Ted Sarneso stories

Mackenzie Magness School: Freeport Class: Sophomore Sport: Track and field Claim to fame: Magness came in as the top seed as she looked to defend her WPIAL Class 2A title in the pole vault. She went on to win her second gold medal in the event, vaulting to a personal...

After a successful 5K walk last year that saw her raise more than $8,000 for a worthy cause, Greensburg Central Catholic senior Sasha Hoffman said there was only one thing she would have changed for this year. “I wanted to start the planning process a lot earlier so that I...

Mackenzie Marotta School: Plum Class: Junior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: As Plum (14-5, 8-4) took on Burrell on Monday, Marotta had a hit and two RBIs. On Tuesday, she pitched the Mustangs to a 10-0 win over Deer Lakes. She threw five no-hit innings and struck out five while...

Gianna DeVito School: Kiski Area Class: Junior Sport: Track and field Claim to fame: DeVito won first place in the high jump, clearing a height of 5 feet, 5 inches, at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association track and field championships Thursday at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. How did you get started...

When one chooses to become a professional fighter, sacrifices have to be made. Whether it’s time, the rigid diet or the ultimate toll that it takes on the body, fighters go through a lot to achieve their goals and become a top performer. Justin “The General” Patton has made those...

Five days after Chartiers Valley stopped a three-game losing streak with an 11-5 win that saw the team’s bats come alive against Section 2-5A opponent Peters Township, the Colts dropped an important section game against Moon on April 14. The manner in which they lost, a passed ball in the...

Five years ago, amidst the covid-19 pandemic, James Threatte of New Kensington noticed an issue impacting local children. “There were no youth sports programs in the summer for the kids around the New Ken area,” Threatte said. “I knew that needed to change.” A year later, he established the Skillz...

Over the last two seasons, the Pine-Richland softball team committed 101 errors. Coach Sam Hartzberg’s mission this offseason was to clean up his team’s fundamentals. “Our girls weren’t throwing to the wrong base or anything of that nature,” Hartzberg said. “They just weren’t making the plays they should have.” From...

For 27 years, Kurt Wolfe has been coaching baseball at Pine-Richland. His first two years were as junior varsity coach, the next five were as an assistant coach on varsity and for the last 20 seasons, he’s been at the helm for the Rams. So, when he talks of his...

Lily DeLuca School: Plum Class: Freshman Sport: Softball Claim to Fame: DeLuca crushed a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Plum (8-2, 4-1) defeated Section 1-5A opponent North Hills, 12-10, on Friday. Tell me about the moment you hit the home run. I had...

It can be challenging to switch between the different positions on a baseball field. Each spot has its own intricacies, and it can take players a while to adapt to a new position. But for Riverview senior shortstop Eli DeVita, changing spots on the diamond was the only way he...

Mikaila Ditty School: Apollo-Ridge Class: Freshman Sport: Softball Claim to fame: On the mound, Ditty threw a five-inning no-hitter, walking none and striking out 11, as the Vikings (5-1) beat Leechburg, 11-0, in a nonsection matchup. Helping her own cause, she went 2 for 3 with a grand slam, a...

It wasn’t until the seventh inning when Zane Pacek started to hear whispers in the dugout. “I was like, ‘Come on guys, now you’ve jinxed it,’ ” Pacek said. Despite his teammates committing the cardinal sin of mentioning the opposing team having no hits, the 7-foot-1 junior pitcher threw a...

A month into his stint as football coach at The Kiski School, Aaron Smetanka has set two clear objectives. First, and most importantly, he wants to help grow better men for the future, to make sure his players have a solid life path for whenever they graduate. “The academic standards...

Laney Dineff School: Deer Lakes Class: Junior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: As a starting pitcher, Dineff earned two wins this week. First, in a 6-5 win over Freeport on Monday, she gave up one run on four hits, surrendered three walks and struck out four in three innings. Dineff...

It was a season of great success for Valley girls senior wrestler Arianna Bernard. After beginning her wrestling journey at 7 years old and wrestling against boys from that early age — like most girls wrestlers often do — Bernard enjoyed her first experience in postseason wrestling. “It was a...

It had been a long time since Charters Valley grad Caleb Nelson was able to compete in a track and field event. An injury his senior year at Saint Francis University cost him the chance to compete and go for personal records in the outdoor track and field season. “I...

Jillian Haigh School: Fox Chapel Class: Sophomore Sport: Softball Claim to Fame: Haigh opened the season March 14 with a three-run homer in a 5-4 nonsection win for Fox Chapel (4-0) vs Norwin. On Monday, Haigh started and fanned nine batters while also going 3 for 4 at the plate...

At the U.S. Figure Skating Eastern Championships in Hershey on Jan. 24, the Steel City Blades Open Juvenile (Blue) synchronized skating team was chosen to go first among the 23 competing teams. As nervous as the team felt just being in the championships, the thought of having to perform their...

Sports always find ways of bringing people together. It’s helped so many build new relationships despite personal differences. For five Westmoreland County high school bowlers, their love and passion for the game has helped them look past the borders of their school districts — and the rivalries therein — to...

Fox Chapel senior defenseman Trip Goehring has learned to never take playing ice hockey for granted. A major injury tends to refocus an individual. Goehring lost his entire junior year due to a torn ACL, and he knows exactly how long he was away from the game he loves. “Four-hundred-and-eight...

The objective was clear for the Latorbe IceCats heading into their PIHL Class 2A quarterfinal matchup with Hempfield. “We wanted to come out and beat them to every loose puck, smother them on the boards, win the battles in the corners and be physical,” Latrobe sophomore Joey Crimboli said. “Very...

Mary Anne Altman’s senior year at Freeport was all about a change in mindset. Last year, the swimmer didn’t know if she wanted to compete in college and was swimming her best to help the Yellowjackets be successful. Once she made the decision over the summer to swim in college,...

A year ago, Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy came away with silver at the WPIAL girls individual wrestling championships after being pinned by Plum’s Alaina Claassen in the 235-pound final. After an offseason during which she developed her skills, Murphy came into the WPIAL championships Feb. 15 at North Allegheny ready to...

Kira Schrecongost School: Freeport Class: Senior Sport: Swimming Claim to fame: Schrecongost took gold in the 100-yard butterfly in 54.85 seconds, setting a school record at the WPIAL Class 2A championships this week. The win gave her a title in the event three out of her four years. She was...