Norwin notebook: Knights seniors make college choices

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, November 7, 2020 | 11:01 AM

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A pair of Norwin seniors made a commitment to Division II schools on the same day.

Jayden Walker and Danielle Rosso will play baseball and basketball, respectively, at the next level, they announced.

Walker, a 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher and first baseman, gave a verbal pledge to Mercyhurst of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Walker, who had a Division I offer from Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md., also plays basketball for the Knights.

Rosso has been a key combo guard for Norwin, a perennial power in girls basketball. The 5-foot-8 senior is headed to West Liberty of the Mountain East Conference.

She averaged around 15 points a game last season for the Lady Knights, who went 18-5 and made the WPIAL quarterfinals a year after a district semifinal and PIAA quarterfinal appearance.

Rosso plays AAU basketball for the Western PA Bruins, known for producing high-level college players.

Home sweet home

Norwin soccer teams were hoping to get comfortable at Knights Stadium.

The PIAA recently decided to give teams on top of the brackets home games in the state playoffs through the semifinals, just as the WPIAL did in its playoffs for fall sports.

Look for much smaller state tournaments this year. The PIAA brackets are pre-slotted, and only district champions will make the field in fall sports.

If a WPIAL team can’t host an event, the WPIAL would need to find a new site in the district. If a state playoff event features a team from the east against one from the west, traditional rules will apply, and the PIAA will find a neutral site.

The PIAA football and soccer finals are still scheduled to be played in Hershey.

All-WPIAL

All-WPIAL soccer teams for 2020 were announced earlier this month.

Westmoreland County players to make the list include Latrobe senior Maddie Delucio; seniors Lacey Bernick and Katelyn Kauffman, and junior Paloma Swankler of Norwin; junior Malia Kearns of Penn-Trafford; seniors Jillian Butchki and Izzy Laurita of Belle Vernon; senior Sydney Caldwell, and juniors Sydney Kranick and Sydney Lindeman of Franklin Regional; senior Kaylee Elwood of Kiski Area; senior Jordyn Kowalkowski of Burrell; senior Mackenzie Leeder of Mt. Pleasant; sophomores Olivia Cernuto and Kendall Fabery of Southmoreland; Pritts and Vilchek of Yough; senior Sam Felder, sophomore Sara Felder and juniors Tatum Gretz and Bethany Winnor of Greensburg Central Catholic; and senior Tatum Hoffman of Ligonier Valley.

Wehner plays in opener

Marian women’s basketball freshman Jayla Wehner, a recent Norwin graduate, scored eight points and added four assists in the team’s season-opening win over IU-Kokomo, 89-57.

Wehner played 17 minutes off the bench and also had two steals.

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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