Ted Sarneso stories, Page 4

Scott Higgins is no stranger to Sports Hall of Fame inductions. He was in attendance when teammates such as Jay Kumar and coaches Chuck Wagner, Jack Schmitt and Bob Rukavina were selected for the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame. So he was surprised when board member Freddy Soilis called...

The St. Joseph girls basketball team has been blessed with height and length from its four senior starters. Julie Spinelli is a 5-foot-11 guard, Emma Swierczewski is a 5-10 swing forward and Anna Kreinbrook is a 6-2 center who can clog the middle. Throw in junior point guard Gia Richter,...

As most hockey fans are aware, Pittsburgh Penguins great Jaromir Jagr had his No. 68 jersey retired by the organization Feb. 18. One Latrobe IceCat was glad to see it go up in the rafters alongside Mario Lemieux’s 66 and Michel Briere’s 21. “Watching him get his number retired shows...

In the first PIAA girls Western Regional championships, held at Canon-McMillan High School, schools from around the WPIAL had solid representation in the final matches. No school had more of a presence than the host. The Big Macs had three wrestlers win gold in their respective weight classes and had...

There was no repeat champion in the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships Friday afternoon at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The girls WPIAL Class 2A swimming championship came down to the last event of the day. Leading by two points over second-place Quaker Valley and 10 points over third-place Mt. Pleasant, Kiski...

Another year, another pair of WPIAL swimming trophies for North Allegheny to add to its impressive case. The Tigers once again swept the boys and girls Class 3A championships Friday at Pitt’s Trees Pool, making it the 16th consecutive title for the girls team and back-to back for the boys....

Mt. Pleasant began the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool in the same manner North Allegheny did in Class 3A. The only difference was the Vikings added another layer of dominance by breaking some records. The Vikings posted a 1:47.32 in the 200 medley relay with a...

North Allegheny continued its dominance on the first day of the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The Tigers bookended the day by sweeping the relays in both the boys and girls competitions. Seniors Natalie Sens and Greta Mott and sophomores Tori Tieppo and Dani Hinkson won...

The past two WPIAL Class 2A championship showings for the Mt. Pleasant girls swim team have been filled first-place finishes and shattered records. The Vikings hope this year’s competition will bring more of the same. Anchored by the tandem of juniors Lily King and Kiersten O’Connor, who are seeded first...

Hempfield competitive spirit coach Suzannah Mayer trusts her team has gotten the routine down. The Spartans have attended the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) national championships held in Disney World every year since competitive spirit returned to Hempfield in 2013. They make sure to take an early flight a couple of...

Handling the rigors of a high school sport and maintaining a 4.0 GPA is a tough balancing act. Burrell’s Chloe Walton achieved her 4.0 by managing her time wisely between academics and swimming. “Chloe is someone that always places academics first and athletics second,” coach Samantha Callen said. “I, as...

Swimmers by their nature are super competitive, both in practice when challenging teammates and at meets against other schools. The Hampton swim team has added another outlet in which to stoke that competitive fire — the video game Fortnite. “Before the high school season would start, we would play three...

A season of ups and downs came to an end for the Hampton girls basketball team Feb. 20 with a loss to No. 2 seed McKeesport in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. “Our girls put forth a great effort after a good week of preparation,” said...

When someone accomplishes a feat no other person has, it’s said they’re in rarefied air. Leah McCandless of the Burrell bowling team is breathing that air after she became the only girl in the WPIBL this season to roll a 300 game. McCandless’ perfect game came in the third match...

Coming into basketball season, Jackson Pribanic set three goals for the year. The first was to be named a team captain. He was voted to the position by his Springdale teammates at the start of the season. “He leads by example, from the front,” coach Kobe Phillippi said. “It was...

For Hempfield bowling coach Robin Ross, the message to his bowlers is the same as it has ever been. “Strikes are going to come; you have to make spares to keep yourselves in the match. If you stay on top of making your spares, we’re going to win,” Ross said....

There is no one with more passion and fire for the sport on the Apollo-Ridge bowling team than senior Mia Ament. “She cares so much about the sport; she wants to help everybody out,” girls bowling coach Michelle Cominos said. “She wants the same drive from everyone else on the...

Kevin Clougherty is coaching his 27th season for the Hempfield swimming teams. This is the youngest roster he’s had. “Most years, you always teach, but you focus more on work,” Clougherty said. “This year has been a lot of teaching, instruction and refining.” This year’s young swimmers have a lot...

The only way last season could have been improved for the Latrobe swim team is if the Wildcats had done just a little better in the WPIAL and PIAA championships. The girls team went undefeated at 13-0 overall and 5-0 in section meets, and the boys finished 8-5, good for...

Abby King has learned much in her four years with the Kiski Area swim team. Her progression, mentally and physically, has given her a better understanding of how to swim, but more importantly, how to keep things in perspective. “I got real beat down when I didn’t qualify for WPIALs...

Another year, another captivating performance from the Mt. Pleasant girls swim team at the WCCA championships. The Vikings won 12 of 22 events to claim the 2A trophy in the boys and girls competitions Saturday at Derry. Franklin Regional won both 3A titles. “Everyone knew this season was going to...

Swimming, by its nature, is a physically demanding sport, filled with long distances, marathon meets and tough practices. Jeff Kelly, Derry’s swim coach for 31 years, knows the mental aspect is most critical and preaches it daily. “Maybe I’m getting a little philosophical on them,” Kelly said. His witticisms have...

Freeport girls basketball senior center Brooke Kmetz’s role hasn’t changed, but whether she starts or comes off the bench varies based on the opponent. “At the beginning of the season she was a starter for us, but then there were a few games where we felt the matchups warranted a...

The third Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association bowling championship was held Saturday at Hillview Lanes in Greensburg. Hempfield sophomore Amelia Droste took home the girls individual title after finishing second in last year’s competition. Senior Mike Mullaney of Greensburg Central Catholic earned the top spot on the boys side. Droste started...

Anna Kreinbrook had been one of the key components to the recent success of the St. Joseph’s girls basketball team. At 6-foot-3, she is a dominating presence on the inside. “It’s pretty fun to be this tall,” Kreinbrook said. “It helps defensively but also comes with a lot of pressure...