College notebook: Three wrestlers garner All-America honors
Three area wrestlers were named NCAA Division III All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Washington & Jefferson seniors Hunter Neely and Michael Heinl, along with Waynesburg freshman Rocky McGeary each were named to the All-America squad. Neely, a Cokeburg native and Bentworth graduate, was named to the second team at 174 pounds. Heinl, from Glenshaw and a Shaler graduate, was named to the third team at 149 pounds. McGeary, a McDonald native and West Allegheny graduate, was named first-team All-American at heavyweight.
This marks the first time that W&J has had multiple All-Americans in the same season since 2016.
“It was great to get the news that the NWCA made the decision to recognize these student-athletes for the body of work from their incredible seasons,” said W&J head coach Tommy Prairie. “Hunter and Mike both had amazing careers that will leave a lasting impact on the W&J wrestling program. They will go down as two of the best to ever wear a Presidents singlet.”
Neely won the Southeast Regional championship, making him the Presidents’ first regional title-winner since eventual national champion Nick Carr won the Mideast Regional at 157 pounds in 2015.
Neely had 116 career wins, which ranks as the fourth most in W&J history. Neely was 29-4 record during his final season.
Neely is the fifth W&J wrestler to become a four-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference champion. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier. A two-time PAC Wrestler of the Week, Neely was also named a NWCA Scholar All-American in March.
Heinl capped a stellar career with a 35-7 record as a senior. He qualified for Nationals after a runner-up performance at 149 pounds during the Southeast Regional. Heinl posted a 3-1 tournament record to earn him a trip to Nationals for a second straight campaign.
His three wins at the regional brought his all-time win total to 123, just a victory shy of Sonnyboy Blanco’s school record. Heinl was as a two-time NCAA qualifier and a three-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference champion.
McGeary was one of only eight wrestlers to earn first-team honors and the only freshman in the group. McGeary finished his first year at Waynesburg with a 38-3 record. He was 12-1 in dual matches, 15-0 in matches determined by pin and 7-0 in matches ending in major decision.
The rookie won five tournament titles, including the Southeast Regional and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference .McGeary heads into his sophomore season on an 18-match winning streak.
He ended the year ranked No. 2 in the country by Intermat and No. 4 by D3Wrestle.com.
In baseball
T.J. Dailey, a junior outfielder from McMurray, had the fourth-highest batting average on the Saint Vincent team when the 2020 season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dailey, a Peters Township graduate, was batting .292 in seven games. He had one triple a home run and five RBI and a .414 on-base percentage. Dailey had a home run and three RBI against Concordia (Minn.) in Auburndale, Fla., in what turned out to be the Bearcats’ final game of the season.
Dailey is one of three local people with Saint Vincent team. Cameron Hyde is a freshman first baseman and Adam Dukate, a former standout pitcher at Jefferson-Morgan High School and California University, is the Bearcats’ assistant coach.
Pitt-Greensburg’s Matt Mish,
- a senior pitcher from Canonsburg, put up some impressive numbers in two starts before the season was cut short.
Mish, a Canon-McMillan graduate, pitched 12.1 innings, allowing only three runs for a 2.19 ERA. The only thing he was missing was a decision. He allowed only one run and three hits over six innings against Ursinus and two runs over 6 1/3 innings against Anna Maria. He exited with the score tied against Ursinus and UPG’s bullpen was unable to protect a late lead against Anna Maria.
Abram King,
- a freshman third baseman from Washington and a Trinity graduate, was Pitt-Greensburg’s third-leading hitter with a .259 batting average in eight games. He had a 3-for-5 game against Curry.
In softball
Bethany’s Erica Amoroso had her promising senior season cut short. Amoroso, a shortstop from Belle Vernon, played all 10 games this season and was batting .214 with one double and was second on the team with three stolen bases.
Amoroso had more than 100 hits in her career, including three this season in a wild 15-14 win over Allegheny.
In track and field
Wheeling’s Brian Vandusen, a junior from Monongahela and a Ringgold graduate, placed fifth in the long jump at the Mountain East Indoor Track & Field Championships. Vandusen’s best jump was 21-11¾, only a half-inch shy of fourth place.
Wheeling’s outdoor season did not get underway before it was canceled because of the health crisis.
Compiled by Chris Dugan.