Rachel Stepp from Moon Area successfully defended her 400-meter title and won gold in the 200 meters at the WPIAL Track and Field Championships. Other notable performances included Owen Wasko winning the javelin for OLSH. A handful of West Hills athletes will advance to next week's PIAA meet in Shippensburg.
West Hills high school teams are gearing up for WPIAL postseason competitions on Thursday across four sports: track and field, softball, boys volleyball and girls lacrosse. Notable participants include defending champion Rachel Stepp in track, Bishop Canevin in softball, Moon in girls lacrosse and both OLSH and Montour in boys volleyball.
High school roundup: Moon girls fall in flag football semifinals; softball playoff pairings revealed
High school roundup: Moon girls fall in flag football semifinals; softball playoff pairings revealed
Moon Area's attempt to reach the inaugural WPIAL girls flag football championship ended with a 26-13 loss to Plum in Thursday's semifinals. The Tigers finished the season with a 12-4 record. Elsewhere, four West Hills teams will battle in the WPIAL softball tournament, which starts next week. WPIAL baseball pairings will be unveiled Friday.
In WPIAL high school baseball action Tuesday, Moon Area triumphed over Trinity 7-3, while Our Lady of the Sacred Heart beat Riverview 4-1. Carlynton dominated Springdale 16-1, and Shady Side Academy edged Bishop Canevin 5-3. In softball, Montour defeated Washington 15-0.
Montour secured a 5-3 baseball victory over Knoch, highlighted by Zachary Ciamacco's two-run single and Gavin Foley's stellar pitching. In softball, Montour and Moon claimed narrow victories while Our Lady of the Sacred Heart dominated Shady Side Academy. Moon Area fell in the quarterfinals of the state boys rugby tournament.
Rachel Stepp, a sophomore sprinter from Moon Area, claimed victories in both the 200- and 400-meter races at the Pine-Richland Invitational. Her teammate Alena Taylor also won the 300-meter hurdles. Both the Tigers' girls and boys teams triumphed in their respective 4x400 relay events.
Montour's Tyanne Tolbert shone with two touchdowns and defensive leadership in a 24-0 win over Steel Valley. Sto-Rox defeated Keystone Oaks 32-26 and Ambridge 22-20, while Quaker Valley prevailed 18-12 against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. In girls rugby, Moon Area crushed State College 35-0, and PIAA champion Haley Smarsh was honored at the state Capitol.