Alle-Kiski Valley athletes of the week: Burrell’s Lily Liotta, Riverview’s Rece Stempfer

By: Ted Sarneso
Saturday, May 24, 2025 | 8:36 PM

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Lily Liotta

School: Burrell

Class: Freshman

Sport: Track and field

Claim to Fame: Liotta placed 10th in the girls PIAA Class 2A long jump Friday at Shippensburg University. Last week at the WPIAL individual championships, she finished seventh in the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 6 1/4 inches. She also finished 11th at WPIALs in the triple jump with a distance of 33 feet, 3 3/4 inches.

How did you get started in the long jump and for how long have you been competing?

Up until seventh grade, I was a gymnast and when I got to middle school, a coach suggested I give jumping a try because of my background and I’ve been doing it ever since.

What was your distance Friday at Shippensburg?

17 feet, 2 inches. I know deep down I could have done better, but I’ve got the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia next month, so I’ll continue to improve and try to set a new personal record.

How were you feeling heading into the state championships?

I was so excited.

What did it feel like to make it to the top 10?

I was a huge accomplishment, and I was so proud of myself. Overall, it was just an amazing experience.

What were your thoughts and emotions after you reached the podium in the WPIAL individual championships?

After jumping in the prelims, I walked away to do the 4×400 and I didn’t realize I made the finals. Upon realizing that, I was so excited, the athletic director had to run on to the field to come and get me.

How do you get pumped up for a meet?

I like to listen to music. I have a playlist, but my favorite song on there is “All of the Lights” by Kanye West.

What’s your personal best distance?

17 feet, 6 1/4 inches. I hit that at WPIALs.

Do you compete in anything else in track and field?

I do triple jump, and I did the 4×100 and 4×400 this season.

Do you enjoy the 4×100 and 4×400?

Yeah, it’s fun to have a team/teammates to run with.

What’s your personal best in the triple jump?

35 feet, 7 inches. I always consider triple jump to be my best jump, until I put out this huge jump in the long jump at WPIALs.

Which jump do you like better?

I love them both. I was disappointed in my triple jump at WPIALs, didn’t do as well as I hoped but used it as motivation for my long jump.

Do you play any other sports?

I do cross country and cheer.

What individual goals did you set for yourself this season in track and field?

I wanted to make it to WPIALs and then to make it to states. My goal next year is to medal at states and break some school records.

How close are you to those records?

In the long jump the record is 17 feet, 7 inches and the triple jump is 36 feet, 6 inches, so I’m really close. I’m only 5 feet tall, so I surprise a lot of people with my jumps. I hope to keep working hard so I may even shatter those records.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I honestly just love running and jumping. I also do some half marathons as well.

Do you have a favorite subject in school?

Biology.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

My parents. They are always supporting me, and they’re my rock.

Do you have a favorite book?

I love the Hunger Games series. I recently read the most recent one, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” and it was very good.

What have you been streaming lately?

I been watching “Sprint” on Netflix to help get me pumped for WPIALs and states.

If you could be an animal for a day, what would you be and why?

A capybara because they’re very cute, and they’re funny.

What three items would you want if you were shipwrecked on a deserted island?

My mom, dad and my dog.

Rece Stempfer

School: Riverview

Class: Senior

Sport: Baseball

Claim to fame: Stempfer went 1 for 2 with a double and drove in the only two runs the No. 6-seeded Raiders needed in a 2-1 win over No. 3 seed Burgettstown in the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal round. The win sent Riverview (14-7) to the semifinals against OLSH on Friday, where it lost 3-1. The team is headed to the PIAA playoffs, which begin June 2nd.

What position(s) do you play?

I started the first game of the season at first base but have been in center field ever since.

Did you drive in both runs with your double?

Yes. It was a 0-0 game with runners on first and third, and I got a good pitch to hit and I roped it into the gap and both the runners came in to score. It was a great feeling to get us the lead.

That was a big upset win. How did it feel to get by Burgettstown?

It was a great team win. We played phenomenal in the field, and Lukas Duncan threw great on the mound. Couldn’t ask for a better outing from him. Overall, it was a good day to play baseball and get a big win in a spot like that.

What was the message from the coaches leading up to that game?

We knew we were going to face a lefty and we didn’t see many lefties during the season, so we were told he might be good, he might not. But we knew a little bit about him form watching tape from the previous games he had thrown, so we had an idea of what his pitch mix would be. It was, go out there and play your best game. Coach Gras always says, “Whoever fields the best, hits the best and plays the best baseball will always win, no matter their record.”

What were you guys thinking and feeling heading into the game with OLSH?

I don’t want to say we were on a high horse going in. In my four years of high school baseball, we’ve never made it past the second round of the playoffs. Going into the game, excited to face a section opponent that beat us twice this year, I’d say we were very excited to have a chance to play for the championship. They played better than we did.

What made Chargers pitcher Sean Hudac nearly unsolvable?

We had seven hits, and multiple people had more than one hit. For me, it was the change of speeds. He got us to roll over a lot. I bunted the first pitch in my first at-bat. In my second at-bat, I saw fastball, changep, curveball or slider and in my third at-bat he started me with two changeups. I fouled a few pitches off, including some curves, and I grounded out on a fastball.

What can you say about how well Johnny Bertucci pitched in that game?

Phenomenal. Like I said with Lukas, couldn’t ask for a better outing. He was also able to change up his speeds. Whenever they did make contact, it wasn’t like they were barreling up balls into the gaps or anything, they were mostly bloop singles. He’s pitched well all year, and they were just able to get to him.

Are you guys more locked in for the consolation game against Laurel on Wednesday for third place?

Yeah. That’s going to be a big game for a chance to play in the state playoffs.

What’s been the key to the team’s success this year?

It’s the overall camaraderie we have with each other. The five seniors are the core. We have no juniors and a lot of sophomores who contribute heavily. The bench keeps everything lively and helps power us through games. If you have a good tendency to be close with your teammates, That leads to success.

How impressed are you that the team has only allowed 64 runs this year?

Going into the season, I had expectations of making it to the playoffs and losing in the first or second round like we always did. But this year the hitting has been great and the pitching exceeded expectations, so I have to give our pitchers the credit, along with how well we’ve played in the field behind them.

What goals did you set for yourself at the start of the year?

I just wanted to go out and have as much fun as I could in my last year of playing baseball. Go out there, try my best and hopefully I have good results. I didn’t meet all my physical goals, like batting average, but that’s okay, I still had fun.

Do you have a favorite subject in school?

I would say my math class, my AP stats class.

Who is one person, living or dead, you would like to share a meal with?

President Trump. I think it would be a fun experience to have a meal with the president and talk about golf or pretty much anything.

What are your favorite hobbies?

I love to golf. I’m not very good at it, but it’s still pretty fun.

What is one hobby you would like to try?

Fishing. I don’t do it very often, but when I do, I always have a good time. It’s relaxing. With me going to college in the south, I’m going to have a better opportunity to pursue that hobby.

Would you rather travel back in time or travel to the future?

Travel back to when I was 10-12 years old so I could play baseball in that age range again, because that’s when I had the most fun.

Who is your favorite baseball team/player?

Ken Griffey Jr. We’re both left-handed hitters, and I would love to have a swing like his.

What are your future plans?

I’m attending James Madison University, majoring in business.

What piece of advice would you want to leave your teammates before you graduate?

It doesn’t matter what the statistics say, you’re always more of a person than what they say. Don’t base your well being off what those numbers say.

Tags: Burrell, Riverview