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Special athletes to be recognized at banquet

12 min read

The Special Recognition Award at the Tri-County Athletic Directors Association’s Coach of the Year Banquet recognizes an athlete who has either won a state individual title or was named to one of the all-state teams by a Pennsylvania Coaches Association or by a panel of sports writers from across the state.

This year’s group will be honored at the banquet, which is at 5 p.m., today at the DoubleTree by Hilton in the Meadow Lands.

All proceeds from the banquet benefit Special Olympics.

Only athletes from schools in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association are eligible for the award.

The following is a brief bio of each honoree:

Haley Altemus, South Fayette

All-state volleyball: An outside hitter, Altemus helped South Fayette to a second-place finish in Section 2-AAA and spot in the WPIAL playoffs. She was named All-State by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.

Kaci Alderson, Chartiers-Houston

All-state softball: The freshman shortstop led the Bucs with five home runs, 37 RBI, a .560 batting average and 42 runs scored. Her on-base percentage was .612 and an eye-popping OPS of 1.558. In the field, Alderson was smooth and formed a strong left side of the infield with Macie Kesneck.

Kayla Alderson, Chartiers-Houston

All-state softball: Alderson put together a solid season with a team-high 37 runs in just 23 games. She carried a .468 batting average, .528 on-base percentage and .747 slugging percentage. She was second on the team with three triples, three home runs and 10 walks.

Ben Bumgarner, Waynesburg

State champion: Bumgarner won the 3,200-meter run at the PIAA Class AA Track Championships with a time of 9:10.58, 11 seconds better than Zack Skolnekovich of Quaker Valley.

Hunter Bruce,

Peters Township

State golf: Bruce birdied two holes and parred 10 others to finish tied for second place at the PIAA Class AAA Championships at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York. Bruce’s two-day total of 144, 71 in the first round and 73 to conclude the tournament, tied Franklin Regional’s Palmer Jackson but was one shot behind eventual state champion Liam Hart of Holy Ghost Prep.

Brenna Cavanaugh, Bentworth

State track champion: Last season, Cavanaugh won the gold medal from Lane 8 at Seth Grove Stadium in Shippensburg, despite falling in the semifinals but qualifying for the finals. That lane is used for the runner with the slowest qualifying time from the semifinals. It is believed Cavanaugh was the first person to finish first in a sprint or high hurdles race from that lane in PIAA history.

Madison Clayton, Waynesburg

All-state soccer: Clayton, a Pitt commit, led the WPIAL in goals with 57 as the Raiders finished the season with a 20-2 record. She scored 148 goals in her career. She helped the Raiders win a WPIAL Class AA title.

Ryhan Culberson, Fort Cherry

All-state football: Culberson completed 33 of his 64 passes for 643 yards and eight touchdowns. He amassed 1,564 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Culberson was third on the team in tackles with 49 from his safety position. He also intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles. He also provided a spark on special teams, averaging more than 30 yards on 15 kickoff and punt returns.

Hunter Donahue, McGuffey

State golf: Donahue earned a silver medal in PIAA Class AA Championships at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York with a two-day total of 150.

Bryce Gabelhart, Peters Township

All-state soccer: A combination of quickness and agility made Gabelhart hard to stop on the pitch. He scored 10 goals and had 15 assists from his forward position in helping the Indians to a silver medal in the WPIAL Class 4A championships. He had 30 goals and 45 assists for his career.

Sara Jubas,

South Fayette

All-state softball: Jubas moved from the No. 4 spot to the leadoff position and the senior flourished, batting .562 with five home runs and 28 RBI in 20 games. She helped the Lions make it to the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals. The James Madison recruit had 11 doubles, three triples and 11 stolen bases. In the field, she had a .927 fielding average from her shortstop position.

Luke Kelly,

Peters Township

All-state soccer: The midfielder was a steadying force during the Indians’ run to a second-place finish in the WPIAL Class 4A championships. He scored 12 goals and added 9 assists and has 27 goals and 25 assists for his career.

Macie Kesneck, Chartiers-Houston

All-state softball: A duel threat with the bat and glove, Kesneck and shortstop Kaci Alderson formed an air-tight defense on the left side of the infield. Kesneck hit .435 and led the team with four triples. She struck out just five times in 82 plate appearances.

Joey Koroly, Trinity

All-state football: Koroly broke Trinity’s single-game rushing record when he ran for 358 yards against Blackhawk in September. He also broke the school’s career rushing record by gaining 1,807 yards this season to push his all-time total to 4,428 yards.

Madison Lampe, West Greene

All-State softball: A 5-tool player, hitting .567, finishing second on the team with eight home runs, 22 stolen bases, 52 RBI and a team-best five sacrifices. Lampe and her twin sister accounted for 115 of the 283 runs scored by the Pioneers.

McKenna Lampe, West Greene

All-state softball: Not only was she a fantastic hitter – .643 average, .766 on-base percentage, 1.036 slugging percentage – Lampe was an excellent center fielder. Her great catch in right-center field helped sew up a quarterfinal win against Claysburg-Kimmel. She had 48 stolen bases and struck out just five times in 84 at bats.

Logan Macri,

Canon-McMillan

State wrestling champion: Macri capped a magnificent run through the 120-pound weight class with a 3-2 decision over defending state champion Doug Zapf of Downingtown West at the Giant Center in Hershey. It was Macri’s first PIAA Class AAA wrestling title.

Jonah Moore, Canon-McMillan

All-state soccer: A 12-year veteran of the sport and a 4-year varsity starter, Moore was the anchor of the Big Macs. Mainly a defender, Moore showed his versatility by playing midfielder this season. He helped Canon-McMillan to the WPIAL playoffs and 12-8 record. He will attend the University of Chicago.

Annalia Paoli,

Albert Gallatin

All-state softball: A key cog in the resurgence of Albert Gallatin softball, Paoli is a standout shortstop with a smooth glove and explosive bat. She helped AG to a 19-5 record and spots in the WPIAL and PIAA plays. She is a Pitt commit.

Noah Plack,

South Fayette

All-state football: Plack, a Delaware recruit caught 52 passes for 935 yards and 13 touchdowns, all team-highs. Plack also dominated on a defense that held opponents to 12.5 points per game, including three shutouts. He had 75 tackles and five sacks.

Jade Renner,

West Greene

All-state softball: Renner stepped into the circle to fulfill the duties of her sister, who moved to shortstop, to produce an outstanding season. She went 19-1 with a 1.90 ERA. At the plate, Renner hit .554 and had one of her better efforts in the PIAA Class A championship game, going 4-for-5 with two RBI.

Madison Renner, West Greene

All-state softball: The thunder in West Greene’s Thunder and Lightning offense, Renner smashed 12 home runs and 58 RBI, third-highest in stats accumulated by MaxPreps. The junior shortstop’s .500 average (44-for-88) produced 25 runs scored and nine doubles. Surprisingly nimble in the field and is the emotional leader of the team.

Kaitlyn Rizor,

West Greene

All-state softball: Almost lost in the Pioneers’ dominating offense, Rizor hit .540 with five home runs and 33 RBI hitting behind Madison Renner in the No. 4 slot. The sophomore second baseman tied McKenna Lampe with 10 doubles, four behind leader Madison Lampe, and hit four triples.

Christian Sadler, Bentworth

State golf: Sadler earned a silver medal in PIAA Class AA Championships at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York with a two-day total of 150.

Drew Saxton,

South Fayette

All-state football: Saxton capped a stellar career by finishing among the WPIAL’s top 10 in career passing yards. The three-year starter was also one of the most accurate passers in the WPIAL as he completed 157 of his 248 passes (63 percent) this fall. He totaled 2,749 passing yards and threw for 33 touchdowns. In his South Fayette career, Saxton passed for 7,368 yards and 94 touchdowns and the Lions never lost a regular-season game.

Isaiah Schoonmaker, Washington

All-state football: Schoonmaker, a Miami (Ohio) recruit as a defensive player, became a big-play threat for the Prexies’ offense in his first season as a full-time receiver. He caught 35 passes for 747 yards and 12 touchdowns. On defense, he was a significant reason why the Prexies yielded the fewest points (11.5 per game) among all Class 2A teams in the WPIAL. He made 60 tackles and intercepted five passes.

Lindsay Sethman, Brownsville

State golf: Sethman finished in seventh place in the PIAA Girls Golf Championships with a two-day total of 169. Sethman shot 7-over 78 in the first round.

Jelani Stafford, California

All-state football: Stafford is a fleet-footed runner who was almost unstoppable in California’s triple-option offense. Lining up at fullback, Stafford led the Trojans in rushing yards (1,586) and touchdowns (25). Averaging an amazing 12 yards per carry and a touchdown every five times he touched the football, the 6-1, 263-pound Stafford was a nightmare for Tri-County South Conference defenses. He helped California win a conference championship, have its first undefeated regular season since 1947 and advance to the WPIAL semifinals.

Tara Staley, Waynesburg

All-state softball: Good things happened when Staley was at the plate. The senior infielder hit .466, far and away the best on the team. She led the team in most offensive categories, including RBI (15) and runs (12). Maybe most impressive was she only struck out once in 61 plate appearances.

Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan

State wrestling champion: Teasdale capped an amazing run in the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championship with his four gold-medal winning performance after a 2-0 decision over Joshua Jones of Saucon Valley in the 126-pound finals. Teasdale became only the 13th wrestler in tournament history to win four titles. Teasdale finished the season with a 40-2 record and a school-record of 160-2.

Dana Vatakis, Monessen

All-state softball: Vatakis was nothing if not dependable this season. The junior right-hander went 16-7 and figured in every decision for the Greyhounds. The Robert Morris recruit went over 500 strikeouts in her career and still has a season remaining. She finished with 214 strikeouts and 1.29 ERA over 139 innings. She hit .533 with a .976 slugging percentage, 15 doubles, four triples and 29 runs.

Megan Walker, Carmichaels

All-state softball: Walker is one of the top defensive catchers in the WPIAL, and she can hit, too. Walker had a batting average of .397 and led the Mikes in doubles with 10 and runs scored with 26. She stole 10 bases.

Nick Welsh, Washington

All-state football: Welsh led all WPIAL classifications in rushing with 2,324 yards and 32 touchdowns. His yardage total is the third-most in Washington County football history. Welsh was a model of consistency, running for more than 100 yards in each of the Prexies’ 14 games. He also scored at least one touchdown in every game and averaged a whopping 11.62 yards per carry.

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