Penn Hills fitness team preparing to make another run at national championships

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, December 27, 2018 | 8:00 PM

Since 1982, the Penn Hills fitness program has been monitored by one head coach — Bob Martini. This year is no different.

The fitness program is coming off a season where the girls team finished fourth in the country, while the boys team finished fifth at the National High School Physical Fitness Championships, which are normally held at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.

The team championships consist of six individuals per team. The girls team finished third in 2016.

This year, the fitness program comprises nearly 25 individuals, including eight on the girls team.

“This year, they are pushing everybody. Their heads are in the right spot. They know they want to push really hard this year to come up from the fourth position that they had. They are shooting for first or second in the country this year,” Martini said.

Amanda McCann and Elisa Brennan return after finishing in the top five individually at the National High School Physical Fitness Championships.

Two seasons ago, McCann and Brennan each finished in the top 18 out of 250 girls.

Steve Salah, who finished in the top 10, returns to lead a boys team that lost many of its key components to graduation.

A couple of seasons ago, Penn Hills accomplished a feat that rarely occurs when Gina Gionta and Andre Kuminkoski both finished first in the individual competition.

The Penn Hills fitness team, which was started by Bob Ford in 1966 when Martini was part of the team as a student, is one of the few teams still remaining the Pittsburgh area.

Penn Hills, which competes from November to May, used to compete in dual matches against Plum, Mars, Schenley, Westinghouse and Blackhawk years ago.

Each competition consists of five events, with three minutes between each event, including 100 sit-ups in two minutes, 60 non-stop push-ups in two minutes, three standing broad jumps, 30 pull-ups in two minutes and a 300-yard shuttle run in 44 seconds.

It takes a couple of months for individuals to get the proper form down for many of the elements in the competition. With the limited funds and lack of local competitions, the Penn Hills fitness team will likely compete in three competitions this year.

The club team raises money to send athletes to competitions around the country, including the Eastern Regionals and National High School Physical Fitness Championships.

Team fundraisers include selling hoagies, candy and raffles.

If either team has aspirations of finishing first in the country this year, they will need to focus on pull ups and broad jump, especially for the girls.

“The guys usually have the upper body strength where the girls have the lower body strength since most girls play soccer,” Martini said.

Martini provides instruction on lifting technique and nutrition in an effort to build a proper foundation that can used through the rest of their lives.

The fitness program allows the athletes to develop key muscles to aid in the positive development of his athletes who play multiple sports at Penn Hills.

Andrew John is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn Hills