Keeping up with ...

Lou Giachetti

A highly successful softball coach at Waynesburg High School, Giachetti moved acroos town two years ago to coach the softball team at Waynesburg University.

One of the undisputed good guys of the local coaching fraternity, Giachetti spent 11 years with the Raiders as an assistant coach and head coach. He helped Waynesburg softball become a playoff regular.

His teams won four section championship and, in 2005, Waynesburg became the second school from Greene County to win a WPIAL softball championship when the Raiders beat Washington in the Class AA title game. Carmichaels won WPIAL Class AA titles in 1998 and 1999.

Waynesburg qualified for the PIAA playoffs in 2005 and 2006.

At Waynesburg University, the yellow Jackets are 11-17 overall and 4-8 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Three of Waynesburg's top players are Amanda Baughman, Amber Pivik and Liz Bombara. All are Wash High grads.

Keeping up with ...

Amanda Kennedy
Referring to Amanda Kennedy as the top female athlete in the history of Bentworth High School isn't conjecture, the three-sport star left quite a legacy.

She became the first female from Bentworth to land a Division I scholarship when she chose to throw the javelin at Marshall University over a host of offers, including some Division II schools who were interested in Kennedy as a volleyball player and track athlete.

While at Bentworth, Kennedy was All-WPIAL in volleyball, All-Section in basketball and Bentworth's career rebounding leader and she holds several track and field records in addition to a pair of PIAA Class AA medals for the javelin.

Kennedy was the 2009 Observer-Reporter's Girls Athlete of the Year.

These days, Kennedy is setting records at Marshall.

At the Duke Invitationals on April 2, Kennedy's best throw of 40.04 meters broke the previous Thundering Hurd record of 39.37. The following weekend, Kennedy won the javelin (38.60) at the Ohio University Invitational.

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Jaci Timko

One of the premier sluggers in WPIAL softball history, Timko continues to pile up impressive statistics during her sophomore year at Robert Morris University.

Timko leads the Colonials (17-13 overall) with a .418 batting average (38-for-91), 26 runs scored, 54 total bases as well as slugging percentage (.593) and on-base percentage (.475). Timko is tied four the team lead with eight doubles and five stolen bases in addition to haveing a pair of home runs and 15 RBI.

As a freshman, Timko led Robert Morris in virtually every offensive category.

During her four years at Chartiers-Houston, Timko batted .522 with 20 doubles, 21 triples and 32 home runs, which is believed to be a WPIAL record.

(Photo courtesy of Robert Morris University.)

Keeping up with ...

Jim Gallagher

One of the premier athletes in Peters Township history, Jim Gallagher played centerfield and pitched baseball teams that appeared in consecutive PIAA Class AAA championship games back when there was only three classes.

After three successful years at Duke University, Gallagher was drafted in the seventh round (239th overall) by the Chicago White Sox. After a strong 67-game stint in rookie ball, where Gallagher hit .332 with nine home runs, he moved to the Class A team in Kannapolis.

He spent the final 27 games of the 2009 season playing for Birmingham, Chicago's Class AA affiliate. Gallagher hit .280 with a .385 on-base percentage.

This spring, Gallagher became the first Washington County player to participate in spring training since fellow Peters Township baseball alum Brian Simmons. Gallagher has played in five games for the White Sox, going 0-for-9 with two strikeouts. He most recently played against Texas on Sunday, March 28.

Keeping up with …

Matt Pierpont

Pierpont, a key member of Canon-McMillan's 2008 PIAA Class AAAA championship baseball team, is in the middle of his freshman season at Division I Winthrop University.

The 2009 Observer-Reporter Baseball Player of the Year, Pierpont has played in 16 games with 13 starts and is batting .261 (12-for-46) for the Eagles as an infielder/pitcher. He's hit two home runs and drove in 12 with a pair of stolen bases and seven runs.

Pierpont has made three pitching appearances and has allowed 5 earned run over 6 1/3 innings for a 7.11 ERA. He does have eight strikeouts.

Winthrop, a member of the Big South Conference, beat Penn State on Saturday and is 12-6 overall.