Bill Beckner stories, Page 55

“Cheese” turned a frown upside down. Junior 5-foot-9 guard Quentin Goode was tired of seeing Aliquippa lose in the WPIAL semifinals. The Quips had made five straight trips to the final four and came up short each time. But given a sixth opportunity, they made sure the slide was over...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 6A Consolation round Third-place game Norwin (20-4) vs. Mt. Lebanon (17-7) 7 p.m. Wednesday, Norwin High School, North Huntingdon Winner: Clinches third place in the WPIAL for the PIAA playoffs. The loser goes into the state bracket as the fourth seed. Players to watch: Ava...

Allegheny senior Jacob King likes to throw with a baseball hat on his head. He put a cap on the PAC Track and Field Championships with a title. King, a Latrobe product, won the weight throw and broke the meet record in the process. His heave of 16.85 meters shattered...

Their loss was less than 20 minutes old and the Norwin girls basketball team was already refocusing on the next game, the next challenge, the next tournament. “This was a good learning experience for our girls,” Norwin coach Brian Brozeski said. “It was a learning experience for me, too. I’m...

Before Jasmine Timmerson left Fox Chapel and headed for the team bus, she had one last thing to do. She had to pick up the team’s basketball bag. It’s a heavy, fully loaded basketball bag, which Timmerson could hide inside if she wanted to. A lot of teams have freshmen...

Always the tallest kid on his basketball teams growing up, 6-foot-5 Franco Alvarez has enjoyed the view from above. “I’ve been tall forever,” the junior forward from Greensburg Central Catholic said. “It wasn’t like I had this big growth spurt. I’ve just grown a little bit every year. I don’t...

After winning their third Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship in five years, the Saint Vincent women’s basketball team gathered in the Cary Center lounge Monday afternoon to watch the NCAA Division III selection show. The next order of business awaits the Bearcats (22-4), who learned they will face Cortland (N.Y.) in...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class A Semifinals 4-Greensburg Central Catholic (17-5) vs. 1-Aliquippa (17-6) 6 p.m. Tuesday, West Allegheny High School, Imperial Winner plays: Winner of 6-Northgate (18-6)/2-Bishop Canevin (20-4) in championship 1 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center, University of Pittsburgh Coaches: Christian Hyland, Greensburg Central Catholic; Nick Lackovich,...

When Brianna Zajicek left Norwin, she thought she had her college basketball future mapped out. But a coaching change prompted her to reroute her plans. She arrived at Illinois-Springfield and is proud to call that school home these days. Zajicek was leading all freshmen in the Great Lakes Valley Conference...

Like a hitter looking at the count and situation, Maggie Howard looked at colleges with a similar approach. The Hempfield junior softball player wanted to match up as well academically as she did athletically. That made Georgetown an easy choice. Howard, an outfielder, announced her commitment to play for the...

Kendall Berger saw minimal varsity time last season for Norwin. She was just another role player in a long line of them, which was fine with her because she was only a freshman and welcomed playing time however it came. Norwin likes to substitute readily, sometimes swapping five for five,...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 6A Semifinals 3-Norwin (20-3) vs. 2-North Allegheny (18-5) 6 p.m. Monday, Fox Chapel High School, O’Hara Township Winner plays: Winner of 4-Mt. Lebanon (17-6)/1-Upper St. Clair (20-2) at 7 p.m. March 3 in championship at Petersen Events Center Players to watch: Lauren Palangio, Norwin; Jasmine...

Since the moment he arrived on campus in Oakland, Aidan Fisch dreamed of wearing a Pitt uniform and contributing to a winning team. His contributions began early on as a team manager for the men’s basketball team. Flash ahead to Saturday night, and Fisch was pinching himself as he scored...

Grace Iwig School: Hempfield Sport: Indoor track & field Year: Junior Claim to fame: Iwig capped a strong indoor regular season with a victory in the pole vault at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association Championship at Edinboro. Her winning height was 11 feet, which was a foot better than second...

Norwin sent its top athletes to the Tri-State Coaches Association Indoor Championships on Feb. 18 at Edinboro University, and a number of them came home with medals. The girls distance medley relay of Anna DeFazio, Bella Brozeski, Emma Jiancristoforo and Annie Czajkowski took third in 13 minutes, 13.98 seconds and...

Geographically speaking, Murrysville is practically a part of the Alle-Kiski Valley, so it makes sense for Franklin Regional to be included in that region’s long-running basketball all-star weekend. The 26th Cager Classic returns March 25 to Highlands High School and four Franklin Regional players were selected to take part in...

History did not repeat itself for Greensburg Central Catholic and boys basketball coach Christian Hyland. Four years ago, in his first season as the top man at his alma mater, Hyland lost his playoff debut to Eden Christian in the first round at Fox Chapel. It bothered him ever since,...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A Consolation round Belle Vernon (11-12) at Uniontown (19-4) Noon Saturday, Uniontown High School, Uniontown Winner plays: Winner of South Allegheny (19-5)/Hampton (21-3) Wednesday in fifth-place game (time, site TBD) Loser plays: Loser of South Allegheny/Hampton Wednesday in seventh-place game (time, site TBD) Players to...

After a 13-day layoff from game competition, Norwin hoped to be back in rhythm in its WPIAL girls basketball playoff opener. No issues, there. The Knights came out and played like a fine-tuned guitar. And shredded Baldwin. Sophomore guard Kendall Berger scored 21 points in her first career playoff start,...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 6A Quarterfinals 8-Norwin (14-8) at 1-New Castle (20-2) 7 p.m. Friday, New Castle High School, New Castle Winner plays: Winner of 5-Butler (14-7)/4-Mt. Lebanon(15-7) Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Adam Bilinsky, Norwin; Isaiah Boice, New Castle Layup lines: Norwin returns to...

With Greensburg Central Catholic advancing on her team in the fourth quarter and momentum slipping away from Burgettstown, Jillian Frazier decided to take the stress out of the situation. In a game that had 15 3-pointers, none were more important — or impressive — than the one Frazier launched from...

Call it the last dance. Latrobe’s girls gave fourth-seeded Trinity all it could handle in the WPIAL Class 5A first round, falling 69-61 as senior Josie Straigis broke out for a career-high 30 points. The loss ended the Wildcats’ season, but it also signified the end of coach Mark Burkhardt’s...

A basketball used to break the WPIAL girls scoring record sits lonely in a box in Gina Naccarato’s basement. Naccarato is the athletic director at Monessen, her high school alma mater, and has the power to put the ball in the school’s trophy case. But she chooses to keep the...

Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals 10-Belle Vernon (11-11) vs. 2-Laurel Highlands (20-2) 8 p.m. Thursday, AHN Arena, Peters Township Winner plays: Winner of 6-North Catholic (17-6)/3-Uniontown (19-3) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Quinton Martin, Belle Vernon; Rodney Gallagher, Laurel Highlands Layup lines: Belle Vernon advanced to...

Penn-Trafford had to work for it, but the feeling was all worthwhile. Junior guard Olivia Pepple made a layup with 3.8 seconds left to lift the eighth-seeded Warriors to a 29-28 victory over No. 9 Shaler in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round game Tuesday night in Harrison City. It was...