Westmoreland high school notebook: Mt. Pleasant swim coach honored

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, April 15, 2023 | 7:41 PM

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Sandy Felice will tell you she does not have to do much to get her swimmers ready at Mt. Pleasant.

The coach is well aware the team has assembled some of the top talent in the state.

But sometimes the accolades go to the person in charge.

Felice was honored for her team’s success this season by being named PIAA Swimming and Diving Coaches Girls Class 2A Coach of the Year.

Mt. Pleasant’s girls won WPIAL and PIAA titles, repeating as WPIAL champs.

The Vikings also won five individual state gold medals.

Player of the week

The Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association recognized a local outside hitter as its player of the week.

Sam Kiesel, a junior at Latrobe, received the award in Class 2A. He has helped the Wildcats to the number-nine ranking in the classification.

East-West addition

Mt. Pleasant running back Robbie Labuda was added to the West roster for the East-West all-star football game May 21 at Bishop McDevitt.

Five other local players already had been selected in Ryan Kimmel, Nate Dlugos, and Amari Mack of Greensburg Central Catholic and Steve Macheska and Parker Jewell of Belle Vernon.

Sweeney joins Mt. Lebanon 

Former Derry football coach Tim Sweeney will be a defensive assistant at Mt. Lebanon.

Sweeney has coached for 13 seasons, including nine as a head coach at Derry and Baldwin.

A Derry graduate, Sweeney played on Penn State’s 1986 national championship team.

Burrell grad Mike Collodi, the former coach at Elizabeth Forward, is the head coach at Mt. Lebanon.

Ice capades

The Allegheny Badgers youth hockey team — 16U, coached by Josh Fajt — made a championship run.

The Badgers reached the semifinals of the USA Hockey Tier 2 National Tournament, falling to the Woodbridge Wolfpack, 2-1, in overtime, in Amherst, N.Y.

The Badgers, who play out of Palmer Imaging Arena in Delmont, feature a roster loaded with Westmoreland County players.

They include: Alex Smilie and Carter Cherok of Greensburg, Luke Anderchak of Murrysville, Dom Cerilli and Dom Costantino of North Huntingdon, Jack Blank and Robbie Thatcher of Harrison City, Garrett Rechtorik of Trafford, Bryce Kropczynski of Irwin, JM Krajc and Bryant Dumnich of Latrobe, Jake Hannah of Ligonier, Chase Bonson of Penn Township and Tyler Danko of New Kensington.

BVA combine 

Belle Vernon will host a 5-Star Regional football combine, presented by the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association, the Rising Stars Football Academy and the Big 33, from 5 to 9 p.m. May 19 at James Weir Stadium.

The event is open to athletes in the classes of 2023-27 (excluding committed seniors). College coaches will attend the event.

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— Coach Humbert (@BVAFootball) April 1, 2023

Participants will go through drills, including the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, vertical and broad jumps and more.

Top performers, selected by organizers, will advance to the Elite Combine May 27.

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

Tags: Mt. Pleasant