Westmoreland County campus clippings: Mt. Pleasant grad Riley Gesinski earns postseason honors at Pitt-Greensburg

It didn’t take Riley Gesinski long to adjust to college-level soccer in the NCAA Division III Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

The freshman midfielder from Pitt-Greensburg made her mark this season, and conference coaches noticed.

The former Mt. Pleasant standout was named the AMCC Newcomer of the Year.

She led a number of postseason accolades for the Bobcats.

Senior Sara Tonkovich and senior Julia Rowe were first-team selections, senior Emily Bonelli, senior Logan Jennings, senior Paige John and junior Reese Walker made the second team, and freshman Dionna Santia was a third teamer.

UPG (12-4-4), the AMCC runner-up, advanced to play in the ECAC Tournament.

Tonkovich was leading the team with 10 goals and 23 points. Gesinski had 19 points (6 goals, 7 assists), and Bonelli 15 points (7 goals, 1 assist).

Women’s soccer

Saint Vincent: Grad student midfielder Tanisha Grewal was named to the All-PAC First Team, while junior midfielder Jude Galvin made the second team.

Grewal finished her career as the program’s all-time leader in goals (54), and she is tied for the top mark in points (120).

This season, she scored 17 goals, third in the PAC.

Galvin had three goals and five assists for SVC, which won its first PAC playoff game and finished 13-6-1.

Junior Emma Koller, sophomore Cori Bieber and freshmen Alexis Arlaus and Rilyn Warner were honorable-mention selections.

Seton Hill: Sophomore defender Kilee Coatney was named to the All-PSAC West First Team, while junior midfielder Jessica Molitoris was a second-team pick.

Coatney helped Seton Hill produce seven shutouts.

Westminster: Senior midfielder Brooke Horvath (Franklin Regional) was named to the All-PAC First Team. A four-time all-conference player, Horvath had 11 goals and six assists this season for a team-leading 28 points.

She topped 100 career goals.

Horvath had 39 goals and 28 assists in her career.

Football

Grove City: Ian Demeri (Penn-Trafford) rushed for a career-high 169 yards and three touchdowns as the Wolverines won 36-9 over Westminster to clinch back-to-back PAC titles.

Memphis: Redshirt senior Trent Holler (Latrobe) was added to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given to college football’s most outstanding center.

Holler is one of 42 players to make the list.

The transfer from Marshall has started every game this season for the Tigers, who have produced five 200-yard rushing games. Holler (6-2, 311) has helped Memphis rank fifth in the nation in time of possession, at 33 minutes, 10 seconds.

Men’s cross country

Saint Vincent: Tim Patterson finished 13th out of 216 runners at the Mideast Regional with a time of 24:50.6.

He was qualified for the NCAA National Championship.

Women’s cross country

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats took seventh at the Mideast Regional for their best finish at the event.

Her 6K time of 21.28 is a school record.

Men’s soccer

Grove City: Sophomore defender Jake Kimmich (Franklin Regional) was an All-PAC honorable mention selection.

He made 18 starts and helped the Wolverines post nine shutouts, five in conference play.

Penn State Behrend: Senior forward Blake Cooper (Franklin Regional) was named to the All-AMCC First Team.

Freshman goalkeeper Anthony Scalise (Norwin) made the second team.

Cooper led the Lions with 10 goals and 22 points.

Scalise made 13 starts and made 46 saves, while giving up 12 goals.

Pitt-Greensburg: Sophomore forward Matt Armenio was named to the All-AMCC second team.

Armenio led UPG with 10 goals and 23 points.

Seton Hill: Freshman Nils Heinrich was named the PSAC Western Division Freshman of the Year.

The forward also made the All-PSAC West First Team with senior defender Brandon Knapp and junior midfielder Julian Marker.

The Griffins’ Ron Klinger, a freshman defender, sophomore forward James Aubrey, and junior midfielder Vasilis Christodoulou were second-team picks.

Heinrich had a team-best 25 points on eight goals and nine assists, while Marker scored seven goals, Aubrey had nine assists and Christodoulou had five goals.

Women’s swimming

Saint Vincent: Senior Abby Leskovansky was named the PAC Swimmer/Diver of the Week. She won four events, including two relays, against Grove City.

Wrestling

Pitt-Johnstown: Redshirt junior Isaiah Vance (Hempfield) was named the PSAC Wrestler of the Week. Vance (4-1), a 285-pounder, posted four, first-period falls against Division I competition at the Journeyman Collegiate Classic in Bethlehem.

Men’s basketball

Cal (Pa.): Senior forward Kadyn Hannah (Franklin Regional) has started three games for the Vulcans and has a 7.7-point average and is shooting 50% from the field.

Hannah had 11 points in 23 minutes against Glenville State.

Pitt-Greensburg: Junior guard Matthew Marinchak (Ligonier Valley) poured in a game-high 29 points, including 7 of 10 from 3-point range, to pace the Bobcats to an 83-68 victory over Waynesburg.

Sophomore Trent Rozich added 13 points, junior Michael Bigley had 12, and junior Ryan Greggerson had 10 for UPG.

Freshman Ty Keffer (Southmoreland) grabbed 10 rebounds in the win.

Back to back jams by Trent Rozich had Chambers Hall rocking on Saturday night#DefendTheDen pic.twitter.com/qgFKIFOiXu

— Pitt-Greensburg Men's Basketball (@UPGbasketball) November 11, 2024

Pitt-Johnstown: Sophomore guard Adam Bilinsky (Norwin) scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out three assists as the Mountain Cats dumped Penn State Greater Allegheny, 112-68.

Seton Hill: The Griffins defeated Davis & Elkins, 68-61, as Gage Lattimore had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Ryan Meis scored 12, Kedrick Curtis added 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Edir Ortiz added 11 points.

Westmoreland County Community College: Freshman Lorenzo Gardner (Monessen) had 15 points and freshman Jaiseasn Blackman (Monessen) added 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Wolfpack defeated Penn Highlands, 79-71, to snap a 13-game losing streak.

Two other freshmen also scored in double figures. Nate Papuga (Derry) chipped in 13 and Colin Masten (Franklin Regional) had 11.

Women’s basketball

Chatham: Junior forward Alyssa Laukus (Norwin) scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds, but the Cougars fell to St. John Fisher, 73-63.

Florida Tech: Senior guard Sarah Liberatore (Hempfield) scored 13 points in 17 minutes as Florida Tech defeated Fort Lauderdale, 90-47.

Mercyhurst: Junior forward Bailey Kuhns (Greensburg Centra Catholic) scored a team-high 16 points in 36 minutes as the Lakers posted their first win as a Division I program, 67-51 over Davis & Elkins.

Pitt-Greensburg: Senior guard Melina Maietta (Greensburg Central Catholic) erupted for a career-high-tying 32 points, including 8 of 12 3-pointers, as UPG fell to Muskingum, 85-74.

In addition, sophomore Sarah Penrod (Franklin Regional) scored a career-high 24 points, while junior Tiana Moracco (Derry) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Pitt-Johnstown: Sophomore forward Camille Dominick (Latrobe) is averaging 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in three games for the Mountain Cats.

Seton Hill: Mia Kalich was named the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week. The sophomore forward had 13 points and 18 rebounds in a win against Concord as the Griffins won their first two games.

They improved to 3-0 with an 89-72 win over West Liberty as grad guard Christian Frye scored 25 points, Kalich added 17, junior Abby Mankins (Greensburg Salem) 13, and junior Hallie Cowan 12.

Mankins also pulled down 10 rebounds and Kalich, who was 8 for 10 from the field, had seven steals.