Norwin notebook: Girls track team takes indoor title

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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Norwin and Hempfield went back and forth at the Tri-State Track and Field Coaches Association Indoor Championship on Feb. 21 at Edinboro’s Mike Zafirovsku Sports and Recreation Center.

Norwin won the girls championship by 2.5 points over Hempfield, while the Hempfield boys also took second.

Norwin’s highlights included:

• The girls’ 3,200-meter relay winning in a school-record time of 9:41.55. Members were Jillian Ryba, Anna Dansak, Emily Dansak and Annie Czajkowski.

• Jeremiah Francis finished second in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.19 seconds. He also was fifth in the long jump.

• Alexander Irwin finished second in the pole vault (14-1).

• Myla McCabe took fourth in the 200 (26.41) and third in the 400.

• Czajkowski was second in the mile run (5:06.47).

• Addison Farrah (10:37.68) and Ryba (10:39.08) claimed fourth and fifth in the 3,000.

• A school-record winning run of 10:35.41 by the distance medley relay of Joe Cramer, Owen Rankin, Alex Barrett and Ben McBride.

• McBride was fourth in the mile run (4:26.34), and Ransom Gaydos took fourth in the 3,000 meters (9:03.24). Gaydos’s time is second among freshmen in the state.

• The girls’ distance medley relay was second in 12:43.78, while the 800 relay took third (1:49.57)

• The boys’ 3,200 relay took fourth (8:27.37).

Josephic commits

Norwin football kicker Tristan Josephic announced a verbal commitment to Glenville State.

Josephic gave up soccer to concentrate on football and played a role in the Knights’ first playoff season since 2017.

He made 40 of 42 extra points and 6 of 8 field goals this past season.

Dollman reaches 100

Norwin senior wrestler Josephine Dollman registered her 100th career victory when the 142-pounder defeated Brynn Bosack of Pine-Richland, 3-0, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL championships at Mt. Lebanon.

Dollman, a two-time WPIAL champion who moved down from 148, dropped a 5-0 decision to Kiski Area senior Ava Golding in the finals.

Dollman (34-9) qualified for the regional meet.

Defending 155-pound champion Karsyn Champion also finished second. Champion (31-3), a junior, was pinned by Mt. Lebanon freshman Camilla Hathaway.

Octavia Walker of Norwin also was seeking a third title, but she was the runner-up at 170 after falling to top-seeded and junior Alyssa Tresco of Kiski Area, 3-1, in overtime.

Big soccer change

A big rule change could be coming to PIAA and WPIAL soccer next season.

The Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association approved eliminating the double-dual rotating referee system it has used for years and replacing it with one head official and two assistants.

The current system gives each official a whistle with freedom to make calls anywhere on the field. With the new system, calls will be funneled to the head referee, who will make each call.

College scene

Updates on Norwin athletes playing in college:

Women’s basketball

Allegheny: Sophomore Ava Kobus scored 20 points, on 10-for-11 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and added four assists in a 65-52 victory over Hiram. The Gators improved to 13-12 overall and 10-6 in the PAC.

Clarion: Freshman Kendall Berger scored 20 points, two off her season high, and pulled down eight rebounds in 32 minutes as the Golden Eagles fell to Slippery Rock, 78-72.

Holy Family: Sophomore Lauren Palangio is averaging 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. She has four double-figure scoring games, including 12 (4 for 4 FG) and 10 rebounds against Jefferson. Holy Family is 23-3 overall and 18-0 in the Central Athletic Collegiate Conference. The Tigers received votes but were not ranked in the latest WBCA Top 25 poll.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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