Nine win WPIAL James Collins scholarship awards
Every year, the WPIAL grants $1,000 scholarships to 20 scholar-athletes from within the district.
This year’s list of winners of the 35th annual WPIAL James Collins Scholar-Athlete Awards, is filled with student-athletes from the Observer-Reporter’s coverage area. Of the 20 recipients, nine are from local schools.
The winners include:
Natalie Carr, Canon-McMillan – Carr has a 4.54 grade-point average. She was a four-year letterwinner on the volleyball team and served as team captain for two years. She was recognized as a three-time all-WPIAL and all-section first team selection and earned PIAA all-state honors as both a junior and senior. Carr led the Big Macs to three consecutive section championships and two WPIAL championship match appearances. She was named the 2024 Observer-Reporter and Almanac Volleyball Player of the Year … Carr plans to study biology and continue her volleyball career at Youngstown State.
Ben Hays, Bentworth – Has a 4.0 GPA. Hays has earned 13 letters in football, basketball, baseball and track and field at Bentworth. He cemented his legacy last fall as the school’s all-time leader in both career rushing yards (3,842) and total touchdowns (51). He led the WPIAL in both rushing yards and scoring as a senior and helped the Bearcats to back-to-back playoff appearances. In basketball, Hays was a standout point guard and was named all-section as a sophomore and senior. Plans to study chemistry and play football at Washington & Jefferson.
Alan Klein, Peters Township – Has a 5.0 GPA. Klein earned seven letters over two sports: football and volleyball. He was a three-year captain for the Indians’ volleyball team and helped the football program to the most successful stretch in school history, including the WPIAL championship. Klein was a two-time all-conference selection in football and first team all-section in volleyball. He has been accepted into the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Early Acceptance Program to pursue his goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
Dylan Klinger, Charleroi – Has a 4.04 GPA. Winner of 10 letters across soccer, football, golf, baseball and track. Klinger served as captain of the Cougars’ soccer and baseball teams. He was one of premiere soccer goal scorers in the area. He led the WPIAL in goals as a junior and had more than 100 career goals. He helped the Cougars to WPIAL runner-up finishes in soccer in 2022 and 2023. He was a two-time section player of the year and an all-state selection. In football, he was second team all-conference as a kicker and a punter. Klinger plans to attend Mercyhurst University and play soccer.
Juliette Leroux, South Fayette – Has a 4.08 GPA. An eight-time letterwinner at South Fayette, where she excelled in basketball and volleyball. Leroux was a member of the school’s 1,000-point club in basketball and led the Lions to two consecutive PIAA championships. She was named the Player of the Game in the 2024 WPIAL championship and 2025 PIAA championship. She was recently named the Observer-Reporter Girls Basketball Player of the Year. A premier dual-sport athlete, Leroux was named first team all-state, all-WPIAL and all-section in volleyball for three straight years. She plans to study cyber security in play basketball at Florida Atlantic.
Morgan Ross, California – Has a 4.0 GPA. Ross has earned eight varsity letters in volleyball and track and field. She was team captain for each team as a senior. She received first-team all-WPIAL, all-section honors in volleyball and was the Trojans’ offensive MVP. Ross was the section 100-meter dash champion and the team’s MVP for two seasons. Ross plans to study child development and education and compete in track and field at Washington & Jefferson.
Lauren Rush, Chartiers-Houston – Has a 4.46 GPA. Rush has earned nine varsity letters while competing in softball, soccer and basketball. Has been one of the WPIAL’s premier softball hitters with more than 100 hits, almost 100 RBI and a career batting average of .499. She helped the Bucs to a WPIAL championship in 2022. She was a three-time all-state, all-WPIAL and all-section selection in softball. She was a standout defender in soccer, being named all-section in all four seasons and the Bucs’ Defensive pLayer fo the Year three times. She plans to study engineering and business administration at Baldwin Wallace where she will continue her softball career.
Aaron Walsh, Chartiers-Houston – Has a 4.38 GPA. Walsh has earned 14 letters across football, basketball, baseball and track. He was team captain of the football, basketball and baseball squads. He became the first C-H football player with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 passing yards in a season. He was first team All-Black Hills Conference and second team all-state. He was a first team all-section selection in basketball. He plans to study finance and play football at Washington & Jefferson.
Colin Whyte, West Greene – Has a 4.08 GPA. White is an eight-time letterwinner across football and wrestling. Was captain of the Pioneers’ football and wrestling teams as a senior. He was one of the best heavyweight wrestlers in the state, winning two WPIAL championships and setting the school record for career victories with 164. A nationally ranked wrestler, Whyte was a two-time placewinner at the PIAA Championships. On the football field, he was a two-time all-state selection and set West Greene’s single-game record with 24 tackles. Has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Kent State.