Other Local Sports category, Page 6
At 77, New Kensington native Steve Kazor working nonstop to build UFL’s Michigan PanthersVideo
Steve Kazor recently went 21 months without a day off. Twenty-one months? Asked to clarify that time frame, Kazor confirmed. Months. Not days. Not weeks. Well, there was one day he took off. Sort of. It was the day one of his sons got married, but even then Kazor confessed...
Plum’s Sarah Kvortek turns from gymnastics to bodybuilding to fuel competitive fire
Plum graduate Sarah Kvortek made a name for herself in gymnastics at both the club level with Ultimate Gymnastics in Delmont and representing Plum at championship meets, including WPIALs. While the possibility of continuing her gymnastics career in college was there, she opted to attend Slippery Rock and concentrate on...
Veteran Pittsburgh boxer brings ‘Turf Wars’ Saturday night fight card to Coraopolis
Bill “Hutch” Hutchinson, 36, of Pittsburgh, started boxing at 13. He’s been a pro for 12 years with a record of 20-3-4, nine victories by knockout, and has been a part of world-class events in the city and the country. “I’m starting to catch my wind, and I’m starting to...
With a biopic planned, Mt. Lebanon native Kurt Angle opens up about his wrestling triumphs, personal journey
A movie is in the works that will profile Kurt Angle’s life story. The film will chronicle the Mt. Lebanon native’s journey from his youth and his start in amateur wrestling, his accomplishments in the sport in high school and college at Clarion to international success, including his Olympic gold-medal...
Rashid Hassan Tennis Center opens in Monroeville
Rashid Hassan has trained top-level junior tennis players through his tennis academy for more than two decades. Without a place to call his own, he often would be at the mercy of another facility to rent space and time. Despite that, he said, he always was grateful for the opportunities...
Colleen Rosensteel, Olympian from Greensburg Central Catholic, among newest inductees in Pa. sports hall of fame
Seven-time PIAA track and field gold medalist Colleen Rosensteel, who went on to compete in Olympic judo, is going into the Robert “Tick” Cloherty Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. The Greensburg Central Catholic and University of Florida alum is one of the most decorated athletes to...
Two-time champ Deer Lakes shows its playoff experience in beating Quaker Valley
Deer Lakes is still unbeaten in the WPIAL playoffs under coach Albie Fletcher, a remarkable three-year streak that added another win Friday night. The Lancers’ postseason poise was evident in this one. Seventh-seeded Deer Lakes upped its defensive intensity and scored 21 consecutive points in a decisive run that spanned...
Lower Burrell’s Nancy Caliguri celebrates 50 years in martial arts
Nancy Caliguri has been training in a dojo for 50 years and racked up a multitude of accomplishments. The Lower Burrell resident is celebrating half a century in martial arts this year. In October 1980, Caliguri became a first-degree black belt and worked her way to becoming a ninth-degree black...
Norwin’s Deacon Shannon takes shot at Pa. Golden Gloves title
Norwin’s Deacon Shannon walks into Boyce Boxing Gym in Plum and trains day in and day out in preparation for the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves finals. Fighting in the Bantamweight Division, he stands 5-foot-11 and fights at 132 pounds. He has a 76-inch reach and wears a size 12 shoe. Despite...
North Huntingdon teens chosen for U.S. Army Fight Team
Local martial arts students Gabby Viola and Xander Eddy, both of North Huntingdon, were selected to compete for the U.S. Army Fight Team. Viola, 14, and Eddy, 15, will be Army-sponsored athletes for the 2025 season and represent their country in international and combative sports competitions. Viola and Eddy signed...
Shady Side Academy grad Maeve Kelley looking to add to impressive swimming résumé at Amherst
When athletes step foot on to a college campus for their freshman season, there aren’t a lot of expectations for them to meet. They don’t feel burdened by pressures that stats or prior performances can sometimes provide. Whether they do well or not in that first year, there’s a hunger...
Trio of boxers from Boyce Gym in Plum on card at Punch Out Parkinson’s event in Cheswick
Boyce Gym in Plum will be well represented Saturday at the eighth annual Punch Out Parkinson’s fundraising event at The Pittsburgh Shrine Center on Shriners Way in Cheswick. Seasoned Boyce boxers Gavin Alford, Johnny Trujillo and Anthony Carlisano will put it on the line as part of the charity event...
Kiski Area grad Abbie Johns shows plenty of promise in freshman season with Shippensburg women’s basketball
As college debuts go, Abbie Johns couldn’t have asked for much more. The Kiski Area grad opened her freshman season with the Shippensburg women’s basketball team by scoring 14 points in just 16 minutes against then-No. 10 Fayetteville State. In fact, Johns made her first shot: a 3-pointer late in...
Pittsburgh Riveters sign Franklin Regional grad Sydney Lindeman
The Pittsburgh Riveters SC has not played a game yet, but the new pre-professional women’s soccer team just strengthened its defense. The team, set to begin play in May in the USL W League, signed Towson redshirt sophomore and Franklin Regional alum Sydney Lindeman. The 21-year-old defender played club soccer...
Hempfield grad Kason Harrell grateful to lead team to tournament title in Ireland
When he left the Yough boys basketball coaching staff last year, Kason Harrell was unsure of what his own basketball future would entail. Would he coach elsewhere, continue to train young players or keep grinding in the gym to try to prolong his professional playing career? Harrell opted to press...
Level Green’s Brandon Svoboda helps United States win IIHF World Junior championshipVideo
Forward Brandon Svoboda, a native of Level Green, scored a goal for the United States in a 4-3 overtime victory against Finland in the championship game of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa. This marked the first time in program...
Fayette County skier defies odds to compete in Junior World Championships
As Jessie Duda fought through traumatic brain injuries caused by a post-prom car crash, doctors told the Fayette County native she may never be able to ski again. But about 2½ years later, Duda will travel to Kazakhstan to compete against athletes ages 14 to 19 from across the world...
District soccer notebook: Pitt’s Sarah Schupansky signs with NWSL’s Gotham
Sarah Schupansky is extending her soccer career as she turns professional. The former standout at North Allegheny and Pitt signed a multi-year contract to play for the NJ/NY Gotham of the National Women’s Soccer League. The deal is through 2026 with a team option for ’27. “I could not be...
Deer Lakes grad Michael Sullivan chosen in MLS draft
Deer Lakes graduate Michael Sullivan has been drafted by MLS club Toronto FC. Sullivan, a midfielder who just completed his senior season at Pitt, was selected with the ninth pick of the second round, 39th overall, of the MLS SuperDraft. Sullivan played 67 games in four years with the Panthers,...
Level Green’s Brandon Svoboda named to United States’ roster for IIHF World Junior Championship
San Jose Sharks forward prospect Brandon Svoboda, a native of Level Green, was named to the United States roster for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship tournament, which begins later this month. USA Hockey announced the roster via a release Thursday. A total of 25 players were...
St. Joseph grad Julie Spinelli immediately steps into starting lineup for Frostburg State women’s basketball team
Just before her team faced Towson in an exhibition game, Frostburg State women’s basketball coach Jenna Eckleberry noticed freshman Julie Spinelli looked a little antsy. And Spinelli hadn’t even received the news that she was going to be in the starting lineup. Having some butterflies isn’t unusual for a freshman....
Steel City FC soccer teams to join pre-professional leagues
Pre-professional soccer continues its growth spurt in the Pittsburgh region. Steel City FC will join the USL W League (women) and USL League Two (men) in 2025, the United Soccer League announced Friday morning. Steel City FC trains more than 1,500 players in and around Pittsburgh, with primary training sites...
Level Green native selected for USA Hockey’s preliminary roster for World Juniors
San Jose Sharks forward prospect Brandon Svoboda, a native of Level Green, was selected for the U.S. National Junior Team’s preliminary roster in advance of the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship tournament which begins later this month. USA Hockey announced that roster via a release Monday. A...
Deer Lakes grad Jake McCaskey signs with Washington Wild Things
Former Deer Lakes baseball standout Jake McCaskey has signed a contract with the Washington Wild Things in the Frontier League. The right-handed pitcher, who played four seasons at PennWest Cal (Pa.) and one more at Division I Gardner-Webb, will play for his second pro team in as many seasons after...
Women in Western Pennsylvania sports gather to recognize impact of Title IX
Whether referring to it by its long title or its nickname, nationwide advocates of Title IX — the landmark civil rights law enacted as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 — recognize its impact. Closer to home, the birth of Title IX some 52 years ago, as well as...
