Armstrong’s Emma Paul named 2023-24 TribLive HSSN Girls Athlete of the Year
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Wednesday, July 3, 2024 | 7:22 PM
Armstrong’s Emma Paul rounds the bases after hitting a two-run homer against Connellsville during their WPIAL Class 5A playoff game on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at Gateway.
Armstrong’s Emma Paul celebrates with teammates after defeating Hollidaysburg in their PIAA Class 5A second round state playoff game on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at Pitt Johnstown.
Armstrong’s Emma Paul rounds the bases after hitting a walk-off home run against Penn-Trafford to end their WPIAL Class 5A semifinal on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at Gateway.
Armstrong’s Emma Paul scores past Hollidaysburg defenders during their PIAA Class 5A second round state playoff game on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at Pitt Johnstown.
Emma Paul discusses her gold-medal year with TribLive HSSN’s Don Rebel on the Rebel Yell podcast.
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About nine days was how long Emma Paul had to transition seasons from basketball to softball, but the Armstrong senior was largely responsible for that quick turnaround.
She had no complaints.
“I like going right into the next sport,” said Paul, a standout athlete in multiple sports, who earned spots on the TribLive HSSN Terrific 10 all-stars for both basketball and softball.
“You’ve got to move on and keep going.”
The point guard led the Armstrong girls basketball team to the WPIAL finals and its first state playoff win. In the spring, the shortstop helped the River Hawks win their second WPIAL softball title in three years. Her medal-winning efforts this year in multiple sports makes her the 2023-24 TribLive HSSN Girls Athlete of the Year.
If her schedule wasn’t busy enough, the Fairmont State softball recruit also joined the Armstrong golf team last fall.
“My friends were on the team, so I joined,” said Paul, who started golfing only a couple of months earlier.
In the winter, Paul led Armstrong to the WPIAL Class 5A basketball finals and the team’s first state playoff berth. She averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game for the River Hawks, who went 23-6.
The River Hawks lost to two-time defending champion South Fayette, 70-63, in the WPIAL finals. They won two PIAA playoff games and reached the state quarterfinals.
Paul set a school single-game record with 45 points in January and had 36 in the WPIAL finals. She finished with 1,721 career points.
In the spring, Paul batted .478 (33 for 69) with 14 extra-base hits, seven home runs, 38 runs and 26 RBIs. As the team’s leadoff batter, she had a .609 on-base percentage, .899 slugging percentage and 1.507 OPS. She was terrific in the field as well with a .985 fielding percentage.
Armstrong defeated Thomas Jefferson, 9-3, in the WPIAL softball finals. Paul went 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Armstrong
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