Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Hempfield's Orie sisters continue dominance

Shattering throwing records are nothing new to Hempfield’s Orie sisters. They’ve had spots on the Spartans’ big leaderboard.

Now they’re breaking marks together at the collegiate level.

DePaul sophomore Mackenna Orie broke a school record in the shot put in the program’s first competition since March at the Big East Triangular in Chicago.

Orie’s mark of 16.24 meters was more than a meter farther than her previous best throw.

She won the Big East last year at the spring championships.

Navy senior Sam Orie, meantime, broke a pair of school records in the shot put and weight throw at the Patriot League Indoor Challenge in Annapolis, Md. Her top mark in the shot put was 49 feet, 1.50 inches, and she threw the weight 65-2.75, the latter shattering her own mark.

Women’s basketball

West Virginia Wesleyan: Senior Abi Gabauer (Norwin) scored a game-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, and senior Brittany Stawovy (Greensburg Central Catholic) added 16 points and 10 rebounds for West Virginia Wesleyan in a 100-84 victory over West Virginia State in the opening game of the MEC Tournament.

Men’s indoor track & field

DePaul: Senior Alex Murray (Hempfield) won the shot put with a mark of 15.10 meters at the Big East Triangular in Chicago.

Women’s swimming

Washington & Jefferson: Junior Kimber Randolph (Hempfield) finished 10th in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:05.30, and freshman Amanda Graves (Penn-Trafford) came in 12th in the 50 free (26.62) during the opening day of the PAC Championships.

Softball 

Robert Morris: Junior pitcher Dana Vatakis (Monessen) allowed three hits and tossed a shutout in the Colonials’ first game of the season, a 4-o win over North Carolina Central. Freshman second baseman Faith Miller (Southmoreland) had her first college RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Seton Hill: The Griffins split a season-opening doubleheader against visiting Shippensburg as senior Jenna Osikowicz (Hempfield) and sophomore Natalie Greco each drove in two runs. Christiana Skrabak (Norwin) had two RBIs and junior Morgan Toal in an 8-5 loss, and Greco scored on a wild pitch for the go-ahead run in a 3-2 victory.

Wrestling

Bucknell: Junior Zach Hartman (Belle Vernon) won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championship at 165 pounds, going 3-0 to earn a berth into the NCAA championships March 18-20 in St. Louis. Hartman, ranked No. 8 nationally, was awarded the tournament’s outstanding wrestler after a pin and two decisions, including 9-0 over Navy’s Tanner Skidgel, whom he faced in last year’s finals.

Freshman Kurt Phipps (Norwin) finished seventh at 141 pounds.

Men’s swimming

Saint Vincent: Senior John Martin won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1 minute, 3.77 seconds, the 200 breaststroke in 2:22.30 and the 200 individual medley (2:08.79), while also swimming a leg of the winning 200 medley relay (1:43.83) as the Bearcats defeated Washington & Jefferson, 168-72.

Men’s cross country

Saint Vincent: Freshman Tim Patterson was named the PAC Rookie of the Week after his runner-up finish at the Saint Vincent College Invitational. He finished the 5K in a time of 16 minutes, 17.80 seconds. The host Bearcats won the team title.

Waynesburg: Freshmen Trevor Verkleeren (Hempfield) finished 34th with a time of 18:45.36 at the season-opening SVC Invitational.

Baseball

Kansas State: Junior Zach Kokoska (Latrobe) hit a three-run homer as the Wildcats edged Western Michigan, 9-8, on the way to a three-game sweep. Kokoska, who also has made a few defensive gems in the outfield, has started all seven games for K-State.

Football

Robert Morris: A pair of local players started on the offensive line in the Colonials’ season opener Saturday at James Madison. Redshirt junior Bussy Remaley (Hempfield) lined up at right tackle, and freshman Hayden Baron (Belle Vernon) at left guard in a 36-16 loss to the second-ranked Dukes.

Men’s lacrosse

Seton Hill: Senior attacker Robert Hofseth was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division II Team of the Week. Hofseth helped the Griffins to a 24-8 season win at Chestnut Hill with nine points. He had a career-best eight goals and an assist.