Westmoreland County high school notebook: Norwin announces 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame class

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, September 14, 2025 | 7:30 PM

A benchmark football team is part of the 2025 Norwin Athletic Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted Oct. 2 during a banquet at The Venue at Live! Casino in Greensburg.

The 1999 football Knights, coached by Tim McCabe, who also joins the ’25 hall class as an individual, reached the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals and lost to McKeesport at Three Rivers Stadium. That season, Norwin knocked off Penn Hills in the playoffs and also defeated defending-champion New Castle during the regular season.

McCabe, who implemented the run-and-shoot offense at Norwin, was 43-57 in 10 seasons and made the playoffs four times.

The other members of this year’s hall of fame class are:

• Shelby Haitz — A track and field standout who went on to run at Duquesne, she helped Norwin win four straight WPIAL track and field team titles. She won a WPIAL 800-meter title in 2008. She won 11 WPIAL and PIAA medals.

• Jason Jasko — Another athlete who made his mark in track and field, he also competed at Duquesne. His specialty was jumping events. He won two WCCA titles in the high jump and never lost in the event in dual meets. He also was an all-section basketball player.

• Chris Mitchell — Made his mark in swimming as a WPIAL 200-yard individual medley champion in 1988.

• Sarah Morrison — The goalkeeper for the 1996 PIAA champion girls soccer team, she started 53 straight games and had 40 shutouts, including 19 in one season.

• Kurtis Phipps — Norwin’s first PIAA champion wrestler, Phipps went on to a successful college career at Bucknell.

• Randy Rovesti — A longtime football coach and athletic director in the district.

• Jack Salopek — Norwin’s all-time leading passer in football, he played collegiately at Western Michigan and Elon. Salopek threw for a Westmoreland County record 6,150 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career.

• Kylie Veverka — A soccer standout who played defender, she helped Norwin post 46 shutouts in her prep career before playing at Pitt. She earned all-state honors.

The hall class will be honored Oct. 3 during the football homecoming game against Hempfield and in a parade on Oct. 4.

Golf teams rolling

Three local boys golf teams were leading their sections, two of them with unblemished records.

Latrobe was 11-0 overall and 10-0 in Section 1-3A, Belle Vernon was 10-1, 10-0 and sitting atop Section 2-3A and Franklin Regional was 8-0, 8-0 and in first in Section 4-3A.

Mt. Pleasant and Greensburg Salem were tied for first in Section 2-2A.

The WPIAL individual postseason begins this week with boys and girls section tournaments around the district.

Butler reunions

New Hempfield boys basketball coach Austin Butler will add a familiar face to his staff. Hempfield will vote Monday to approve Bryce Butler as a paid assistant, reuniting the brothers from Latrobe.

Bryce Butler coached last season at West Liberty, his college alma mater where he was an All-American and one of the top players in NCAA Division II.

Norwin graduate Dante Rizzo also is set to join the Butlers on the bench.

Two other Butler brothers, Landon and recent Latrobe graduate Max, are teaming up to play at West Liberty. Landon transferred from Coker.

Ryder Cup at P-T

The Penn-Trafford boys golf team took a break from competition for a three-day intersquad “Ryder Cup” match.

Coach Josh Bujakowski wanted to bring the format to the team during a Ryder Cup year and establish a tradition.

Two captains drafted their teams. Jake Lenart and Aiden Dzurko each picked eight players.

The first day was match play, followed by a scramble and then singles matches, all at Manor Valley Golf Course.

“The Ryder Cup is a staple for golf fans,” Bujakowski told Penn-Trafford TV. “We thought it would be only fitting to give our own spin on it.”

Franklin Regional also is known for using a Ryder Cup format during select matches, including its junior varsity Panther Cup.

Bargiel honored

A plaque on a new youth football building at St. Agnes in Irwin memorializes Colin Bargiel, the former Norwin football player who was killed in a dirt bike crash in 2024.

The plaque was unveiled at a recent event with Norwin youth and high school football players, cheerleaders and parents.

A message on the plaque reads: “Be the teammate who stays after practice, who lifts others up, who never gives up — no matter the score. … Stand for something bigger than yourself. That’s what Colin did. … Let his legacy light your path.”

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford