North Allegheny notebook: Junior wrestler Mack Apel claims pair of state titles

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, April 1, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Mack Apel, a third grader at Hosack Elementary, won a pair of state championships last month.

A member of the North Allegheny junior wrestling team, Apel bested a field of 30 qualifiers to win the 8-and-under 74-pound championship at the Pa. Keystone Wrestling state championships March 19, at IUP.

He then won the 8-and-under 75-pound state title at the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling state championships. He competed against a field of 42 qualifiers to win the event on his birthday, March 26, at the Petersen Events Center.

Mack has competed for NAJW since he was 4 years old and attends Quest North Wrestling Club.

Bozzuto named athletic director of the year

North Allegheny’s Bob Bozzuto was honored last week as the recipient of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Director Association’s Athletic Director of the Year award.

Bozzuto, who has been PSADA’s President since July 2021, is in his 44th year of education.

Following stints at Hempfield and Franklin Regional, he has been North Allegheny’s athletic director for the past 24 years.

NA track teams open season with victories

The North Allegheny boys and girls track and field teams opened the season with a pair of wins on March 29.

Both teams defeated Shaler and North Hills.

The girls beat the Titans, 123-27, and the Indians, 127.5-22.5.

Event winners for the NA girls were Marina Comino (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Lucia Wells (100), Robin Kucler (1,600), Isabella Costa (400), Maya Currie (200), Wren Kucler (3,200), Ava Como (pole vault, triple jump), Allison Burns (long jump) and Alaina Fantaski (javelin).

They also won the 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relays.

The boys beat Shaler, 142.33-7.66, and North Hills, 103-42.

Finishing in first place in their individual events were Khiryn Boyd (100), Jack Bertam (1,600), Zach Nash (400), Jackson Pajak (800), Rourke Kennedy (200), Gregory Kossuth (3,200), Ryan Handron (pole vault), Rohan Gupta (long jump, triple jump), Kaden Velasquez (discus), Andrew Gavlik (javelin) and Jack Yatchenko (shot put).

Softball moves to 2-0 in section

The North Allegheny softball team scored a pair of key Class 6A section wins last week.

On March 27, Sammy Plotsko threw a two-hit shutout, striking out six, and Anne Melle went 2 for 3 and drove in the game’s lone run to lead North Alle­gheny to a 1-0 win over Hempfield in six innings.

On March 29, the Tigers beat Canon-McMillan, 9-7. Plotsko went 3 for 3 with two doubles and three RBIs to lift North Allegheny (5-1, 2-0). Mayson Brokos had three hits and Rachel Rusnica doubled and drove in a pair for the Tigers.

Tigers girls lacrosse gets 4th straight win

Laurel Donley had a hat trick to help North Allegheny’s girls lacrosse team score a 12-9 win over Shaler on March 29, helping the Tigers improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Section 2-3A.

Mila Prusak (2), Avery Andreson (2), Madelyn Lemmon, Leigh Failla (2), Tessa McDowell and Isla Abrams also scored for the Tigers.

Izzie Trunzo made eight saves in goal.

Tags: North Allegheny