At the PIAA Track and Field Championships, Moon Area sophomores Rachel Stepp and Nathan Kustra excelled, winning multiple medals. Stepp earned silver in the girls 400 meters and placed seventh in the 200 meters, while Kustra secured gold in the wheelchair 400 meters and silver in both the 100 and 200 meters.
West Hills high school athletic teams are set for significant changes next winter, with several boys and girls basketball, swimming and wrestling teams altering classifications or section membership. Increased competition is anticipated, particularly in boys basketball, as local schools face new opponents and challenges.
At the PIAA Track and Field Championships Friday, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart's Tre Moses and Owen Wasko won medals in the Class 2A boys javelin. Rachel Stepp from Moon Area excelled, qualifying for Saturday's finals in the Class 3A 200 and 400 meters, while other athletes competed without medals.
Rachel Stepp entered last year’s PIAA Track and Field Championships with low expectations, yet secured a fifth-place finish. Now a standout sophomore, she’s among the top contenders in both the 400 and 200 meters, competing alongside eight other Moon athletes at this year’s meet. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart also will have six athletes competing at the state meet.
August Lichtner's RBI single led Western Beaver to a 7-6 walkoff victory against Bishop Canevin in the WPIAL Class 1A baseball playoffs, ending Bishop Canevin's season. Meanwhile, Moon Area and Montour prepare for their quarterfinal matchups Tuesday in Class 5A. And in boys volleyball, three West Hills athletes were named to an all-section team.
Both Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Montour were eliminated in the WPIAL boys volleyball playoffs, with OLSH losing to Shaler 3-0 and Montour falling to Seton LaSalle 3-1. In softball, OLSH lost to Neshannock 11-1 and Jeannette defeated Bishop Canevin 10-0. Upper St. Clair eliminated Moon in girls lacrosse.
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.