they’re all ready to...
Young Burrell softball team gets off to good start; tough tests await
The Burrell softball team won a section championship two years ago and finished runner-up last year. Both times, the Bucs made a run in the WPIAL tournament and qualified for the PIAA playoffs. While a couple of major contributors from both teams have graduated, a strong nucleus remains that hopes...
North Allegheny freshman bursts onto scene, Sewickley Academy junior reaches goal in WPIAL tennis finals
Advaita Sircar made his WPIAL tournament debut Tuesday and continued his run Wednesday in the Class 3A singles championship match at Glen Creek Tennis Club in South Park Township. The North Allegheny freshman, the No. 2 seed, made the most of his inaugural championship opportunity as he took down No....
Valley junior’s quick rise up WPIAL tennis ranks fueled by love of sport
When Landon Harclerode picked up a tennis racket competitively for the first time two years ago, it was the start of a journey of discovery, of learning and of improving. “My first year, it was all right,” Harclerode said of his freshman season at No. 2 doubles with the Valley...
Upper St. Clair’s Sierra Dupre called up to U.S. national team for international soccer tournament
Sierra Dupre, a sophomore at Upper St. Clair High School and a Riverhounds Development Academy player, will get the opportunity to represent the United States on the U16 Women’s National Team for their UEFA Friendship Tournament this week in Riva, Turkey. She and her American teammates will play four matches...
