Winners of the annual Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award, sponsored by Judge Michael Stewart, will be announced at a banquet Tuesday, at Ferrante’s Lakeview.
Athletic directors or representatives from the 18 county high schools selected 12 finalists for the award and one male and one female winner.
Here are the 2026 nominees:
Belle Vernon
Elijah Brown
Sport: Wrestling
Brown, a Penn State commit, is a two-time PIAA Class 3A champion and a three-time WPIAL (Class 3A and 2A) champion. … His career record is 171-34. … He has a GPA of 4.2. … He is a member of the national honor society and robotics club.
Gabby Dusi
Sport: Tennis
Dusi became the 11th three-time WPIAL Class 2A champion and two-time PIAA runner-up last fall. … She is a Duquesne commit. … She has a weighted 4.5 GPA and is ranked sixth out of 176 in her class. … She is president of two clubs (National Honor Society highest honor roll and Future Business Leaders of America).
Burrell
D.J. Cosentino
Sports: Football, basketball and tennis
Cosentino’s class rank is first of 144 with a GPA of 4.61. … He is undecided on his future. He is waiting to hear from Yale, Duke, Harvard, Virginia and Ohio State. … He plans on majoring in biomedical engineering. … He has earned numerous academic honors, including the Academic Excellence Award and Distinguished Honors.
Mikayla Coury
Sports: Soccer, basketball, track and field and flag football
Coury’s class rank is second of 144 with a GPA of 4.6. … She is undecided about her future. She has scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, Robert Morris and Duquesne. … She is secretary of student government and received distinguished honors.
Derry
Brennan Borbonus
Sports: Soccer, volleyball and baseball
Borbonus was captain of the soccer team and earned a leadership award. … His class rank is sixth of 140 with a 4.0 GPA. … He is undecided on his future and is deciding between Clemson, Penn State and Pitt. … He received the Rebecca Anderson Stahl Math Award Scholarship.
Francesca DePalma
Sport: Softball
She plans to attend Salem. … Her class rank is 31st of 140 with a GPA of 99.64. … She earned distinguished honors and academic excellence. … She is a Trojan Role Model and a member of Interact and monogram clubs.
Franklin Regional
Cruise Lamanna
Sports: Soccer, volleyball and track and field
Lamanna is undecided about his future. … His class rank is eighth of 283 with a GPA of 4.62. … He has earned highest honors with distinction and AP scholar with distinction. … He is President of Science National Honor Society.
Maria Piraino
Sports: Diving, volleyball and track and field
Piraino plans to attend Saint Vincent. … Her class rank is 51st of 283 with a GPA of 4.2. … She is graduating with two associates degrees (legal studies and liberal arts). … She earned highest honors with distinction. … She earned field MVP in 2025.
Greensburg Central Catholic
Samir Crosby
Sports: Football, basketball, track and field and baseball
Crosby will attend Georgetown where he will play football. … He rushed for more than 3,000 yards and passed for 2,000 yards in his career. … He was a four-year letterman and three-year captain. … He ranked 41st of 62 in his class with a 3.584 GPA. … He participated in numerous clubs and was a member of the National Art Honors Society. … He received the Pat Dawson scholarship.
Erica Gribble
Sport: Basketball
Gribble helped lead the girls basketball team to a PIAA Class 3A title. … She plans to attend Virginia. … She became the school’s all-time leading scorer. … She received Honor Society highest honor roll. … Her class rank was of 22nd of 62 with a 4.0 GPA. … She was the captain of the basketball team.
Greensburg Salem
Alex Swatchick
Sports: Soccer, football and tennis
He started playing soccer at age 4. … He was an all-section goalkeeper and all-conference punter. … He was a team captain. … He has a 3.96 GPA. … He plans to attend Penn State and pursue mechanical engineering. … He was a gifted member for three years and on the National Honor Society for four years. … He was a biology club member.
Alle Scarpa
Sports: Softball and volleyball
The Seton Hill softball commit was the softball team’s Most Valuable Player in 2025. … She broke the school’s strikeout record. … She also lettered as an athletic trainer her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. … She has a GPA of 3.851. … She is a member of the National Honor Society and a member of French FLES: student teacher for elementary classes.
Hempfield
Dominic Detruf
Sports: Football and basketball
Detruf plans to play football at Saint Vincent. … He led Class 6A in passing and was a second-team all-conference quarterback. … He was a two-year captain and is Hempfield’s all-time leading passer in completion, yards and touchdowns. … He also received offers from Allegheny and Saint Francis. … He is a member of the National Honor Society. … His class rank is 67th of 419 with a 3.9 GPA.
Lauren Howard
Sports: Softball, volleyball and indoor track
Howard’s class rank is seventh of 419 with a GPA of 4.0. … She was first-team all-state as a junior. … She owns numerous softball records. … She plans to attend Virginia. … She is a member of the National Honor Society and student council. … She was a team captain for softball and volleyball.
Jeannette
Kymon’e Brown
Sports: Football and basketball
Brown plans to play football at Robert Morris. … He was Trib Westmoreland Football Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025. … He scored more than 1,000 points in his basketball career and was first-team all-section in 2024, 2025 and 2026. … He had a GPA of 3.6. … He was a member of the club Think it, See it, Be it.
Gracie Stein
Sport: Softball
Stein plans to attend Pitt-Greensburg. … She struck out 202 batters as a junior and has a career ERA of 1.28 and six career no-hitters. … She also is an outstanding hitter. … She ranks No. 1 in a class of 65 with a GPA of 99.167. … She received high honor roll for every semester the past four years. … She received the Academic Excellence Award as a junior.
Kiski Area
Aven Shirley
Sports: Football, basketball and track and field
Shirley’s class rank is 29 of 272 with a 4.2 GPA. … He was a two-time team MVP and received the Iron Man award. … He ended up third on the school’s receiving list. … He plans to attend John Carroll. … He was on high honor roll for four years and received the AP Scholar-Athlete award.
Gianna DeVito
Sports: Track and field, volleyball and basketball
DeVito plans to high jump for Bucknell. … She was a WPIAL medalist in the high jump. … She was the volleyball and basketball team MVP. … Her class rank is 47th of 272 with a GPA of 4.0. … She is a member of numerous clubs including the horticulture, bocce, Active for Animals and Key.
Latrobe
Andy Tatsch
Sports: Football and basketball
Tatsch plans to attend Lehigh to play football. … His class rank is 79th of 267 with a GPA of 3.9. … He is on the distinguished honor roll and is a volunteer basketball coach. … He owns and operates a landscaping business.
Annalyse Bauer
Sport: Soccer
Her class rank is 30th of 267 with a GPA of 4.0. … She is attending Eastern Michigan on an athletic scholarship. … She plays club soccer for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the semi-pro Pittsburgh Riveters. … She is a member of numerous National Honor Society clubs.
Ligonier Valley
Jacob Petalino
Sports: Football, basketball and baseball
Petalino was a four-year letterman in every sport. … He was the MVP of the football team and earned the most improved basketball player team award. … His class rank is 13th of 94 with a GPA of 3.83. … He has received a Trustee Scholarship from IUP and Achievement Award scholarship from Slippery Rock. … He is a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies. … He has artwork displayed at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.
Adelynn Witcoski
Sports: Golf and softball
Witcoski was the golf team MVP her junior and senior seasons. … She owns the team’s 9- and 18-hole course records. … She placed ninth at the WPIAL Class 2A championship. … Her class rank is 11th of 94 with a GPA of 3.87. … She plans to attend either the U.S. Naval Academy or Virginia Tech. … She has taken three AP classes. … She is a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies.
Monessen
Torrence Taylor
Sports: Football, basketball and track and field
Taylor was the team captain for the football team. … He was first-team all-conference and made the all-academic team. … His class rank is 11th of 44 with a GPA of 3.3. … He plans to attend Waynesburg. … He was in the school play. … He received high honors.
Lillie Mackey
Sport: Softball
Mackey was a four-year starter and captain of the softball team. … Her class rank is third of 44 with a GPA of 4.37. … She is a member of the National and French National Honor Societies. … She received a Women in STEM Award from Seton Hill. … She has taken AP psychology, AP computer science principles and advanced English.
Mt. Pleasant
Dane Firmstone
Sports: Football and baseball
Firmstone was a four-year starter for both sports. … He plans to play baseball at Mount Aloysius. … He was a first-team Trib Westmoreland all-star. … He was a captain of the football team. … His class rank is 23rd of 146 with a GPA of 4.0. … He has made the honor roll every quarter and is a member of the National Honor Society. … He plans to major in the pre-physical therapy program.
Olivia Kovach
Sport: Gymnastics
Kovach was a WPIAL and PA Classic gymnastics champion in 2026. … She was a Diamond Division all-around champion. … She is the school’s only qualifier in recent history. … She has a GPA of 3.75. … She made high honor roll and is a student ambassador for CWCTC for automotive collision. … She works on her family’s farm, Alpaca Key Farm, in Mt. Pleasant.
Norwin
Tristyn Tavares
Sports: Football and baseball
Tavares will attend Cal (Pa.) to play football. … He holds numerous football records, including career rushing touchdowns, career single-season passing, single-season touchdown passes and most points in a season. … He was a four-year starter at quarterback. … He was a first-team all-conference quarterback. … He was a three-year starter on the baseball team. … His class rank is 92 of 406 with a 3.8 GPA. … He made high/excellent honor roll during every term.
Annie Czajkowski
Sports: Cross country and track and field
Czajkowski will attend Pitt… She is a nine-time PIAA qualifier and 10-time WPIAL medalist. … She was WPIAL Class 3A cross country runner-up in 2025. … She holds the school’s 3,200-meter record. … Her class rank is 38th of 406 with a 98.43 GPA. … She is a member of the National Honor Society. … She is senior class treasurer, a choir member and lifeguard.
Penn-Trafford
Tyler Boss
Sports: Football and basketball
Boss was two-time first-team all-conference defensive back. … He led Class 5A in interceptions in 2024. … He was a two-year starter on the basketball team. … His class rank is 44th of 299 with a 4.29 GPA. … He will attend Edinboro. … He is a member of the National Honor Society and three-time all-academic gold team. … He is student union treasurer.
Torrie DeStefano
Sports: Basketball, baseball, lacrosse and softball
DeStefano is a four-year letterman on the basketball team and a three-year captain. … She is the school’s all-time steals leader and has the most steals in a game. … She was a two-time first-team all-section player. … She was second-team all-state. … Her class rank is 93rd of 299 with a 4.2 GPA. … She will attend Seton Hill to play basketball. … She was inducted into the National Honor Society. … She has been on high honor roll every grading period. … She was part of numerous clubs.
Southmoreland
Ty Whoric
Sports: Football and basketball
Whoric was a four-year letterman in both sports and captain on the basketball team. … He was an all-conference safety/wide receiver. …. He was all-section in basketball in 2025 and 2026. … He will attend Allegheny. … He ranks 16th of 146 with a 4.0 GPA. … He received the Ron Frederick memorial scholarship. … He was a four-year scholar-athlete and a member of the Penn State 4.0 Club and National Honor Society (vice president).
Allison Stinnett
Sport: Swimming
Stinnett is committed to swim for Bowling Green. … Her class rank is seventh of 146 with a 4.2 GPA. … She was a WCCA champion in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM. … She was a PIAA Class 2A qualifier and placed third in the 100 breaststroke. … She is a straight-A student and has been enrolled in AP classes since her freshman year. … She participates in numerous clubs and community services. She volunteers at church and is a member of the Athletic Leadership Council.
Valley
Baxter Diehm
Sports: Golf, bowling and tennis
Diehm played three years of golf and competed for four years on the bowling and tennis teams. … He also served as team captain. … He rolled a perfect game and 816 series in a match against Plum. … He has seven perfect games. … He was a two-time section champion in tennis. … His class rank is 14th of 138 with a 4.1 GPA. … He has received scholarship offers from Robert Morris and Belmont Abbey. … He earned high honor roll during all four years in high school. … He was named to the National and Spanish Honor Societies.
Summer Machen
Sports: Soccer, wrestling, swimming and softball
Machen plans to attend Pitt. … Her class rank is 14th of 138 with a 4.1 GPA. … She was a Westmoreland County wrestling champion. … She was MVP of the soccer team. … She was inducted into the National and Spanish Honors Society. … She received an academic achievement award of the New Kensington Rotary Club. … She was a member of the school marching band, drama club, show choir and Westmoreland County band.
Yough
Nathaniel Bell
Sports: Baseball and golf
Bell was a four-year starter for the baseball team and captain three years. … He was a three-time all-section pitcher and first baseman. … He played two seasons on the golf team. … His class rank is 18th of 136, and he has a 95.47 GPA. … He will attend Carlow. … He was inducted into the National and Spanish Honors Societies. … He volunteers at the West Newton food bank. … He is a landscaper at the West Newton cemetery.
Carly Fitzgibbons
Sports: Soccer, lacrosse and basketball
Fitzgibbons played four years in each sport. … She scored 186 goals in lacrosse entering her senior season. … She was an all-section goalie in soccer and all-section in lacrosse in 2025. … She also ran cross country. … Her class rank is seventh of 136 with a GPA of 100.2. … She was Rotary student of the month and a member of student council. … She was inducted into the National and French Honors Societies.