Alle-Kiski Valley high school notebook: St. Joseph adds cross country

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, May 31, 2018 | 6:27 PM

St. Joseph is getting in the running for a new sports program.

The Harrison school is adding cross country as a club sport for the fall 2018 season, with the goal of joining the WPIAL as a full-time member the following fall, athletic director Tim Ackerman said.

Ackerman said the school has nine runners interested in participating this fall, and he is “actively searching” for a coach.

“My goal is that the program stays healthy, number-wise, and with the interest for the kids,” Ackerman said. “If we can keep them running all summer and all fall, then I will petition the WPIAL next January to get it on the schedule for the following season.”

St. Joseph had a track program in previous years before it got dropped. Ackerman, in his second year as athletic director, said he wanted to add a running program.

“To me, a school needs a well-balanced athletic program, and cross country seemed like a better fit,” he said. “Track, you have a lot of cost with equipment … and multiple coaches. Cross country seemed like the one that was more apt to get off the ground.”

Ackerman said there were some running loops developed near the school for the team to practice.

Should the program get off the ground, St. Joseph would join Burrell and Deer Lakes as Alle-Kiski Valley schools to add cross country programs in the past five years.

Fire starter

Senior Claire Crytzer was swinging a hot bat by the end of Freeport’s softball season, but she took it to another level when one of her swings brought Buffalo Township’s fire department out to the school.

During one of Freeport’s indoor practices, a ball off Crytzer’s bat struck a fire alarm inside the gymnasium, causing the fire department to respond.

It was a false alarm, of course, but it made for a nice photo opportunity.

A softball hit by @CrytzerClaire hitting the fire alarm this morning during indoor practice… Thank You Buffalo Twp for responding to this false alarm!! #keepussafe #bigthanks #playoffs @FreeportSball pic.twitter.com/wZswQqIi9J

— Freeport Athletics (@FASD_Athletics) May 27, 2018

Freeport (13-2) ultimately fell in the WPIAL Class 3A consolation game to end its season one victory shy of a PIAA playoff berth. Crytzer, who missed five games early in the season with a back injury, batted .324 with two doubles, two homers and 13 RBIs.

On the trail

New Kensington native Skyy Moore added another significant player to his college football scholarship list as the Shady Side Academy rising senior received an offer from Yale. It was his 10th offer overall and third from an Ivy League school. The Allegheny Conference’s 2017 Offensive Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year holds offers from Albany, Brown, Columbia, Fordham, Holy Cross, Howard, Lehigh, Richmond, Robert Morris and Yale.

Beyond blessed to receive an offer from Yale University !! @YALE_CoachOlson pic.twitter.com/nOilr2Spoi

— Skyy Moore (@skyymoore_3) May 24, 2018

Sad state

For the first time in more than two decades, no Alle-Kiski Valley baseball or softball team qualified for the PIAA playoffs.

Freeport and Leechburg fell in the WPIAL Class 3A and A softball consolation games Tuesday, respectively, ending their seasons. The last time the A-K Valley didn’t have a state qualifier was 1997, when the PIAA had two classes.

George Guido contributed. Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.