Leaving their mark
While Seneca Valley's surprising run to the WPIAL Class AAAA baseball title was the Eagle sports staff's unanimous choice as local story of the year in 2014, there were plenty of other exciting moments.
Here is the remainder of our choices for the top 15 local sports happenings of 2014:
No. 2 — Mars boys win WPIAL, PIAA swim titles. The Planets only had six swimmers on the boys team — Tom and Jimmy Pierre, Francis and Joseph Folz, Chris Georgiadis and Reed McDonough.
Mars won the 400 freestyle relay, Georgiadis won the 100 breast and 200 individual medley titles. Francis Folz the 100 freestyle as the Planets claimed the program's first WPIAL championship.
No. 3 — Butler BlueSox make Prospect League playoffs. The BlueSox finished with a franchise-best 40-20 record, claiming their first-ever division title and playoff berth.
Anthony Rebyanski was named the league's Manager of the Year, then resigned to accept a college position. Former BlueSox player Jason Radwan was named his successor.
No. 4 — Brenna Wise leads Vincentian girls basketball to WPIAL, PIAA titles. The Cranberry Township resident and Royals' junior was also named the state's Class A Player of the Year and committed to the University of Pittsburgh.Wise averaged 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season and will likely hit 2,000 career points this season.No. 5 — Camryn Forbes sets national swim record. The 15-year-old Penn Township girl snapped a 10-year-old record in the 100 backstroke at the YMCA Long Course National Championships. She swam the event in one minute, 2.68 seconds.No. 6 — Slippery Rock University wins PSAC title. Afrter a disappointing loss to Mercyhurst at the University of Michigan's Big House, The Rock reeled off wins over Indiana, Edinboro and Clarion to reach the PSAC championship game. SRU won a 28-26 thriller over Bloomsburg at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium to claim the league title.No. 7 — Emily Campbell wins PIAA Class AA discus title. The Slippery Rock High senior entered the meet with the top throw in the state at 142 feet, 3 inches. She also wound up fifth in the shot put.
No. 8 — Union football gets first-ever playoff win. After being outscored by a combined 116-15 margin in three previous playoff losses, the eighth-seeded Golden Knights upset top-seeded Ridgway, 18-14. Running back Dugan Gallagher, presumed out for the season with an injury earlier in the year, returned and rushed for 131 yards.No. 9 — St. Jude Golf Club closes. Long considered one of the top golf courses in Butler County, the facility announced to its membership that it was closing its doors after 87 years.No. 10 — Mars softball reaches WPIAL title game. The Planets entered the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs as the 11th-seed, but won three straight playoff games by one-run margins to reach the finals.Mars ultimately lost the title game, 5-3, to Thomas Jefferson in nine innings.
No. 11 — Seneca Valley girls soccer wins WPIAL title with undefeated record. The Raiders were rarely scored upon all season and set a school record with 23 wins. SV's lone loss all year was a 2-1 overtime decision to Central Bucks East in the state quarterfinals.No. 12 — Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic opens its doors. The Trojans moved into Butler County with a flouirish as its football team compiled a second successive undefeated regular season. The team was upset by Avonworth in the WPIAL Class A semifinals.No. 13 — Grove City's Emily Gordon wins District 10 tennis title. Only a freshman, Gordon defeated Mercyhurst Prep senior and defending district champion Lauren Petrella 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the title match. Gordon became the first Mercer County girl to win a D-10 tennis title in 11 years.No. 14 — Charlie Kremer bowls three perfect games in as many weeks. Kremer pulled off this feat to open the 2014-15 season in the Strikes and Spares League at Family Bowlaway.No. 15 — Janet McDonough breaks five national Masters swims records. McDonough, 55, of Cranberry Township competed in five events at the national meet in Florida, won five gold medals and set records in the 50, 100 and 200-yard backstroke, 100 and 200 individual medley.
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