Westmoreland campus clippings: Belle Vernon grad joins Michigan State football staff

Belle Vernon alum Mark Diethorn has joined the football coaching staff at Michigan State.

Diethorn, 37, was hired as the program’s executive director of player personnel and recruiting.

It won’t be his first go-round at the Power 5 level. Diethorn worked similar jobs at Virginia Tech (2018-21), Pitt (2012-17) and Florida (2009-10).

“Mark has a vision and a passion for recruiting and understands what it takes to be successful at this level,” Spartans head coach Mel Tucker said. “He has also shown the ability to identify talent in the transfer portal. He’s very organized and has a thorough process for evaluating players and managing a roster. I’m excited for Mark to hit the ground running and make an impact on our program.”

At Pitt, he worked as a recruiting assistant but took the top spot when Pat Narduzzi joined the program in 2015.

Among the players he helped to bring to Oakland were Tyler Boyd, James Conner, Dorian Johnson, Avonte Maddox, Nate Peterman and Jordan Whitehead.

Diethorn, who has degrees from Florida and Pitt, also worked as a scouting and player personnel intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers during trainin camp in 2017.

He also was a recruiting assistant under Urban Meyer at Florida from 2009-10.

Women’s track & field

Cal (Pa.): Junior Malia Anderson (Greensburg Salem) competed in the 800-meter dash and posted a time of 2 minutes, 12.86 seconds for a PSAC qualifying mark.

Clarion: Senior Jenna Uncapher (Hempfield) took third in the 100-meter hurdles at the Slippery Rock Last Chance Meet. Her time of 15.78 was a personal record and a PSAC qualifying mark.

Duquesne: Junior Emily Brozeski (Norwin) was a repeat champion in the heptathlon at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Amherst, Mass. Brozeski racked up 5,172 points to break her own school record. She won the 800-meter dash in 2 minutes, 28.2 seconds, the 100-meter hurdles (14.32 seconds) and shot put (12.34 meters), took second place in the long jump (5.54 meters), 200 (25.80) and javelin (33.87) and was fourth in the high jump (1.62).

Junior Sadie Wetzel (Latrobe) finished fifth in the high jump.

Waynesburg: Sophomore Megan Barry (Norwin) won the javelin title at the West Virginia Last Chance Meet in Morgantown, W.Va., with a throw of 33.96 meters.

Men’s track and field

Westminster: Senior Ryan Beard (Franklin Regional) finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles at the Slippery Rock Last Chance Meet with a time of 11.02 seconds.

Men’s volleyball

Penn State: The Nittany Lions reachd the semifinals of the NCAA tournament but fell 3-2 against No. 2 seed Hawaii to finish the season with a 27-4 record. The head coach of the team is Mark Pavlik, who is from Derry. Senior opposite hitter John Kerr (Derry) and junior outside hitter Will Kuhns (Hempfield) were contributors. Kerr saw time in 67 sets and provided 123 kills, 40 digs and nine service aces.

Women’s tennis

Pitt-Greensburg: UPG, which dominated AMCC play, ran out of steam in its second straight NCAA Division III Tournament trip. Allegheny pushed past the Bobcats (18-2), 5-0, at Wesleyan College. UPG is set to return all six starters nest season.

Women’s lacrosse

Saint Vincent: Junior Bridget Doyle was named to the All-PAC First Team, while senior Jess Persin (Hempfield) and junior Maggie Edwards (Norwin) made the second team. Doyle had 35 goals and led the conference with 58 assists. Persin tracked down 43 ground balls and caused 20 turnovers in the defensive midfield, while Edwards had 57 goals and 10 assists, scoring at least one goal in all 18 games.