Local wrestlers contribute to Pa.’s 7 titles in national dual championships
Submitted photo
Pennsylvania demonstrated that it remains one of the top states in the country in winning seven national dual meet championships in wrestling over the past several weeks.
Team Pa. has won 43 national dual-meet titles overall.
The Pennsylvania girls swept the freestyle competition with titles in the 14-and-under, 16U and 18U age classifications. Team Pa. earned Greco-Roman championships in the 14U and 16U age groups.
The Pennsylvania boys earned titles in Greco-Roman and freestyle in the 14U age group. The 16U boys were second in freestyle and the 18U boys placed second in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle.
Trinity’s Nila Bland recorded a fall in the 18U girls freestyle semifinal against Team California.
Bland wasn’t the only Hiller that competed in the national duals, as Landon Ault (14U boys), Jackson Hoy (16U boys) and Matt Richards (16U boys) made the team that was selected by Pennsylvania USA Wrestling.
In addition to Bland, the Hillers’ Jordan Gonzales made Team Pa. but wasn’t able to compete due to being injured in training camp.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Alex Palko qualified for the 16U boys team.
The individual national championship for freestyle and Greco-Roman will be contested July 12-20 in Fargo, N.D.
Rush, Solorio and Sienna Williams-VanBalen will represent Canon-McMillan in the 18U girls division. High school teammate Yunuen Ayala will compete in 16U. The Big Macs’ Collier Hartman qualified in the 18U boys division.
Bland will represent Trinity at 18U. Hoy (16U) and Blake Reihner (18U) will take the mat in the boys competition.
Burgettstown’s Darius Simmons qualified for 18U boys and Ringgold’s Owen (16U) and Jake Conroy (18U) will compete inside the FargoDome.
Peters Township’s Grace O’Korn will look for a title in the 18U girls division.
Big Macs’ Carr plays for AAU national title
Canon-McMillan’s Natalie Carr isn’t resting too much on her summer vacation.
The incoming junior and her club volleyball team, Pittsburgh Elite, were ninth in the open division of the AAU nationals 17U team. The open division is the highest level of the AAU girls junior national volleyball championships.
Carr, an outside hitter, is ranked nationally as the 32nd best player for the class of 2026. She is rated as the 13th best outside hitter for incoming high school juniors.
Carr is the No. 5 ranked player in the northeast region and was named the girls volleyball MVP for the 2023-24 by the Observer-Reporter and The Almanac.
She is listed as a four-star recruit and was praised in the national tournament as one of the featured players on her team.
Carr is on the junior volleyball association watchlist for her class, plus an Under Armour Next Camp and Red Hat Games invitee for 2024.
Carr is being courted by Division I schools to play on their volleyball team once her high school career culminates.
WPIAL adds 8 new girls golf programs
Girls golf programs continue to grow as the WPIAL added eight more teams that will compete in the upcoming season.
Trinity and Belle Vernon are the two local teams who will begin play against other girls programs with the Hillers playing in Class 3A and the Leopards in 2A.
Trinity will play area teams in defending champion Peters Township and South Fayette in Section 2. Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Moon and Upper St. Clair round out the section.
Belle Vernon is one of five teams in Class 2A to feature new programs along with Beaver, Ellwood City, North Catholic and Sewickley Academy.
The Leopards were placed in Section 1 with Derry, Geibel Catholic, Greensburg Central Catholic, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland.