District College category, Page 19
Greensburg C.C. grad Geoffrey Helm gets new life in basketball with PAC champion Chatham
Geoffrey Helm’s path in college basketball veered from what he originally had mapped out. He envisioned a standout career at Shippensburg, one of the top Division II men’s programs in the region. Instead, the Greensburg Central Catholic grad came home to the Pittsburgh area and won a championship with the...
St. Joseph grad Jimmy Giannetta helps give Carlow men’s basketball more depth as it faces AMCC slate
When Carlow men’s basketball coach Tim Keefer began to speak with St. Joseph’s Jimmy Giannetta, one of the first questions he asked was a curious one. Are you left-handed or right-handed? In watching St. Joseph’s games, Keefer had observed Giannetta shooting with his left hand on jumpers and free throws....
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Adam Bilinsky to join brother Ty at UPJ
It wasn’t exactly a brotherly shove, but Adam Bilinsky admits having a chance to play basketball with his older sibling again played a key role in his decision on where to transfer. Bilinsky, who decided to exit Mercyhurst after playing in just nine games as a freshman, will join his...
Westmoreland campus clippings: former Norwin standout Shanahan follows Cignetti to Indiana
When Mike Shanahan was at Pitt, he played in the Big East. Now, he will coach in the Big Ten. Shanahan, a former Norwin standout wide receiver who played tight end in college, is following head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana. Shanahan, 34, will be the Hoosiers’ offensive coordinator and...
Southmoreland grad Jake Beistel juggles school, fatherhood, helping new Saint Vincent wrestling program
Among the Saint Vincent wrestlers, Jake Beistel is the team dad. Literally and figuratively. Two years ago, the Southmoreland grad became a father and now spends much of his down time between classes and wrestling trying to keep up with a toddler. But his responsibilities as a role model and...
Norwin grad Adam Bilinsky to transfer from Mercyhurst
Norwin graduate Adam Bilinsky will be playing for a different college basketball team next season. Bilinsky put his name in the NCAA transfer portal after nine games at Mercyhurst. The 6-foot-3 freshman shooting guard wants to play closer to home. He likely will remain at the Division II level, likely...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Jeannette grad Robert Kennedy to declare for NFL Draft
Robert Kennedy used to talk about playing in the NFL. What it would be like and how he would get there. Only Kennedy, the former Jeannette star quarterback and defensive back who made his way to Power Five football as a safety at N.C. State, wasn’t dreamy about the concept...
Dom Nania trying to build solid foundation with 1st-year Saint Vincent wrestling team
Dom Nania knows what it’s like to be involved in a wrestling program that is starting from Square One. A decade ago, the Hempfield grad was the first recruit for the wrestling team at Wheeling Jesuit (now Wheeling University). Nania ranks third on the program’s all-time wins list (98) and...
A-K Valley wrestlers help form building blocks for new Saint Vincent program
If a college recruiter is looking for capable wrestlers, there are few places better to look than Western Pennsylvania. And within that region, the Alle-Kiski Valley is among the most fertile areas. Consider just a few examples: • Kiski Area grad Jack Blumer has posted 25 career wins at West...
Seton Hill senior Dioh Desuah finalist for Cliff Harris Award
Seton Hill redshirt senior defensive lineman Dioh Desuah was named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, which recognizes the top defensive players in small-college football. He is among 36 NCAA Division II finalists for the award named after the former Dallas Cowboys safety and Hall of Famer who appeared...
Saint Vincent men showing flair for dramatic
Admission is free for Saint Vincent men’s games, but some fans might gladly shell out a few bucks to watch this exciting brand of basketball. If you do attend a game, you probably want to stay until the end. The Bearcats (12-0) are making a habit out of tight finishes,...
Latrobe grad Trent Holler transfers from Marshall to Memphis
He may hike the ball backward, but Trent Holler keeps pushing his football career forward. A grad transfer center and Latrobe graduate, Holler announced Tuesday he will be playing on the offensive line at Memphis. The 6-foot-2, 306-pound Holler tossed his name into the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month....
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Belle Vernon grad earns football all-American honors
Belle Vernon alum Devin Hannan said this season has been “nothing short of a blessing.” The grad student offensive lineman at Valdosta State capped a terrific final year of college football by being named to the Associated Press All-America second team. The honor follows Hannan’s selection to the American Football...
Hempfield grad Camryn Watters breaking records as freshman swimmer at Penn State BehrendVideo
First, the obligatory swimming pun: Hempfield grad Camryn Watters has made a big splash in her freshman season with the Penn State Behrend swimming and diving team. Then, an acknowledgement of the almost comedic nature of Watters’ last name as it relates to her chosen sport. Easy pickings for anyone...
Deer Lakes grad Reese Hasley improves on the basketball court, with a little help from lacrosse
Deer Lakes grad Reese Hasley went to Grove City to play basketball, but a funny thing happened on the way to Grove City College Arena: She was recruited to the women’s lacrosse team. On one hand, Hasley’s athletic ability would make her a nice fit for any number of sports....
Former Jeannette standout Johnson commits to Illinois
High-energy defensive lineman Anthony Johnson, who played briefly at Jeannette where he spearheaded a championship defense, committed to Illinois. He is a transfer from Youngstown State. Johnson (6-3, 300) entered the transfer portal after a strong junior season at YSU where he had 25 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and five...
Iuzzolinos collide in unique father-son college basketball matchup
Mike Iuzzolino remembers using the floor of coach D.P. Harris’ office as a pretend highway. “When I was 8, I used to play with my toy trucks under his desk,” the Saint Vincent junior guard said. “I grew up here.” Iuzzolino spent four years as a curious tag-a-long with a...
Greece-born Dimitrios Sklavenitis adapts quickly to college basketball with Seton Hill men
The Seton Hill men’s basketball team made a quantum leap in coach Ben Wilkins’ first season. After winning only three games during the 2021-22 season, the Griffins went 16-13 (11-11 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) in 2022-23. If Wilkins wanted to keep his team on that trajectory, he knew one of...
Knoch grad Ryan Lang improves all-around game as Allegheny men’s basketball adjusts to new coach
For most athletes, the first year of college is a big adjustment period. The schedule demands, the faster pace of play, juggling academics, etc. Knoch grad Ryan Lang seemed to handle both with aplomb last year. As a freshman on the Allegheny men’s basketball team, Lang averaged 14.8 points while...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Former Jeannette standout Anthony Johnson draws offers in portal
Remember Anthony Johnson? He was only at Jeannette for a short time after transferring from Allderdice and left for Cleveland Heights (Ohio) before his senior season. Johnson, enticed by friends to play football when he came to Jeannette after not playing since middle school, ended up playing at Youngstown State....
Norwin’s Gianni Rizzo enjoys breakout season with Duquesne
Gianni Rizzo has been playing college football since 2019 and still has a year to go. But the Duquesne junior linebacker out of Norwin will be hard pressed to top this season. Saving his best for late in the year when the Dukes made a push into the NCAA FCS...
Gateway grad Will Kromka steps into starting lineup for Pitt-Johnstown
Will Kromka was somewhat behind the 8-ball when he began his collegiate basketball career in the fall of 2022. The Pitt-Johnstown sophomore guard and Gateway graduate suffered an ankle injury in the spring that required significant surgery. That put him on the shelf for several months and slowed his growth....
Entertaining Saint Vincent men’s basketball team off to scorching start
A quick glance at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s basketball statistics shows Saint Vincent is tops in assists per game (16.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.52). That makes sense for a team that shares the ball, plays at a breakneck pace and throws alley-oops in transition. Social media videos tell the...
College coordinators Marion, Gasparato earn postseason honors
A pair of coaches with local ties are taking home awards after impressive seasons with their respective teams. Brennan Marion, a Greensburg Salem alum and the offensive coordinator at UNLV, and Troy defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato, who has family in Jeannette, were selected as Light on College Sports assistant coaches...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Pitt-Greensburg announces Hall of Fame class
Pitt-Greensburg announced its 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame class. It includes a team, an administrator and a pair of athletes. The inductees are the 2002-03 women’s basketball team, Dr. Frank Cassell, men’s soccer star Adam DiCarlo (Class of 2006) and cross country runner Zach Kocian (‘08). • The women’s team...
