Norwin notebook: Knights juniors earn trip to state indoor track championships

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, February 27, 2022 | 11:01 AM

A pair of Norwin athletes qualified to compete in the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association Indoor Championships Feb. 27 at Penn State.

Juniors Nataiah Robertson-Dutrieuill and Hannah Shaw finished in the top 20 in their events to reach the state finals.

Robertson-Dutrieuill earned a spot in the long jump, while Shaw advanced in the pole vault.

Knights in the chase

Norwin was on the verge of clinching the PIHL Class A Southeast Division title and a playoff berth.

The Knights (11-4), who had a two-point lead over Westmont Hilltop (11-6), had remaining games against Westmont Hilltop, Fox Chapel and Greensburg Salem.

Before that stretch, the Knights picked up a 3-2 overtime victory over Freeport as Jake Meier netted the game-winner at the 14:50 mark of extra time.

Five days later, Norwin went to overtime again but lost to North Catholic, 4-3.

Youth wrestling wins again

The Norwin middle school wrestling team continues to produce.

The Knights tied their best finish in program history as they came in second at the District 7 Junior High Championships.

The team had three individual champions, more than any team at the event. They were Landon Sidun (108 pounds), Jack White (113) and Gaige Mamie (122).

Sidun was named the most outstanding wrestler after he pinned all but one of his opponents. He won 22-6 in the finals.

Nick Puskar took third at 157, while Santino Brasco was fifth at 135, Rocco Zugai seventh at 78, and Larry Goughenour eighth at heavyweight.

Puskar avenged an earlier loss to a Kiski wrestler to take 3rd.

College scene

Updates on Norwin graduates playing in college:

The Polczynski sisters are all square.

Freshman guard Mara Polczynski helped Grove City avenge an earlier loss to Westminster and her sister, senior Magen Polczynski, as the Wolverines stormed past the Titans for an 87-50 win in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

Mara had a career-high 12 points and added six assists and four steals in the rematch, while junior guard Megan Kallock (Greensburg Salem) tallied a game-high 26 for Grove City (16-7, 13-4).

Each team won at home.

Westminster (15-8, 12-5) won their earlier meeting 71-65, with Magen scoring 16 points.

Marietta: Sophomore guard Olivia Gribble had 11 points and made three 3-pointers in a 71-44 win over Capital, and added 10 in a 58-41 victory against Heidelberg that moved her team’s winning streak to four. Gribble leads the balanced-scoring Pioneers (21-4, 14-4 Ohio Athletic Conference) with a 10.3-points per game average.

Men’s swimming

Grove City: Senior Joey Astrab posted a third-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2 minutes, 11.23 seconds, and was fourth in the 200-yard individual medley, in 2:01.66, at the PSAC Championships.

He also finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.87.

Saint Vincent: Senior Josh Ligus came in ninth at the PAC Championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 18 minutes, 12.88 seconds.

The Bearcats finished fourth overall.

Men’s indoor track

Duquesne: Freshman Matt O’Neill took 10th in the 5,000-meter run in 15:40.76 at Kent State’s Jud Logan Memorial Tune-up.

John Carroll: Junior Carson Shipley finished 12th at in the 5,000-meter run (15:58.40) at the Jud Logan Memorial Tune-up at Kent State.

Women’s indoor track

Clarion: Sophomore Courtney Kosavonic placed third in the 3,000-meter run at the PAC Championships at Edinboro.

Women’s tennis

Cincinnati: Redshirt junior Maria Santilli picked up a win at No. 4 singles as the Bearcats defeated Cleveland State, 6-1.

Baseball

Seton Hill: With 17 hits, No. 9 Seton Hill welcomed a new season and won its opener, 10-5, over Limestone in Gaffney, S.C.

In a wild second game of the three-game series, Owen Sabol had four hits and six RBIs apiece as the Griffins won, 16-12.

The Griffins homered seven times in the three-game series against Limestone.

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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