Mars Middle School sixth grader Shane Hughes was an Area VII finalist for Pennsylvania Junior Youth Wrestling and has advanced to the state's junior championship tournament for the fifth straight year.

The state tournament is April 1-2 in Hershey.

Hughes also earned a finalist position at the recent Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association Qualifiers and earned the right to compete in the Western Regional Championship Tournament April 9-10 in Shippensburg.

Samantha Brown, a four-year letterwinner and goalkeeper for the Knoch girls soccer team, will continue her academic and soccer careers at Malone (Ohio) College.Brown was named team captain and team MVP her senior year. She was a WPIAL all-star and received a scholar-athlete award.She plans to major in physical education.

Three Butler girls, Sadie Marak, Amanda Skidmore and Olivia Vasey, are members of the Pittsburgh Power 12-and-under fast-pitch softball team that placed second in a recent tournament at the Thunderplex in Vienna, Ohio.Other girls on the team from Cranberry Township and Pittsburgh include Lauren Hackett, Lauren Hunt, Tara Llewellyn, Nicole Luffy, Amanda Shepard, Kelsey Squeich, D.J. Ufolla, Kaley Wisnewski and Kaylee Zozos.