Trib HSSN athletes of the week: North Allegheny’s Caroline Wrigley, Keystone Oaks’ Dom Kimmerle

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Tuesday, October 9, 2018 | 1:57 PM


Dom Kimmerle

School: Keystone Oaks

Class: Senior

Sport: Soccer

Claim to fame: Kimmerle has been a stalwart in goal for the Golden Eagles this season. Kimmerle has manned the net during nine shutout victories, helping Keystone Oaks jump to a 12-0 record overall and 11-0 in Section 1-2A. Keystone Oaks is outscoring opponents 65-3 this season.

What’s your mentality when you see an opponent approaching the defensive zone?

You have to have an aggressive mindset, and you can’t hesitate. If you see a breakaway coming down, don’t hesitate to come out and play it. On penalty kicks, just go with your instincts, and that usually works for me.

How good can this Keystone Oaks team be as the season winds down?

We know we are capable of playing at a high level. We only focus on our next game and never look too far ahead. The future will come, but if we have our mind set on something else, it becomes a distraction.

Aside from soccer, are there any other sports you enjoy playing?

I do wrestling and a little bit of baseball. Wrestling is probably my favorite because it’s just you and you can’t blame anybody else. But I love all my teammates on the soccer team. I’m having a blast this year.

What are your plans after high school?

I got a few scholarship offers to play soccer in college. If I don’t play soccer, I’m going to run a fishing charter business down in Florida.

Caroline Wrigley

School: North Allegheny

Class: Senior

Sport: Golf

Claim to fame: Wrigley shot a 1-under par 71 to win her third consecutive WPIAL Class AAA golf championship at Diamond Run Golf Club in Ohio Township on Oct. 3. Wrigley’s four-shot victory put her in elite company as she became the first WPIAL girls golfer to win three consecutive titles in 32 years.

“Caroline really stepped her game up over the years and dedicated herself to be a great golfer,” coach Mike Hambrick said. “She did a lot of things other girls golfers don’t do, like lifting weights. She’s a thoroughly prepared golfer and so her winning again didn’t surprise me because she’s really a successful athlete.”

How special was it for you to win yet another WPIAL title and cement yourself as one of the of the best WPIAL golfers in the last three decades?

It felt really good. My uncle, Frank Fuhrer, did a three-peat in WPIALs, so it felt great to carry it on in the family.

Coach Hambrick spoke a lot about your preparation as being one of your biggest assets. How do you prepare yourself to go out and compete on the course?

I’ve really just been practicing smarter. I work on hitting shots on the range or in practice as if I would on the golf course. I try to have a purpose for every shot. I really take the physical aspect of the game like working out more seriously.

What are your plans after high school?

I’ve committed to Furman University in Greensville, N.C. The coach there is awesome. I know he’ll help me with my game and help me improve.

As you head off to college, what aspect of your game do you hope to improve to get you to that next level?

I think my driver could improve, just hitting more fairways and my accuracy off the tee. My short game can always improve with wedges and being able to hit certain shots out of thick rough.

What’s your favorite course you’ve played, and what’s one course you hope you get a chance to play?

In Western Pennsylvania I’ve played Oakmont (Country Club) and the Pittsburgh Field Club. I love playing there. Of course, I hope to play Augusta. I got to go to The Masters with my uncle two years ago. It’s crazy how nice it is there.

Brian Graham is a freelance writer.

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