District College category, Page 75
In pass-happy era of football, PAC teams still value running game
Longtime Geneva coach Geno DeMarco tried the newfangled system. He spread out his offense and ran as many plays as quickly as possible, often throwing. Not to his liking. When Andrew DiDonato was hired to resurrect Grove City’s program three years ago, he easily could have used a passing system....
District college football preview: 5 Division III players to watch
A look at five players to watch in NCAA Division III football this season: Chas Blango, Sr., DL, Bethany (Mt. Lebanon): Tied for second in PAC with eight sacks, forced two fumbles and had 54 total tackles. … Helped Bison yield fewest points per game (17.3) and give up fewest...
NCAA Division III football preview: Top PAC teams remain grounded
Longtime Geneva coach Geno DeMarco tried spreading out his offense and running as many plays as quickly as possible, often throwing. Not to his liking. When Andrew DiDonato was hired to resurrect Grove City’s program three years ago, he easily could have used a passing system. Wide-open offenses had become...
Seton Hill volleyball again among PSAC favorites
It could be another lengthy women’s volleyball season at Seton Hill. The Griffins, who won their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title last year, are the favorites to finish first in the PSAC Southwest Division, according to a preseason coaches poll. Seton Hill made its fifth straight trip to the...
Campus clippings: Saint Vincent announces new Hall of Fame class
Eight individuals and one team will be inducted into the Saint Vincent Athletic Hall of Fame. The inductions are Sept. 28 at the Fred M. Rogers Center in campus. The new hall class will be recognized during halftime of the Bearcats’ game against Carnegie Mellon that afternoon at Chuck Noll...
Mt. Pleasant graduate Kurt Aumer nominated for off-field honor
Kurt Aumer was viewed as one of the good guys when he played football at Mt. Pleasant. His knack for community involvement and attention to those around him were traits he took with him to college. Now the junior defensive lineman at Monmouth could receive an award because of it....
Saint Vincent announces basketball-heavy hall of fame class
Eight individuals and one team will be inducted into the Saint Vincent College Athletic Hall of Fame. The inductions will happen during a reception banquet Sept. 28 at the Fred M. Rogers Center in campus. The new hall class will be recognized during halftime of the Bearcats’ game against Carnegie...
Chatham names former Seton Hill player D.J. Cannon baseball coach
Chatham named Seton Hill pitching coach D.J. Cannon as its baseball coach. Cannon replaces Tim Banner, who resigned after the season. “D.J. comes with a great record of success, both academically and athletically,” Chatham athletic director Leonard Trevino said in a release. “We’re excited to name D.J. as our next...
W&J football ranked in Top 25; Wolf preseason All-American
Washington & Jefferson will open the season ranked No. 21 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25. In addition, Presidents junior Andrew Wolf was selected as a Preseason All-America First Team as a wide receiver by the same outlet. W&J finished 9-2 last season and reached the NCAA Division III playoffs....
IUP offering home fans chance at $50,000 in kickoff-return contest
If the IUP football team takes it to the house, somebody might have enough money to buy one. IUP is offering $50,000 to a randomly picked fan if the Crimson Hawks return the opening kickoff for a touchdown to open the first or second half of any of its five...
Gateway’s Brady Walker, GCC’s Alvin Ross transfer to Saint Vincent
When football practice begins at Saint Vincent on Thursday, first-year coach Aaron Smetanka will welcome two interesting transfers. Former Gateway quarterback Brady Walker and former Greensburg Central Catholic running back Alvin Ross are on the 2019 roster, according to the team website. Walker is transferring from NCAA Division II West...
Bozicevic brothers relish opportunity to travel to Ireland with Waynesburg men’s basketball
Brothers Frank and Mark Bozicevic traveled beyond the borders of the U.S. once as kids, but the trip to Canada, they said, didn’t register as they were too young to remember much of the details of the journey. The Gateway graduates and members of the Waynesburg men’s basketball team hope...
Dan Day eager to get Seton Hill football team on winning path
If Dan Day, one of the first people to play football at Seton Hill, becomes a successful coach at his alma mater — something along the lines of what he did as a senior offensive lineman in 2008, captaining the Griffins during a march to their only postseason appearance —...
South Fayette grad Saxton leads Case Western Reserve as they chase W&J in PAC
All quarterback Drew Saxton wanted when he chose Case Western Reserve to play college football was a chance to start. The 2018 South Fayette grad did something only he expected: start and have a record freshman season. “He exceeded our expectations,” Case Western Reserve coach Greg Debeljak said Tuesday at...
Seton Hill announces latest hall of fame class
Seton Hill announced its newest athletic hall of fame inductees. The four-member class features lacrosse player Matt Delmonico (Class of 2014), men’s basketball player Chris Giles (2012), football player Antwarn Jones (’10) and women’s soccer player Nicky Pergar (’08). • Delmonico, a three-time All-American, holds career school records for points...
St. Francis women, Waynesburg men taking international trips
Preparations for basketball season are beginning a little earlier this year for a pair of area programs. The St. Francis (Pa.) women and Waynesburg men are taking international trips that are a blend of team-bonding, competition and culture. St. Francis will leave Tuesday for Australia, while Waynesburg will spend more...
Slippery Rock owns top spot in PSAC West preseason football rankings
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference released its 2019 preseason football poll Monday afternoon, and Slippery Rock is favored to repeat as PSAC West champion. The Rock, which suffered a 33-10 loss to West Chester in last year’s PSAC title game, went on to finish 11-3 overall and win a pair...
TJ grad Fairman wraps up successful baseball career at Cal (Pa.)
The phrase “Big Man on Campus” could have applied to Eric Fairman at Cal (Pa.) this year. Also, possibly, the “Big E.” Fairman, a former three-sport standout at Thomas Jefferson, recently wrapped up an outstanding four-year career with the Vulcans baseball program. And he elevated it to sensational level this...
Former Hempfield QB Justin Sliwoski leaving Pitt
Justin Sliwoski knew he wasn’t heading into an idealistic situation when he walked on at Pitt. The strong-armed quarterback out of Hempfield figured he could possibly find a niche with the Panthers as a backup or third-stringer — and be ready in the wings as a just-in-case guy. He’d pay...
Former Bearcat Aaron Smetanka ready to help Saint Vincent ‘regain its footing’
It’s late July and Saint Vincent College is alive with the sights and sounds of football. But that is nothing new. The Pittsburgh Steelers have called Latrobe their preseason training camp home for more than five decades. The home-standing Saint Vincent Bearcats, who will overlap three days with the Steelers...
Pitt-Greensburg names Kelsey Oddis as cross country coach
Kelsey Oddis was a two-sport standout during her undergraduate days at Pitt-Greensburg, excelling in both cross country and basketball with the Bobcats. Now, she will have multiple coaching titles at her collegiate alma mater. Already a women’s basketball assistant at UPG, the Burrell graduate will take over the school’s men’s...
Latrobe grad Hanna Green eyes potential Olympic run in 2020
Hanna Green graduated from Latrobe in 2013 as one of the top 400-meter runners in the state. When she graduated from Virginia Tech four years later, she was an elite NCAA Division I 800-meter runner. Instead of retiring from running, Green decided to continue to run and train, so she...
Hempfield’s Monica Burns to play final college season at Cal (Pa.)
Monica Burns took a year off from college basketball, a decision made for personal reasons but one that ultimately scrubbed away her final season at Wheeling Jesuit. The standout guard would have been a redshirt senior had she played. The year removed seemed like an eternity for Burns, a bona...
Chartiers Valley grad Joe Westrick reaching milestones for Gannon cross country
Perhaps Joe Westrick was born to run, but he wasn’t necessarily hard-wired to race. That was something he needed to develop. As he prepares for his senior season with the Gannon cross country team, the Chartiers Valley graduate is nearing the finish line of one of the most decorated careers...
Hampton grad Brett Scheib makes mark in swimming at Mount Union
Brett Scheib was a four-time WPIAL qualifier and three-time state qualifier for the Hampton swimming program. Though he admits choosing a college was a tough decision, the transition has been smooth. Scheib, a 2018 graduate, established himself as one of the top young freestyle swimmers in the Ohio Athletic Conference...
