Alumni News

By: Jared Barton

Former WPIAL Champion and North Allegheny standout Erik Sundgren is now a National Champion.

Sundgren and the Denison Baseball program wrapped up the 2026 season with an impressive 51-3 overall record and the NCAA Division III National Championship on Thursday from Eastlake, Ohio.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY, DENISON BASEBALL ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS‼️#GBR | #DenisonProud pic.twitter.com/lCAD3S0kz9

— denisonsports (@DenisonSports) June 4, 2026

This is the first national title in Denison Baseball history. The Big Red were the first-ranked team in the nation for the better part of the 2026 season and held a record 44-game win streak during the run. The only losses this season came to #5 Salisbury at the D3 Showcase in North Carolina in the second game of the season, #15 East Texas Baptist University in the opening game of the DIII College World Series and to #9 Endicott College in game two of the championship series.

Denison beat Wittenberg for an NCAC Title, then hosted and beat Grinnell College, Cortland and Kalamazoo College in the NCAA Regional. The Big Red then hosted the Super Regional, beating RV Piedmont University in two games. After the World Series opening loss to East Texas Baptist University, Denison beat #8 Johns Hopkins, #10 Baldwin Wallace, and then East Texas Baptist University twice to advance to the Championship Series, beating Endicott College in the best-of-three.

Denison won the final game of the World Series dramatically, 4-3 in 10 innings. Sundgren tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, WE’RE TIED 😳💥

Erik Sundgren finds the equalizer and it’s a 3-3 ball game for @DenisonSports and @ECGulls!#WhyD3 | #D3baseball pic.twitter.com/hOqAnVdz85

— NCAA Division III (@NCAADIII) June 4, 2026

The game-winning run was batted in by fellow WPIAL product and All-American Jack Lutte of Peters Township.

Congratulations to Denison University on winning the DIII National Championship with a walk-off in the 10th inning from All-American Jack Lutte.@DU_Baseball @d3baseball @ABCA1945 pic.twitter.com/WgGNCBDaOX

— The Baseball Collegian (@basecollegian) June 4, 2026

HISTORY!!#NotJustYet pic.twitter.com/CJxbicjLIY

— Denison Baseball (@DU_Baseball) June 5, 2026

Sundgren started every game of his senior campaign in the outfield with the Big Red. He batted .373 this season with 79 hits, including a team-leading 22 doubles. His 11 home runs were second-best on the team and he was tied for first with three triples. Sundgren led Denison with 140 total bases and 32 stolen bags.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by D3sports.com (@d3sports)

Sundgren was named to the D3baseball.com All-Tournament Team on Friday.

By: Jared Barton

Following a successful freshman campaign, former North Allegheny multi-sport athlete Isabella Costa has earned another honor this spring.

Costa was one of a program-record six members of the Duquesne Track and Field Team to be named to the Atlantic 10 Outdoor All-Rookie Team.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Duquesne Track & Field And XC (@duqxctf)

Costa made the team after participating in the High Jump & Heptathlon during the outdoor season.

She and teammate Brandi Brozeski shared the Atlantic 10 freshman lead in the high jump after each cleared 1.64 meters during the heptathlon at the A-10 Championships, where both scored points for the Dukes. Costa also led conference freshmen in the heptathlon with 4,722 points, placing fifth overall and moving to fourth on the Duquesne all-time leaderboard.

The outdoor season success followed a very strong indoor season this winter for Costa with the Dukes, where she also secured a spot on the conference all-rookie team.

Former North Allegheny boys’ soccer standout, Aidan Dyga, was recently named the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Allegheny College by the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Dyga was honored at the PAC’s annual Scholar-Athlete of the Year banquet on Tuesday night at The Fez Banquet Center in Aliquippa, PA.

Scholar-Athlete write-up on Dyga courtesy of the PAC:

In just three years at Allegheny College, Aidan Dyga has accomplished more than most students can typically fit into four years. Not only did Dyga graduate early with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, but he did so with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. And after spending four months as a software engineering intern last summer, Dyga has already accepted a full-time software engineering role at Microsoft in Pittsburgh.

While at Allegheny, he contributed to multiple coding projects, including an educational coding website titled Code With Chompers, which features introductory programming lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students. Dyga is a Doane Scholar, Distinguished Alden Scholar, a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection, and a member of the PAC’s Fall Academic Honor Roll. He also served as public relations director for the Association for Computing Machinery.

On the pitch, Dyga was an All-PAC Honorable Mention in 2024 and an All-PAC Second Teamer in 2025. He began last fall as a starting center back for the men’s soccer team, and his move to the top of the formation immediately sparked a successful late-season surge. He scored six goals in the last six games of the year, including the tying goal in an eventual 2-1 double-overtime comeback win over Washington and Jefferson in the PAC quarterfinals. Dyga also earned a PAC Offensive Player of the Week award after scoring thrice in a 2-0-0 week with wins over Franciscan and Thiel in late October. He ended the season with a career-high 13 points (6g-1a), tied for the second-most on the team despite playing a majority of the fall in a defensive role.

By: Jared Barton

Denison baseball has been one of the best programs in Division III over the last two seasons, and a local product is one of the major contributors.

Former North Allegheny baseball player Erik Sundgren has been at the core of the Big Red’s success. The outfielder is one of the top players on the team this season, following a record-breaking junior campaign in 2025.

Last season, Sundgren started in all 48 games while batting .388 with 76 hits in 196 at-bats. He recorded 81 RBI’s, 54 runs, 13 doubles, two triples, and 17 home runs while leading the Big Red in OPS (1.184), hits, home runs, RBI’s, total bases, slugging percentage (.735), and was tied for stolen bases (31). Sundgren broke the Denison single-season record for home runs, was ranked 10th nationally in home runs and was the national leader in RBI at season’s end.

A record breaking swing!!

Congratulations to Erik Sundgren ‘26 on breaking Denison’s single season home run record this past weekend!

His 14th home run of the season broke Brian McAuliffe’s ‘21 previous record of 13 home runs!!#BeUnreasonable pic.twitter.com/s8wur1wFt7

— Denison Baseball (@DU_Baseball) May 21, 2025

He picked up multiple awards in 2025, including First Team All-NCAC laurels,  ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-Region and Region 7 Player of the Year, D3Baseball.com Second Team All-Region and ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-America. Denison won the NCAC in 2025 and advanced all the way to Game Three of the DIII College World Series, where the Big Red fell to Rowan University.

WE’VE GOT A TIE BALL GAME FOLKS 🗣️😳@DenisonSports Erik Sundgren’s sac fly ties the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third! #WhyD3 | #D3baseball pic.twitter.com/pOP4het5aS

— NCAA Division III (@NCAADIII) June 2, 2025

His senior season has been just as important and successful so far.

The Denison baseball team is 40-1 and ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division III. Peters Township grad Jack Lutte leads the team with a .484 average, 12 home runs and 58 RBIs, while North Allegheny grad Erik Sundgren is hitting .387 with 47 RBIs and 28 steals‼️⚾️ pic.twitter.com/asJZZFZTUm

— Brad Everett (@BREAL412) May 11, 2026

Before this season, the senior was named to the Small College Baseball Player of the Year Watchlist and D3 Baseball Preseason All-American. Since then, Sundgren has been hitting .387 with 47 RBIs and 28 steals so far, with the team riding a 39-game win streak into the NCAA DIII Playoffs. Denison just captured its seventh consecutive NCAC Tournament Championship with a win over Wittenberg on Saturday. The Big Red is the NPI and D3 Baseball number one team in the nation with a 40-1 overall record. The lone loss this season came in the second game of the year on February 21st at the hands of #5 Salisbury in the D3 Showcase Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Denison is hosting the Granville, Ohio, NCAA Regional this weekend and will face Grinnell to open play. Cortland and Kalamazoo are also participating in that regional.

During his time with the Tigers, Sundgren was a key piece to a WPIAL Championship and PIAA runner-up finish in 2021. He was also named first-team all-section and honorable mention all-section during his tenure at NA.

By: Jared Barton

Hobart lacrosse freshman and former Tiger Colman Craft added two more accolades following the 2026 season.

Earlier this week, Craft was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team while also being named to the USILA National Team of the Week for the second time this year.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HWS Athletics (@hwsathletics)

Craft played in 11 games this season and produced a Hobart season record 28 caused turnovers. He was first in the A10 and third in the nation in caused turnovers per game (2.55). Craft was named the A10 Rookie of the Week twice.

By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny golfer Christopher Hoffman has been named the Men’s Golf Newcomer of the Year in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference following Allegheny College’s third consecutive PAC Team Championship.

The Gators took the win at the Mill Creek Golf Course in Boardman, Ohio, over the weekend.

After trading leads with Washington and Jefferson College during the third round and entering Saturday’s action with a one-stroke lead over the Presidents, the Gators put together the best round of the entire tournament with a cumulative 294 (+14). Allegheny outpaced W&J by 21 strokes over the last 18 holes, spurred by a remarkable performance on the back nine. The Gators were a combined 2-over with only four bogeys on the back nine, whereas the Presidents were 14-over with 13 bogeys and one double. That turned a neck-and-neck competition into a 22-shot victory.

Each of Allegheny’s four counting scores was either a 72 (+2) or 75 (+5). Hoffman and teammate Connor Bell both fired 72s, one off the tournament low for the final round.

Hoffman, the individual runner-up, found himself in an unlikely battle for the medalist trophy. Grove City College’s Luke Gronbeck held a 12-stroke lead after 54 holes, but needed a 12-foot putt on No. 18 for par and to avoid a playoff scenario with Hoffman. With a 14-over 84, Gronbeck snuck out of Mill Creek with the title with a four-round score of 292 (+8), just ahead of Hoffman’s 293 (+9).

Allegheny earned the automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships at the Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. The first round is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12.

By: Jared Barton

For the second time in as many years, former North Allegheny golfer and current Westminster College junior Katie Rose Rankin has been named the Player of the Year in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Westminster College Athletics (@wctitanpa)

Rankin finished with a four-round score of 312 after shooting a two-over 74 on Saturday at the PAC Championships at Mill Creek Metroparks’ Mill Creek Golf Course. She had four birdies during her final round. Rankin entered the two spring championship rounds in second place. She recorded a four-round score of 329 last season.

Westminster finished in second place with a four-round team score of 1343 after Saturday’s 321.

Rankin was also named First Team All-PAC after the Championships, her third straight first-team selection.

Rankin was additionally named PAC Player of the Week multiple times this season.

By: Jared Barton

Just days after wrapping up the regular season and breaking the Hobart single-season caused turnover record, freshman Colman Craft has been named A10 Rookie of the Week for the second time. His first Rookie of the Week award was handed out on March 17th.

Craft recorded a game-high four caused turnovers to help Hobart beat St. Bonaventure 13-12. Craft had two caused turnovers in each half and finished the season with 28 caused turnovers, surpassing Hobart’s old season record by three. Just 11 games into his collegiate career, he is already 11th on Hobart’s career caused turnovers list.

Craft is third in the nation in caused turnovers per game, averaging 2.55 takeaways.

By: Jared Barton

Following the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, North Allegheny and Penn State grad Khalil Dinkins has signed his first professional contract.

Dinkins inked a deal with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday evening.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NA Football (@natigerfootball)

Former Penn State TE Khalil Dinkins is signing with the 49ers on a deal that includes $275,000 guaranteed, per source.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 25, 2026

16 days until we see Khalil Dinkins, who, in his Penn State career, has scored a touchdown on 22% of his catches #TheMoreYouKnow pic.twitter.com/rMerqiz33X

— soupcaroline 🥣 (@_supcaroline) August 14, 2025

Dinkins played in 12 games this past season for the Nittany Lions, starting seven. He had 14 catches for 167 yards, including two touchdowns. He was voted All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the postseason by coaches and media.

Khalil Dinkins (TE) Highlight Tape

– Wexford, Pennsylvania
– @NAFootball_TFL, HC Art Walker

Proud of you! Continue to work hard & maximize every opportunity. #WeAre | @KhalilDink8 pic.twitter.com/T5F8QNwsW8

— James Franklin (@coachjfranklin) May 29, 2024

He played in 37 other games spread across three other active seasons following a redshirt year. He finished his collegiate career with 37 catches for 399 yards and seven touchdowns. He was known for his blocking capabilities throughout his time at Penn State.

KHALIL DINKINS MURKED HIM! pic.twitter.com/Jz0JJ7OXWQ

— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) September 6, 2025

A multi-sport athlete, Dinkins starred for North Allegheny on the gridiron and on the hardwood. Dinkins earned two all-state awards his senior year, was selected as a First-Team All-State linebacker by MaxPreps and by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association. He was North Allegheny’s male athlete of the year in 2021.

On offense, Dinkins saw time at receiver, running back and quarterback. Dinkins rushed for 222 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries. As a receiver, he hauled in 20 receptions for 284 yards and a team-leading four receiving touchdowns. Khalil delivered big plays for NA on defense, including a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in a victory over Central Catholic.

Among his many football accolades received, Dinkins was named first-team all-conference by the Big 56, chosen for the Fabulous 22 Team by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Trib HSSN’s Terrific 25. For the Tigers basketball squad, Dinkins earned first-team all-section accolades from the Big 56 and played in the annual Roundball Classic at Geneva College.

By: Jared Barton

The exceptional freshman campaign for Colman Craft came to a close at Hobart this week.

Friday, the Statesman broke the single-season program record for caused turnovers with 28, achieving the mark in the final game of the year.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HWS Athletics (@hwsathletics)

Earlier in the week, during the Hobart Block H Awards, Craft was honored with the Abe Solomon Memorial Award, given to the Hobart athlete competing in his first season of varsity intercollegiate athletics and whose performance and contributions to his team warrant the recognition of “Rookie of the Year.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HWS Athletics (@hwsathletics)

Craft took home a plethora of in-season accolades, including a spot on the USILA Team of the Week, Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week and Inside Lacrosse Top 10 Impact Freshmen. 

By: Jared Barton

Four former North Allegheny girls’ soccer standouts have signed to play with Steel City FC over the summer.

Maryland sophomore Abigail Stager will be reunited with current Tiger seniors Emma Schupansky, Ava Hutter and Averie Bierker for action in the USL W Pre-Professional Women’s Soccer League.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Steel City FC | Soccer Club (@steel_city_fc)

Stager is fresh off a transfer from the University of Kentucky to Maryland back in January. In her time with the Wildcats, she appeared in 16 matches, logging 255 minutes of action. She scored her first career goal against Morehead State and finished the season with seven shots, including two on goal. At North Allegheny, she was named a United Soccer Coaches High School All-American and earned Pennsylvania All-State honors in 2023. She was a three-time All-WPIAL and All-Section selection and a four-time Big 56 Athletic Conference honoree. She earned first-team All-Region honors and helped her team reach the 2023 PIAA state semifinals. She was also named a Sports Illustrated Top 20 player in 2023 and set her NA’s single-season scoring record.

Schupansky is a University of Maryland-Baltimore County commit who is set to study financial economics. The captain was a first-team Big 56 All-Conference player, All-WPIAL and all-section pick earlier this year. She had three goals on the season and now has 10 total in her Tiger career. She was tied for fourth on the top goal scorers list for the Tigers last season with four. Schupansky was a Big 56 All-Conference first team selection in 2024.  Emma was a second-team Big 56 All-Conference selection two years ago. She was included on the Moe Rosensteel Award Watch List each of the last two seasons as well. The two-time WPIAL Champion and four-year varsity letter winner was named a scholar athlete, is a member of the National Honor Society and Key Club.

Hutter is a La Salle University commit and will study nursing. She was a steady presence along the NA back line for multiple seasons. She was named an All-WPIAL and all-section player this past season. Hutter was a Big 56 first-team All-Conference selection and had a goal in 2025. She was a leader and producer in free-kick situations. In 2024, Hutter was a Big 56 All-Conference second team selection and was named to the Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player Watchlist. The center back scored her first career goal with the Tigers in a matchup against Upper St. Clair that year as well. The two-time WPIAL Champion was a scholar athlete and a member of the Key Club for the last four years.

Bierker is a Miami University of Ohio commit and will study business in the fall. She was named a Big 56 All-Conference second team selection this past season. Bierker contributed seven goals this season and 13 for her career. She played a key role in the offensive end for the Tigers all year, including the game-winning marker in the WPIAL semifinals over Peters Township. Bierker had a breakout junior season with NA last fall, tallying five goals, which was good enough for third-best on the squad behind Kieran Shannon and Aubrey Wells. The four-year varsity letter winner is a two-time WPIAL Champion, as well as being named a scholar athlete.

Steel City FC begins the season schedule on May 22nd. All home games are played at Founders Field in Cheswick.

The USL W League is a leader in pre-professional soccer in North America, developing the next generation of women’s talent both on and off the field. The league strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny golfer and current Allegheny Gator Christopher Hoffman has been busy in recent weeks, racking up two weekly awards from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

Last week, Hoffman was named PAC Men’s Golfer of the Week. He was then named PAC Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Allegheny Gators (@acgatorsports)

Hoffman earned medalist honors on March 29th at the Pennsylvania Classic, placing atop the leaderboard out of 120 finishers. He was the only golfer with a cumulative score below par with a 3-under 141. Hoffman birdied five holes for a 1-under 71 on Saturday, then added four more birdies for a 2-under 70 on Sunday and ended with a three-stroke lead over the runner-up. His score led the Gators to a fourth-place team finish out of 22 teams.

This past week, Hoffman helped Allegheny earn a runner-up finish at The Spring Thaw, climbing from fourth to second place during the final round. He tied for fifth place with a 1-over 145 with a 2-over 74 on Friday and a 1-under 71 on Saturday.  Hoffman hit a combined seven birdies over both rounds.

Hoffman was a four-time WPIAL Individual Championship participant and two-time PIAA Individual Championship participant with the Tigers. His best finish at the WPIAL Championships was fourth place in the fall of 2024. He also had a 25th place finish in 2023, a 12th place finish in 2022 and a 34th place finish in 2021. Hoffman came in 16th place in 2024 at the PIAA Championships. He also participated in 2022, where he came in 32nd place.

Hoffman was a very important part of North Allegheny winning its first team WPIAL title since 1971 and its first-ever state championship in 2024. He shot a 75 at the WPIAL Team Championships while shooting a 70 at the PIAA Team Championships.

By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny standout golfer and current Westminster College junior Katie Rose Rankin took home her second Women’s Golf Player of the Week award this season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Westminster College Athletics (@wctitanpa)

This is Rankin’s eighth PAC Player of the Week award of her career.

Rankin was runner-up at The Pennsylvania Classic last weekend. The two-round event, hosted by Penn State Altoona, was played on Penn State’s White Course. Rankin finished with a two-day total of 153, carding a 77 on Saturday and a 76 on Sunday. Westminster finished third at the 11-team event with a combined score of 673, following Saturday’s 342 with a 331 on Sunday.

Last Thursday, Rankin tied for third at the Grove City Spring Invitational, hosted by the Grove City Country Club, with an 82. Westminster won the 10-team event with a score of 335.

Last season, in addition to a PAC Team Championship, Rankin was the PAC Player of the Year and was a first-team All-PAC member while earning PAC Player of the Week honors four times. Two years ago, Rankin was the PAC Newcomer of the Year and a first-team All-PAC member while winning the college’s Women’s Newcomer of the Year award.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny girls’ lacrosse standout Avery Anderson has earned a weekly award as a member of the Grove City Women’s Lacrosse program.

The freshman was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Grove City College Athletics (@gcc_wolverines)

Anderson helped Grove City to two conference wins last week by posting five total goals and four assists. She had three goals, three assists, four ground balls and three caused turnovers Tuesday in Grove City’s 20-1 triumph over Allegheny. Saturday, she had two goals and an assist in the Wolverines’ 14-10 win at Westminster.

The midfielder currently ranks fifth on the team with 15 total goals and sixth with 23 points.

Grove City currently sits in first place for the PAC Women’s Lacrosse Standings with a 4-0 record and is 8-3 overall. The Wolverines are currently riding an eight-game winning streak. Last season, Grove City won the PAC Women’s Lacrosse Championship.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Grove City Women’s Lacrosse (@gcity_wlax)

Anderson was second on the team in goals last season for the Tigers, registering 24 markers and finished her career with 87 total goals. In 2023, she was fourth on the team in goals with 21. In 2024, she was third in scoring with 32 markers. Anderson was named All-Section Honorable Mention for her efforts in the 2024 campaign.

By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny lacrosse standout Colman Craft has been named one of the most impactful freshmen in the country according to Inside Lacrosse.

Craft was named to the list on Thursday, which features the top 25 most impactful first-year players in NCAA lacrosse. The Hobart freshman was ranked 10th on the list of 25.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Inside Lacrosse (@insidelacrosse)

IL requires a balancing act between production adjusted for strength of schedule, team role and how quickly guys have shot up the depth chart and maintained a consistent impact on winning.

Craft is the nation’s leader in caused turnovers and CTs per game (23 total takeaways) and is averaging 3.29 per outing. The 6-1 defender had five CTs in a game twice, including in the season opener, and is coming off a four-CT display vs. Le Moyne.

The full list can be found here.

Earlier this week, Craft was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Lacrosse Rookie of the Week and earlier this season earned a spot on the USILA Team of the Week. 

By: Jared Barton

Duquesne freshman and former North Allegheny multi-sport athlete Isabella Costa has been named to the Atlantic 10 Indoor Track  All-Rookie Team for her efforts on the Bluff this winter.

Costa was one of three Dukes named to the team on Wednesday, a new program record.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Duquesne Track & Field And XC (@duqxctf)

Costa garnered All-Rookie honors after recording the top long jump mark among Atlantic 10 freshmen. Her leap of 5.90 meters (19-4.25) at the YSU Mid-Major Invitational ranks third in program history and earned Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors.  At the A-10 Indoor Championships, Costa scored in three events, placing sixth in the pentathlon, seventh in the high jump and contributing to a fifth-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay.

The Duquesne Outdoor Track and Field schedule begins this weekend at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina.

By: Jared Barton 

Hobart freshman Colman Craft is already turning heads on the men’s lacrosse team after earning a spot on the USILA Team of the Week earlier this month.

Now, the defenseman has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Week.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hobart Lacrosse (@hobartlacrosse)

In just seven games so far this season, Craft has registered 23 caused turnovers, which is tied for third on the program’s single-season list and just two away from the record. He leads the nation in caused turnovers per game at 3.29.

Hobart begins A10 play this week at home against Saint Joseph’s.  Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 21.

Craft was a four-year varsity letter winner and starter for the Tigers boys’ lacrosse team, playing long-stick midfielder and close defense. He holds the program record for caused turnovers. In 2025, he was a USA Lacrosse All-American while earning All-MSLA, all-section, and All-WPIAL twice during his time at NA. Craft was named team MVP as a senior and team defense MVP as a junior. He recorded a career-high 17 points (11g,6a) while winning 59% of his faceoffs as a senior.  He had a career-high 103 ground balls and caused a record 52 turnovers as a junior.

Craft was also a two-time WPIAL Champion with the North Allegheny football team as a standout wide receiver.

(Info and pictures courtesy of Hobart Athletics)

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny multi-sport athlete and current Hobart Men’s Lacrosse freshman Colman Craft is already turning heads at the collegiate level.

Tuesday, he was named to the USILA Division I Team of the Week.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hobart Lacrosse (@hobartlacrosse)

Craft recorded a total of eight caused turnovers and five ground balls over two games last week. At then No. 3 Cornell, he registered five caused turnovers, one off the Hobart game record. He closed out the week with three caused turnovers and three ground balls as Hobart pitched a second-half shutout against Robert Morris.

Through five games, Craft leads Hobart with 17 caused turnovers, which is tied for seventh on Hobart’s single-season list. He is first in the nation in ground balls per game, averaging 3.4.

Craft was a four-year varsity letter winner and starter for the Tigers boys’ lacrosse team, playing long-stick midfielder and close defense. He holds the program record for caused turnovers. In 2025, he was a USA Lacrosse All-American while earning All-MSLA, all-section, and All-WPIAL twice during his time at NA. Craft was named team MVP as a senior and team defense MVP as a junior. He recorded a career-high 17 points (11g,6a) while winning 59% of his faceoffs as a senior.  He had a career-high 103 ground balls and caused a record 52 turnovers as a junior.

Craft was also a two-time WPIAL Champion with the North Allegheny football team as a standout wide receiver.

(Info and pictures courtesy of Hobart Athletics)

By: Jared Barton 

Penn State Behrend senior and former North Allegheny basketball standout Matt McDonough has been named to the All-AMCC Second Team for the third season in a row.

McDonough has scored double-digit points in 14 games this season, registering 20 or more points in four contests. He led the team in scoring in four games while leading the team in assists in 15 games. McDonough ranks third on the team in points per game with 11.2. He leads the team and ranks third in the AMCC with 83.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line. McDonough is dishing out 3.2 assists per game to rank sixth overall in the AMCC. He was also named to the AMCC All-Tournament Team this past weekend.

The Lions won the AMCC Men’s Basketball title over Pitt-Greensburg 66-61 to earn the conference’s automatic qualifier to the DIII NCAA Tournament. McDonough had 10 points, five assists and two steals in the championship game Saturday.

Penn State Behrend travels to play the fourth-ranked University of Chicago Maroons out of the UAA on Friday in first-round action. Tipoff for that matchup is slated for 8:10 p.m.

(Photo and select information courtesy of Penn State Behrend Athletics)

By: Jared Barton

For the second year in a row, former North Allegheny basketball standout Caroline Henderson has been named to the All-Liberty League second team with RIT.

Ranking seventh in all of Division III, Henderson set a new program record with 80 three-point field goals made this season, topping her previous record-setting amount of 72 from last season. The sophomore also averaged 11.8 points per game in 2025-26. Last season, she was named Liberty League Rookie of the Year along with her all-conference accolades.

RIT finished this season 20-7 overall with a 9-2 conference record and ended the year in the Liberty League Championship, falling to top-seeded Union on the road 81-70. Henderson led the team in minutes in the title game with 38, scoring 11 points with three rebounds, three assists and a steal.

By: Jared Barton 

Duquesne freshman and former North Allegheny multi-sport athlete Isabella Costa was a key contributor for the Indoor Track and Field Team at the Atlantic 10 Championships over the weekend. The Dukes finished seventh overall in the competition.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Duquesne Track & Field And XC (@duqxctf)

Costa finished sixth in the pentathlon, earning points for the team. She also had a season-best 1.64m (5-4.5) to place seventh in the high jump. The freshman was also a member of the 4x400m relay team that ran a season-best 3:50.18 to place fifth in the event.

With the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Season in the books, the Dukes head into the outdoor season schedule with the 49er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 20th and 21st.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny multisport athlete Isabella Costa is continuing to show her skill at the next level.

Now a freshman track and field athlete at Duquesne, Costa has immediately made an impact for the Dukes during the indoor season.

She earned Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week honors following a strong performance at the YSU Mid-Major Invitational earlier this month. Costa recorded the best Atlantic 10 long jump by a freshman this season after her 5.90-meter (19-4.25) jump placed her third on Duquesne’s all-time list. She also charted season bests in four of the five pentathlon events.

Since the rookie of the week laurels, she was a part of the 4×400-meter relay team that finished fourth in 3:50.27 at the Penn State Sykes & Sabock Invitational on February 7th. Costa also took home a fifth-place finish in the long jump at 5.46m (17-11.0) during the Youngstown State Last Chance Invitational on February 13th.

The Atlantic 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships take place February 27th-28th at Virginia Beach. The outdoor season is set to begin in late March.

By: Jared Barton

North Allegheny football alum Robert Kugler has landed a job back in Pittsburgh as a member of the Steelers.

The team officially announced Kugler as the next Tight Ends Coach on Thursday. He was previously the assistant offensive line coach with the New England Patriots, who are coming off a Super Bowl appearance last week.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers)

Kulger’s father, Sean, was an undrafted free agent for the Steelers in 1989 and later served as the team’s offensive line coach from 2010 to 2012. The 2010 season was Robert’s senior year of high school and lone season at North Allegheny. The Tigers embarked on a 15-1 campaign, beating Woodland Hills for the WPIAL Championship, 21-14, and La Salle College High School for the PIAA Title, 21-0.

See below for Rob Kugler's touchdown in the 2010 WPIAL Championship game and 21-14 victory over Woodland Hills! #T4L @nafootball_tfl pic.twitter.com/bSqTQiCJ09

— North Allegheny School District (@NA_Schools) February 13, 2026

Kugler was a two-way player for the Tigers at tight end and defensive end. He caught two passes for 15 yards offensively but put up major numbers defensively with 67 tackles, including 37 solo stops and 7.0 sacks. He also had an interception, three passes defended and recovered a fumble. By season’s end, Kugler was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 team,  was a first-team PIAA Class AAAA All-State selection, 2010 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25, 2010 Pennsylvania Football News AAAA All-State at tight end, Pennsylvania Sports Writers first team All-State selection and was the 2010 PIAA Class AAAA Pennsylvania Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

Kugler played college football at Purdue from 2012 to 2015, where he was a two-time team captain and started 43 consecutive games at center. He went to training camp in 2016 with the Buffalo Bills after being signed as a rookie free agent.

 By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny Football standout Peter Notaro is on the move this offseason, and he’s coming a little bit closer to home.

After one season with Alabama Football, Notaro entered the transfer portal at the beginning of the year and landed with West Virginia.

Blessed to start this new chapter!
Really appreciate Coach Kirkland, Coach Donati, and Coach Rod for the opportunity. Excited to get to work.@WVUfootball #Committed pic.twitter.com/xhwpnTHov8

— Peter Notaro (@peternotaro36) January 10, 2026

Notaro served as the backup placekicker and played in two games last season. He made five PATs in as many tries while kicking off five times for a combined 317 yards with two touchbacks.

Coming out of North Allegheny in 2025, Notaro was a five-star recruit by Kohl’s Kicking and rated as the No. 4 kicking prospect in his class by the organization. He also ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 8 kicker by ESPN.com. Notaro was a two-time WPIAL champion and Big 56 first-team all-conference player. He connected on 17 field goals across his final two seasons at NA, including a school-record 53-yarder as a senior. He also played soccer for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy, competing in the Elite Clubs National League.

Notaro originally chose Alabama over West Virginia, Ohio State and Pitt. WVU is coming off a 4-8 season under Rich Rodriguez, who is heading into the second season of his second stint as the Mountaineers’ head coach in 2026.

By: Jared Barton 

A tremendous final season of college football has come to a close for former North Allegheny Tiger Luke Colella, who transferred to Villanova last spring as a grad student after a successful undergrad career at Princeton University.

Colella put up career high numbers and led the Wildcats in receiving this season with 77 catches and 1,074 receiving yards. Both totals are the seventh-highest single-season marks in school history. The team finished 12-3 overall and 7-1 in CAA action.

#1 gets 2 TDs this weekend 🙂‍↕️#TapTheRock #NovavsUAlbany pic.twitter.com/Ohh2DW1Q5y

— Villanova Football (@NovaFootball) October 26, 2025

The McQuaide to Colella connection, we love to see it ✌️

Luke Colella’s 4th quarter touchdown is the Old Dominion Freight Line’s BEST IN THE GAME! 💪#TapTheRock x @ODFL_Inc pic.twitter.com/sAObwLtueq

— Villanova Football (@NovaFootball) November 17, 2025

In the FCS postseason, Villanova beat #15/19 Harvard at home 52-7 before heading on the road to beat the fifth seed #4/3 Lehigh 14-7 in the second round and fourth seed #5  Tarleton State 26-21 in the FCS quarterfinal. The run unfortunately came to a close back in Philadelphia on Saturday against #17 Illinois State in the semifinal, a 30-14 loss.

In the postseason, Colella had two receptions for 40 yards and a score against Harvard, eight catches for 71 yards against Lehigh, five receptions for 71 yards against Tarleton State and four receptions for 58 yards to lead the team in the final game.

.@LukeColella2 gets in on the scoring!

🖥️ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/9g2UNcREM7

— Villanova Football (@NovaFootball) November 29, 2025

Nova produced one of the most impressive postseason runs in the past several seasons of the Division I Football Championship. It is only the second team in the 48-year history of the tournament to host a semifinal game after playing back-to-back road games in the previous two rounds. This season is the fourth time overall that the Wildcats have advanced to the semifinal round.

During his time at Princeton, he started every game in 2024 and tallied 43 catches for 562 yards and five touchdowns. As a junior in 2023, he had 47 receptions for 620 yards and six scores while earning Honorable Mention All-Ivy League. He also garnered second team All-Ivy from in 2023 from the Phil Steele Publication.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny football standout Mack Leftwich is leaving his mark on yet another football program, this time in the Power Four Division I ranks.

After two successful seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Texas State, Leftwich was hired by Texas Tech to fill the same position in early December of last year. Leftwich was a two-time Broyles Award nominee with the Bobcats. The accolade is an annual honor given to the best assistant coach in college football.

This season, the Red Raiders have boasted a 12-1 overall record while 8-1 in the Big 12. The lone loss on the season was on the road against Arizona State in October. Texas Tech is currently 3rd in the nation in scoring with 42.5 points per game and 5th in the nation in yards per game, averaging 480.3. The Raiders are also 2nd in total yards through 13 games with 6,244.

This is a sick design from Texas Tech OC Mack Leftwich https://t.co/OnoQi97E7m

— Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) September 15, 2025

Texas Tech is coming off a 34-7 win over BYU in the Big 12 Championship Game this past weekend. It was the program’s first conference championship since 1955 when they were members of the Southwest Conference.  The Red Raiders earned the 4th seed in the College Football Playoff bracket and will have a bye in the first round.

Texas Tech is set to play in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day at noon against the winner of #5 Oregon and #12 James Madison. If Oregon advances, his younger brother, Cutter, will be on the opposite sideline, as he serves as the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator for the Ducks.

MANHATTAN, KS – NOVEMBER 01: Texas Tech Red Raiders offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich during a Big 12 football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Kansas State Wildcats on November 1, 2025 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Thirteen years ago, Mack Leftwich quarterbacked North Allegheny to a PIAA title. Today, he helped Texas Tech reach the College Football Playoff as the team’s first-year offensive coordinator. pic.twitter.com/0p7TsZQk8V

— Brad Everett (@BREAL412) December 6, 2025

At North Allegheny, Leftwich was a two-year starter at quarterback and led the Tigers to a PIAA championship in 2012 and back-to-back WPIAL crowns in 2011 and 2012. The 2012 team was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in early January of this year.  As a senior, Leftwich was named the Quad-A State Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers. Leftwich, one the most prolific passers in North Allegheny history, became only the third quarterback in WPIAL history in 2012 to throw for over 3,000 yards in a single season. For his career, Leftwich amassed over 7,000 yards of total offense, along with 91 total touchdowns (65 passing, 26 rushing.)

#WPIALProud

Out of the top four teams in America, two of the teams Offensive Coordinator’s played high school football in the WPIAL.

#2 Team – Indiana: Mike Shanahan (Norwin HS)

#4 Team – Texas Tech:
Mack Leftwich (North Allegheny)

— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) December 6, 2025

LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 08: Offensive Coordinator Mack Leftwich of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stands on the field during the first half of the game against the BYU Cougars at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Following his collegiate playing days at UTEP, Leftwich has risen up the coaching ranks and has very quickly become one of the more respected offensive minds in college football.

MACK LEFTWICH COACHING HISTORY 

2025 — Texas Tech Offensive Coordinator (Quarterbacks)
2023-24 – Texas State Offensive Coordinator
2022 – Incarnate Word Offensive Coordinator (Quarterbacks)
2019-21 – Incarnate Word Assistant Coach (Quarterbacks)
2018 – Incarnate Word Graduate Assistant
2017 – Lehman High School (Texas) Offensive Coordinator
2016 – UTEP Student Assistant Coach
2016 – Kirkland High School Offensive Coordinator (Quarterbacks)

Texas Tech OC Mack Leftwich – Quick Touches/Screens

– Great drive starters & get back on schedule plays.
– Easy completions for the QB.
– Guarantee your best players get the touches they need.
– Pairs well with tempo.
– Gives your perimeter an opportunity to be physical. pic.twitter.com/4reLvvzq6o

— James Light (@JamesALight) November 25, 2025

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny cross country and track and field athlete Grace Rowley is a national champion at the Division III level after a great performance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

The NYU junior led the field for the Violets, making a massive push to pass 59 runners in the second 1,000 meters. Her time of 21:20.0 landed her in eighth place overall and earned All-American status.

Eight of the greatest to hit the course today

So proud of our @nyuxctf All-Americans! pic.twitter.com/7pvqaUeo0C

— NYU Athletics (@NYUAthletics) November 22, 2025

The win on November 22nd was the first national title for the NYU Women’s Cross Country team. The Violets previously finished as runner-up in 2023 and fourth place last season.

GREATNESS

For the first time ever, @nyuxctf Women’s Cross Country are @NCAADIII National Champions! pic.twitter.com/I5rASiJwCx

— NYU Athletics (@NYUAthletics) November 22, 2025

Before the title win, NYU won the UAA Championship, where Rowley came in fourth place individually with a time of 21:19.6.

By: Jared Barton 

After a great rookie campaign, former North Allegheny girls’ soccer standout Sarah Schupansky is now an NWSL Champion.

Schupansky and Gotham FC took a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit for the NWSL Title in San Jose, California over the weekend. The first-year player was on the field the entire contest and had 40 touches in the match.

The rookie midfielder made an immediate impact with Gotham and ranks near the top of several league statistical categories. She leads the team with five assists, which is tied for the most in the NWSL and is a Gotham rookie record. She has also recorded an assist in three consecutive matches this season, which is also a club record.

Gotham FC celebrated with a championship parade in New York City on Monday.

Schupansky signed a contract extension earlier in the season with the club. She was also named to the Team USA U23 Training Camp roster this fall.

By: Jared Barton

Three former North Allegheny boys soccer players are making a difference as members of a new professional indoor soccer club here in Pittsburgh. Josh and Jamie Luchini join Bridge City FC co-owner and player Grant Glorioso on a roster rooted in Pittsburgh.

Last Saturday, the team played its inaugural match as Major League Indoor Soccer members on the road against Fort Wayne. Bridge City FC came away with an exciting 9-8 comeback victory.  The first goal in team history was scored by Josh Luchini, who played soccer collegiately at Lehigh and Pitt. His older brother Jamie, who also attended Lehigh,  scored four goals, including the game-winner with five seconds left. He also registered an assist in the game.  Glorioso, who was a Robert Morris grad and currently serves as a men’s soccer coach at Duquesne, plays goalie.

Glorioso founded Bridge City FC with fellow area players Jack Shrearer and Josh DiMatteo.  The new team is back in action on December 13th for its home opener at the Sewickley Sport Arena against Lansing. Kickoff for the match is slated for 7:00 p.m.

By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny boys’ soccer and current Allegheny Gator Aidan Dyga earned a postseason accolade on Wednesday.

The junior forward and defender was named to the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Second Team.

Dyga earned Honorable Mention laurels last season. He tallied six goals and an assist this season. The junior scored both goals for the Gators in a 2-1 road win at Franciscan during the regular season. Dyga also scored the tying goal in the Gators’ 2-1 comeback win against Washington and Jefferson in the PAC Quarterfinals.

Earlier this season, Dyga was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week.

By: Jared Barton 

North Allegheny girls’ soccer alum and current Chatham Cougar Halle Marsalis picked up a postseason accolade this week.

The senior forward was named to the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer First-Team on Wednesday.

Marsalis was previously named Honorable Mention in 2022 and 2024. She led the Cougars’ offense in multiple categories. She played and started all 19 games, recording 75 shots on goal and scoring 15 goals. She finished first in the PAC in shots (111) and shots on goal (75), and third in goals (15) and points (31). In the NCAA, she finished third in shots on goal per game (3.95) and seventh in shots per game (5.84).

She was named PAC Player of the Week twice in the 2025 campaign.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny girls’ soccer and current Slippery Rock midfielder Sophia Palermo has earned a postseason accolade for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Palermo was named Second-Team All-PSAC midfielder on Tuesday.

Palermo had 12 points on two goals and eight assists. Her eight helpers are the 18^th most in Division II. Both of Palermo’s goals were game-winners. She also registered 27 shots and 14 shots on goal. In her junior season, Palermo started all 16 games and played a total of 1,165 minutes (72.8/game).

The business management major started all 18 games she played in during the 2024 season while being named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. She ranked third on the team with 13 points on five goals and three assists a year ago.

Slippery Rock’s season came to a close this week in the PSAC Tournament Quarterfinals, finishing the year with a 12-4-1 record.

By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny boys’ soccer standout Aidan Dyga has earned conference honors for his performance last week. The Allegheny College junior was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Dyga totaled six points on three goals in a 2-1 victory at Franciscan University last Wednesday and a 5-2 win over Thiel College on Saturday. He netted both goals in his first career multi-goal performance against the Barons, and then helped the Gators tie a season-high for goals in a game with another marker against the Tomcats.

To date, through 18 games, Dyga has totaled five goals and an assist for 11 total points. Last season, Dyga was named a PAC All-Conference Honorable Mention selection as well as CSC Academic All-District.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny Tiger and Pitt Panther Sarah Schupansky is getting her next call-up to the U.S. U23 Women’s National Team.

The Gotham FC midfielder got the news of the addition to the training camp roster on Thursday.

Headed to Philly ✈️

Alumni Sarah Schupansky has been named to the U23 training camp roster pic.twitter.com/NJbsGVKm2N

— Pitt Women’s Soccer (@Pitt_WSOC) October 16, 2025

Twenty-four players were called up to the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team training camp outside of Philadelphia, Pa. that will run from Oct. 20-28. From Oct. 20-23, the camp will run concurrently with the U.S. Women’s National Team’s time in Philadelphia so U.S. head coach Emma Hayes and her staff can observe trainings. The U-23s will also attend the USA vs. Portugal match on Oct. 23 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa.

Schupansky has been to three previous camps, including late March of this year. She is one of eight players invited again who played against Germany in late May and early June of this year as well. Schupansky is one of 14 players named to the roster who have scored a goal in the NWSL this season.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny girls’ soccer standout and current Gannon defender Maddie Miller was honored by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this week.

The freshman was named PSAC Defensive Player of the Week after she scored her first collegiate goal and contributed strong play for the Golden Knights.

Miller helped anchor a Gannon back line that allowed just one goal in two matches, including a 3–0 shutout victory over Slippery Rock in a clash between the top two teams in the PSAC West. She also scored her first collegiate goal, a long-distance strike that landed at No. 4 on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 Plays.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gannon Women’s Soccer (@guwsoc)

This is the first weekly honor for Miller and the fourth of the season for the Golden Knights Women’s Soccer team.

Gannon extended their unbeaten streak to six matches, improving to 5–0–1 overall and 3–0–1 in conference play.

By: Jared Barton

For the second time this season, former North Allegheny girls’ soccer standout Halle Marsalis was selected for a Presidents’ Athletic Conference weekly accolade.

The senior was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week after being a key performer for the Cougars and earning recognition with both the conference and the NCAA.

She had two goals against Thiel last Wednesday, which helped the Cougars to a 7-2 win. She scored two more goals Saturday in the Cougars’ 3-1 victory at Bethany.

Marsalis currently leads the PAC in goals (11), shots (64), and shots on goal (44). She is also second in the PAC for points (22). The midfielder currently leads all of NCAA Division III women’s soccer in shots on goal per game (4).

By Randy Gore

The North Allegheny Athletics Hall of Fame banquet was held on Thursday night at The Holy Trinity Center in McCandless. Thirteen inductees and seven special award winners were celebrated as part of the Hall of Fame’s 28th induction class.

This year’s class of inductees included Dan Hamm (Soccer – Class of 1976), Joe Wirth (Volleyball – Class of 1979), Jeff Alexander (Wrestling – Class of 1990), Mike McKnight (Football, Baseball – Class of 1991), Adam Dobies (Baseball – Class of 2003), Gabby Smychynsky White (Class of 2016), Ryan Gil (Cross Country, Track & Field – Class of 2011), Abby Gonzales (Basketball – Class of 2016), Anna Li (Tennis – Class of 2017), Andrew Zhang (Swimming – Class of 2018), Abby Miller (Volleyball – Class of 2020), Michelle Weniger (Tennis – Coach) and Dave DeGregorio (Basketball – Coach).

Award winners included Becky and Tony Greco (Joe Drazenovich Award), David Marx (Bob Miller Award), Bob and Ken Wright (Dr. Lawrence Bozzomo Award) and Melissa Titus Watts and Don Heckenstaller (Bob Austen Award).

Congratulations to the NA HOF Class of 2025!

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny golfer and current Grove City College junior Lauren Kardos earned Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week honors Tuesday after her recent performance at Allegheny College’s Guy & Jeanne Kuhn Memorial Invitational.

Kardos finished sixth at the two-day event on September 21-22 by compiling a combined score of 151. Her score of 73 tied for the low round over the first 18 holes of the tournament. Kardos then hit a 78 in the second round.

This is Kardos’s second Golfer of the Week award this fall after earning the honor September 9 for her efforts at the Thiel Invitational in Hermitage.

Last season, Kardos captured PAC Second Team All-Conference honors after finishing 10th overall in the spring conference championship. She shot the tournament’s low round on day two with a 79. She shot 91 on day one and finished the tournament with a four-round score of 351.

By: Jared Barton 

Former North Allegheny standout Ayden Owens-Delerme broke his Puerto Rican national record to claim silver in the decathlon at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo over the weekend.

The 2024 North Allegheny Athletics Hall of Fame inductee scored 8,784 points as runner-up by 20 points to Germany’s Leo Neugebauer, who won with a total of 8,804. The previous national record for Owens-Delerme was 8,732 points.

2025 Tokyo World Championships | Decathlon 1,500m

Final Scores
1) 8804 Leo Neugebauer (Ger)
2) 8784 Ayden Owens-Delerme (Pur) National record
3) 8703 Kyle Garland (US)
4) 8583 Niklas Kaul (Ger)

1,500m
2) 4:17.91 Owens-Delerme 826 pic.twitter.com/NYLOynEsat

— RazorbackTF/XC (@RazorbackTF) September 21, 2025

Arkansas alum Ayden Owens-Delerme comments on his World Championship decathlon silver medal performance that improved his Puerto Rican national record pic.twitter.com/j0akqZTolO

— RazorbackTF/XC (@RazorbackTF) September 21, 2025

Congratulations to our Assistant Coach Ayden Owens-Delerme on his decathlon silver medal at the World Athletics Championships! He set a new Puerto Rican national record with a score of 8,784 points.

Release: https://t.co/uiG8CPPLpC #WhyNotILL pic.twitter.com/3QLL5odJYV

— Illinois Track & Field and Cross Country (@IlliniTrackXC) September 21, 2025

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny girls’ soccer player Halle Marsalis has earned a weekly award with Chatham University in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

The current Cougars senior was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 8th-14th) on Monday afternoon. Marsalis had an impressive week with three goals in a 1-0-1 week for the Cougars. She had one goal, which came in the 52nd minute to give Chatham a 2-0 lead in an eventual 5-0 victory over Carlow on Wednesday. She then recorded two goals in Saturday’s match with Penn State-Altoona, scoring in the 11th minute for the opening goal of the day and again in the 64th minute, as the teams played to a 3-3 draw.

The exercise science major has 12 goals in her career at Chatham, including five so far this season. She was an All-PAC Honorable Mention selection at the end of 2024.

By: Jared Barton 

Former NA soccer standout and current Gotham FC rookie Sarah Schupansky has earned a contract extension with the club, according to the team.

The new deal keeps the UWSL Rookie of the Year candidate with Gotham through the 2027 season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gotham FC (@gothamfc)

The rookie midfielder has made a fast impact in her first professional season and ranks near the top of several league statistical categories. She leads the team with five assists, tied for the most in the NWSL, and is a Gotham rookie record. She has also recorded an assist in three consecutive matches this season, setting a new club mark.

Always Building, Never Finished!

Excited to have you with us, @sarahschupansky! pic.twitter.com/GcLJpNKOij

— Gotham FC (@GothamFC) September 15, 2025

Read more about her first season with Gotham FC here.

The North Allegheny Hall of Fame Association and the North Allegheny Athletic Department is proud to announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2025!

Induction Class of 2025

Dan Hamm (Soccer) – Class of 1976

Joe Wirth (Volleyball) – Class of 1979

Jeff Alexander (Wrestling) – Class of 1990

Mike McKnight (Football, Baseball) – Class of 1991

Adam Dobies (Baseball) – Class of 2003

Gabby Smychynsky (Soccer) – Class of 2016

Ryan Gil (Cross Country, Track & Field) – Class of 2011

Abby Gonzales (Basketball) – Class of 2016

Anna Li (Tennis) – Class of 2017

Andrew Zhang (Swimming) – Class of 2018

Abby Miller (Volleyball) – Class of 2020

Michelle Weniger (Tennis) – Coach

Dave DeGregorio (Basketball) – Coach

Joseph Drazenovich Award

Becky & Tony Greco

(Legendary Service)

Bob Miller Award

David Marx

(Outstanding Supporter of North Allegheny Athletics)

Dr. Lawrence Bozzomo Award

Bob & Ken Wright

Wright Automotive

(Distinguished Career Achievement Award)

Bob Austen Award 

Melissa Titus Watts

Don Heckenstaller

Rowing

(Distinguished Coaching Award)

The Hall of Fame Association will continue the tradition of acknowledging the preceding years’ individual and team PIAA State Champions. This year, the Hall of Fame Committee will recognize four state champions and one relay team that won PIAA gold. The team champions include boys’ golf, girls’ volleyball, boys’ swimming and diving and boys’ water polo. The relay team that claimed state gold was the boys 200-yard freestyle relay in swimming and diving consisting of Grant Regule, Gus Miller, Mason Shantz and Zachary Totin.

The 28th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at The Holy Trinity Center in McCandless Crossing. A social hour will begin festivities at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Induction Ceremony at 6:00 p.m.

By: Jared Barton

Just a few days after being recognized as one of the most physical players in the nation, former North Allegheny football standout and current Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins has been named to a prestigious award watch list.

Friday, Dinkins was listed as a player who could be in the conversation for the John Mackey award.

Mackey Award Watch List ➡️ Khalil Dinkins

Played in 37 games at PSU
23 rec, 5 TD in PSU career
14 rec, 122 yds, 2 TD in 2024

➡️ https://t.co/1jOx33JdHQ#WeAre pic.twitter.com/z6Ui0HP567

— Penn State Football Communications (@PennStFBComms) August 8, 2025

Dinkins has appeared in 37 games and made six starts as a Nittany Lion. In his career, he has tallied 23 receptions for 232 yards and five touchdowns. He is looking at a potential breakout season with Penn State in 2025.

The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given to the player who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.

Former Penn State teammate and current Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren won the award in 2024.

By: Jared Barton

Former North Allegheny football standout and current Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins has been named to the annual college football “Freaks List” ahead of the 2025 season.

The list is compiled by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic each season and features just one other former WPIAL player this year (Cade Yacamelli).

Dinkins is ranked 71st on the list of 101 players, which chronicles the strongest, fastest and most physical players in college football.

Here is what Feldman wrote about the former Tiger:

“The Nittany Lions have had a remarkable run of standout athletes at tight end. Dinkins, the son of former NFL tight end Darnell Dinkins,  started six games last season, catching 14 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki proved last year he’s very creative in finding ways to get his best athletes the ball, and Dinkins is one of the Freakiest athletes in the country. At 6-4, 255 pounds, Dinkins ran a 4.50 40 (a school record for Penn State tight ends) and hit 21.8 mph. He broad jumped 10-0, clocked 4.30 in the shuttle, bench pressed 405 pounds, power cleaned 355 and squatted 550.”

Dinkins is one of five Penn State players to make the list. Head Coach James Franklin and other teammates were singing Dinkins’ praises at a recent media day held at State College.

James Franklin had some more praise for TE Khalil Dinkins today.

“I don’t think enough people talk about Dinkins. Dinkins did all the dirty work last year.”

Dinkins was a key piece in the pass and run blocking game last season pic.twitter.com/0k9ZrmxSXM

— Will Horstman (@WillHorstman_) August 2, 2025

Drew Allar thinks Pittsburgh native Khalil Dinkins is in for a big year offensively pic.twitter.com/4FmxBeYYWc

— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) August 2, 2025

Penn State C Nick Dawkins feels Khalil Dinkins is “the best blocking tight end in the country.”

Here’s why. pic.twitter.com/2fOQwQfxfw

— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) August 2, 2025

By: Jared Barton

Following his MLB debut at the end of May, former North Allegheny baseball standout and Mariners 2022 first-round pick Cole Young has stayed with the big league ball club this summer.

Thursday night’s game against the Texas Rangers proved to be one of the matchups in which he had the biggest offensive influence.

The rookie delivered at multiple points in the contest, including a record-tying home run and an RBI triple. Young finished the game 2-4 from the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.

In the fifth inning, the second baseman blasted a home run 456 feet into the upper deck of right field at T-Mobile Park to double Seattle’s lead.

4️⃣7️⃣0️⃣ ft dinger from Cole Young‼️ pic.twitter.com/oFsduBUxZO

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2025

The homer is the longest home run by a rookie batter at T-Mobile Park in the Statcast Era (2015-c).

Cole Young got allll of that one pic.twitter.com/W8bl6vgecp

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2025

Later in the game, Young came up clutch once more with an RBI triple in the 6th inning. It was the first triple of his MLB career.

J.P. and Cole adding ✌️ #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/qvMk4fPEc1

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2025

Young also scored on a passed ball later in the frame. Seattle went on to take the first game of the series with a 6-0 win over Texas. To date, Young is batting .247 with 36 hits, 16 runs, three home runs and 14 RBIs.

By: Jared Barton

North Allegheny grad Harley Hartle was not a golfer in high school, but has risen to the top level of the game in competition for players with impairments.

Hartle had a portion of his arm amputated following a car accident at nine years old, and since then has been actively involved in sports.

During his time with the Tigers, Hartle was a member of the 2012 football team that won a PIAA Championship, and he was also a successful wrestler. He didn’t turn to golf until after his senior year when he was invited to an adaptive scramble.

That newfound love for the sport has since evolved into a career for Hartle, who recently participated in his second U.S. Adaptive Open at Woodmont Country Club in Maryland. It was the fourth overall Adaptive Open the USGA has hosted, giving players dealing with forms of physical and intellectual impairments a chance to compete against people with similar impairments.

Players are divided into 15 categories based on their impairment. Hartle was one of 11 players competing in the Upper Limb Impairment division. His scores of 76—79 were good enough for sixth in the division, with the top four players making the cut.

To learn more about Harley’s journey and the U.S. Adaptive Open, you can read Josh Rowntree’s full article here.