Norwin notebook: Knights track and field athletes shine at Butler Invitational

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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School records fell, some from decades back, as the Norwin track and field teams continued their impressive season at the Butler Invitational, which featured more than 90 teams and 2,000-plus athletes.

The girls won the team championship, while several individuals brought home medals.

The Norwin boys’ 3,200-meter relay of Enzo Jiancristoforo, Thomas Gaydos, Ben McBride and Luke Simpson also won gold, crossing the finish line in 8 minutes, 13 seconds.

Ryan Schiller took second in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.39 seconds and placed third in the 300 hurdles in 39.06. Both times are school records.

Simpson came in fifth in the 1,600-meter run in 4:20.43 and fourth in the mile run (4:22.23), while Jeremiah Francis took fifth in the 110 hurdles (15.06), Tyler Beck was fourth in the 300 hurdles (39.79), Callum Turner placed eighth in the discus (141 feet, 7 inches), and Gaydos placed eighth in the 3,200 (9:21.89).

Gaydos broke the school record set by Patrick Noll in 1985 (9:28.4).

The boys’ 400 and 1,600 relays finished fourth in 43.41 and 3:27.10.

The boys team finished third behind champion Quaker Valley and Grove City.

For the girls, Melani Schmidt was second in the 200-meter dash (25.34 seconds) and 400 (56.83), and took fifth in the 100 (12.56), while Annie Czajkowski took fourth in the 1,600 (5:03.60) and fourth in the mile run (5:05.74), and in the 100 hurdles, Brandi Brozeski was second (14.77) and Karina Karadus (15.55) sixth.

Brozeski broke her sister Emily’s mark of 14.85 in the 100 set in 2016.

Kiley DeNoble took sixth in the pole vault (10-6), and Alexis Heller was sixth in the javelin (116-7) and eighth in the shot put (34-3).

The girls’ 3,200 relay (9:38.74) finished second, and the 1,600 relay (4:05.13) was third.

Both teams secured section titles, a regular occurrence at this time of year in North Huntingdon. The girls have won seven straight section titles and are 39-0 in section since 2017. The boys have won five consecutive section titles and are 38-1 since ‘17.

Burrell on board

Norwin athletic director Mike Burrell earned a seat on the WPIAL board, securing two of the 10 at-large seats up for election every spring for one-year terms on the 21-person board.

Burrell, who is on the football and competitive spirit committees, received 50 votes.

The WPIAL received 74 ballots. The league has more than 140 high schools and each gets one vote.

Baseball ranked

The Norwin baseball team moved into the TribLive HSSN Class 6A rankings, taking over the No. 3 spot with five straight wins, three via shutout.

After taking 2 of 3 from Canon-McMillan, whom they are tied with for first place in Section 2-6A, they swept Woodland Hills by scores of 18-0, 4-1 and 13-0.

In the third game against Woodland Hills, Ethen Culberton threw a four-inning no-hitter, striking out eight with no walks, Brayden Wardzinski doubled and drove in four runs, Jake Sincak doubled and had three RBIs, and Matt O’Neil went 2 for 3 with two RBIs.

Softball nears .500

Norwin softball won three straight games to move to 5-6 overall and 5-3 in Class 6A.

The Knights outslugged Butler, 11-9, as Makenna Black doubled, tripled and drove in two runs, and Isabella Deering went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and Miley Harrison had three RBIs.

Dollman selected

Norwin’s Josephine Dollman was selected to compete in the Women’s National Dual Championships in Indianapolis.

She is the 16th Norwin wrestler to make the duals team since 2020.

College scene

Updates on Norwin athletes competing in college:

Baseball

Mercyhurst: Senior Landon DiBeradin hit two homers, including a grand slam, and senior Jayden Walker belted his eighth homer of the season in a 10-6 win over Farleigh Dickinson.

DiBeradin drove in a career-high six runs.

Senior Eric Chorba had two doubles in the win.

Seton Hill: Junior Jack Whalen went 3 for 3 as the Griffins defeated Gannon, 4-1, in the last of a four-game series.

The Griffins (27-10, 13-6 PSAC West) took three of four from the Golden Knights.

In the third game, Whalen went 4 for 4 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. Senior Max Mandler doubled, homered and drove in five, while junior Colin Ahr had three hits and redshirt junior Michael Gregos homered in a 16-6 win.

Whalen was 7 fof 7 with five runs in the last two games and went 10 for 11 in the three wins.

Whalen was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week.

Men’s volleyball

Saint Vincent: Freshman setter Jackson Genicola was named an All-PAC honorable mention.

Men’s track and field

Penn State Behrend: Freshman Carter Tobin was named the SUNYAC Athlete of the Week. Tobin won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Westminster Invitational in times of 10.75 and 21.68 seconds.

Women’s lacrosse

Westminster: Freshman Ava Kessler set a program record for draw controls in a season as the Titans defeated Allegheny, 14-7.

Kessler finished with nine draw controls, reaching 102 to move past current coach Bria Braddock’s mark of 100 set in 2019.

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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