John Grupp stories, Page 8

After productive offseason, Hampton baseball eager to get started

Hampton baseball coach Kellen Wheeler had a numbers problem this offseason. But it was a good one. The sixth-year coach had to figure out how to accommodate an overflow group of players in the school’s auxiliary gym and weight room for the team’s four-times-a-week workouts. “I had anywhere from 24...
Aquinas Academy boys show they’re no one-man team

Aquinas Academy entered this season with a lot of uncertainty after losing WPIAL all-time leading scorer Vinnie Cugini to graduation. But instead of taking a step backward, the new-look Crusaders proved themselves by recording 15 wins and earning a WPIAL playoff victory for only the second time in program history....
Hampton wrestlers march ahead in postseason tournaments

The Hampton wrestlers had such a memorable season as a team, they decided to keep it going as individuals. The Talbots, who won a WPIAL playoff match for the first time since 2018, fared well in the ensuing sectional and WPIAL individual tournaments. “We walked away very proud of their...
Former Hampton standout making waves at Gannon

Former state champion Will Retsch graduated from Hampton as one of the most decorated swimmers in program history. He didn’t need long to make a splash in college. Retsch broke the Gannon school record in the 200 individual medley less than two months into his freshman season and is following...
WPIAL scoring champ Vinnie Cugini settling into role as freshman at Pitt-Johnstown

The WPIAL’s all-time scoring leader is making his point in other ways as a freshman at Pitt-Johnstown. Former Aquinas Academy star guard Vinnie Cugini is off to an encouraging debut season at the Division II PSAC school. Cugini, who scored a WPIAL-record 3,189 points at the tiny Catholic school in...
Hampton senior wrestler buckles down after tough seasons, climbs WPIAL ranks

In Alan Danner’s first two seasons at Hampton, he spent much more time on the wrong side of pins than on the right side of wins. Two years since he nearly quit the sport because he was tired of losing, the 152-pound senior is eyeing a successful postseason and his...
Hampton’s Peter Kramer eager to return to playoff action

Hampton standout senior guard Peter Kramer is hoping to go from an ineligible postseason to an indelible one. After being forced to sit out last year’s playoffs due to PIAA transfer rules, Kramer is excited to be joining his teammates in this postseason in a bid for a deep run....
Senior Meghan Murray breaks program scoring mark as Hampton girls hit stride

Hampton star guard Meghan Murray sank a half-court shot to end the first quarter against Mars on Jan. 22, but her next basket was even more dramatic. Minutes after her buzzer-beater, Murray scored on a fast-break layup in the second quarter to become the girls basketball program’s all-time scoring leader....
Hampton junior swimmer moves into fast lane

Hampton junior swimmer Wil Cramer is proving that where there’s a will, there’s a way. After an “annoying” sophomore season that saw him miss qualifying for the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships by less than a second, Cramer has already punched his ticket in two events, the 200 IM and...
Hampton players recall ‘incredible’ run to ‘84 state basketball finals

Many of the memories have faded into time over the past four decades. The players and coaches for Hampton’s 1984 PIAA runner-up boys basketball team have gaps in their recollection of the winningest season in program history. But one memory endures — the overwhelming support of the Talbots fans and...
Hampton hockey heads in new direction after midseason coaching change

On its way to a fifth consecutive losing season, the Hampton hockey team has made a midseason coaching shift. Assistant Ian Cummings was promoted to replace Buck McKee, whose teams went 6-25 in his one-and-a-half seasons. Cummings, 39, of Hampton was approved by the Hampton hockey club board Jan. 11,...
Defense powering Hampton boys basketball

Three days after Christmas, the Hampton boys basketball team wasn’t feeling very joyful. The Talbots were tied with upset-minded Grove City, 28-28, midway through the third quarter of the Hampton Holiday Tournament championship game. Star senior guard Peter Kramer was in foul trouble and still hadn’t scored a point. So...
Senior battles through knee injury for surprising Hampton wrestling team

Hampton senior Caleb Rihn heard “a large pop” from his left knee during club wrestling practice in early November. “It was pretty bad,” he said. “We kind of knew right away that it was my ACL.” Rihn was certain of something else — he wasn’t going to miss his final...
Hampton girls basketball starting to warm up, eye WPIAL playoff berth

The Hampton girls basketball team flew to California over Christmas break for a three-day tournament and visited several popular spots around San Diego. The Talbots want their next trip to be a return visit to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Hampton shrugged off a 1-4 start to win five out...
Ex-Hampton standout Laryn Edwards takes ‘crazy’ path to Big East basketball

Former Hampton star Laryn Edwards was sitting in the Providence women’s basketball office in late November when coach Erin Batth entered in a bit of a pickle. Her starting point guard had suffered an injury, leaving the Friars with only two healthy ball handlers, both freshmen. Batth asked Edwards, a...
New Hampton softball coach Kate Hedderman ready to get started

Hampton didn’t have to look too far to find its new softball coach. There was someone in the Talbots’ own backyard. Kate Hedderman, a private softball instructor who runs a training facility in Hampton, was hired in late November to replace longtime coach Ron Fedell. “I know a lot of...

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