SPORTS

Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame Honors Senior High Scholar-Athletes

On Friday, June 16, 2023, the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame honored area senior scholar athletes during its 28th annual induction banquet at St Spyridon Hellenic Center in Monessen PA at 5:30 p.m. Honoring the Mon Valley’s best and brightest in sports and in the classroom has been an integral part of the Sports Hall of Fame since 1995.

Area students are selected by Mon Valley athletic directors and high school principals and are recognized at the banquet for their academic and athletic achievements. The Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors awards a certificate of merit reflecting personal dedication to achieving the highest standards of excellence as a scholar and in sportsmanship.

This prestigious event bonds generations of area athletes by bringing together the past generation of Hall of Fame recipients with the present generation of athletes. This is ceremoniously represented in the seating arrangement in which the scholar athletes sit on a tier below the Hall of

Fame inductees, challenging the students to achieve a goal that Hall of Fame personalities have accomplished. The first student scholar athlete to reach Hall of Fame status was

Gina Naccarato. She was recognized as a student scholar athlete in 1996 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. Naccarato has been followed into Hall of Fame status with Jamont Kinds, Vinnie Graham, Dan LaCarte and Charel Allen.

The 2023 student scholar athlete recipients are:

• Belle Vernon Area High School: Chase Ruokonen and Gianna Anderson

• Bentworth High School: Landon Urcho and Grace Skerbetz

• Brownsville High School: Jolena

“JoJo” Quarzo

• California High School: Tanner Pierce and Anastasia Georgagis

• Charleroi High School: Colton Palonder and Rece Eddy

• Elizabeth Forward High School: Logan Monzak and Joselyn Dawson

• Monessen High School: Dante DeFelices and Aaliyah Rice

• Ringgold High School: David Molisee and Abbigale Whaley

• Yough High School: Bobby Etze and Emily Stephan

Two of these students won WPIAL gold in Track and Field: Tanner Pierce on May 17, 2023 won the 2-A WPIAL shot put title with a toss of 50 ft. 7 inches, and Jolena Quarzo won the 1600 in 5:05.28 and the 3200 in 10:55.07.

Women's Golf Leagues Kick Off at Youghiogheny Country Club

Memorial Tournament

The 18-hole Women's Golf Association at Youghiogheny Country Club honored former members during their Memorial Tournament recently. The low gross winner of the better ball of the 2-day event was Valerie Wilson with a score of 90. Penny Natale won the first low net with a 61 and Lori Duncan won the second low net with a 65.

Queen Bee Event

Lady golfers in both the 9hole and 18-hole leagues held their annual ‘Queen Bee’ event at Youghiogheny Country Club. First low net score of 66 and the new Queen Bee is Lynn McHolme. Second low net of 69 is Honey Bee Maureen Fiore. And the 9 Hole low net is Bumble Bee Judy Murray.