Their college careers are in the books, but several Pitt-Greensburg basketball players are still in midseason form.
Five Bobcats played in an all-star event in Portugal and helped their Allegheny County Collegiate Conference team finish 4-0.
Graduates Trent Rozich, Jackson Byer, Matt Marinchak (Ligonier Valley), Michael Bigley and Joziah Wyatt-Taylor and other all-stars played against professional and club teams Lisbon Select, CD Povoa, Braga GDAS, and Galitos.
Marinchak averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the event. He had 15 points, including five 3-pointers against Lisbon Select, and added 16 points and nine rebounds in a win over Braga GDAS. His finale was an 18-point, five-assist effort against Galitos.
Wyatt-Taylor, an old-school post presence when he played for the Bobcats, put up 13 points and 6.5 rebounds, including 17 points and 11 rebounds in the final game.
Bigley had 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals against Lisbon Select. He averaged 12 points, and Rozich, the AMCC Player of the Year, averaged 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
“Being able to travel across the world to play the game I love was an experience I’ll never forget,” Bigley said. “I’m incredibly grateful for my teammates and friends that I got to share the court with, not only from Pitt-Greensburg, but also from the various other AMCC schools as well.”
Byer scored eight a game.
“The trip to Portugal was an incredible experience and one I’ll always remember,” Byer said. “It was a unique opportunity to play alongside other seniors from across our conference, build new friendships and represent our schools internationally. Being able to compete while experiencing a new culture made the trip especially meaningful.”
Rozich had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists in his best game of the event, and he shot 80% from the field over the four games.
UPG, led by sixth-year coach Chris Klimchock, set a program record this season with 22 wins.
Latrobe road trip
The Latrobe Legion baseball team took a break from District 31 play and competed in the three-day Timbuck Shields Memorial Tournament on Friday-Sunday in Bridgeport, W. Va.
The Jethawks played at Bridgeport High School.
They opened with a 12-0 win over Buckhannon, then fell to Beckley by the same score before losing to Bridgeport, 14-4, and Clarksburg, 10-4.
Still, Latrobe is one of two undefeated teams in District 31, joining Homer City (5-0).
Track nationals
Norwin had four athletes competing in the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia and one at the Adidas Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.
At the New Balance event, freshman Ransom Gaydos was 47th in the two-mile run, and freshman Declan O’Donnell took eighth in the two-mile and 19th in the mile run,
Daila Goodman placed eighth in the middle school shot put in a personal-best 39 feet, 3 1/4 inches, and Kendall Chaney came in 10th in the middle-school 100-meter dash and took 19th in the 200, the latter in a personal-record time of 25.64 seconds.
Another middle-schooler, Lacey Felt, finished 11th in the 100-meter dash and 13th in the high jump at the Adidas event.
Three Hempfield athletes also took part in the Adidas Nationals: Brayden Ser (11th, decathlon), Owen Fox (ninth, pole vault) and Luke Harster (56th, 110 hurdles).