Student Scholar Athletes 2017
Meet the 2017 Scholar Athletes of the Mid Monongahela Valley Schools
First row from left: Brownsville’s Alexandria Seto, Belle Vernon Area’s Sophia Yantko, Yough’s Olivia Miller and Jack Cleary
Second row from left: Ringgold’s Dalton Holt and Olivia Warner, Charleroi’s Carter Riskey and Jessica Day, Bentworth’s Josh Hughes and Autumn Zgorliski
Third row from left: California’s Nathaniel Luketich and Jenna Miller, Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Lee and Madison Ambler, Monessen’s Justice Rice and Victoria Cooper
~ Read the Student Bios Here ~
Meet the 2017 Mon Valley California High Individual WPIAL Achievement Awardee for Track and Field
Left to right: Randy Marino presents California’s Ashley McIntosh with Achievement award for the Class AA championship in the 300 intermediate hurdles in 45.73 seconds along with Steve Russell
Meet the 2017 Mon Valley Monessen High WPIAL Achievement Awardees
Monessen’s basketball Coach Joe Salvino and senior captain Justice Rice accept Achievement award on behalf of their team, the Class A WPIAL championship basketball Monessen Greyhounds, with presentations by Randy Marino and Steve Russell of the MMVASHOF.
Meet the 2017 Mon Valley California High WPIAL Achievement Awardees
Senior captain John DeFranco, head baseball coach Nick Damico,and senior captain Nathaniel Luketich accept Achievement award on behalf of their team, the Class AA champion baseball California Trojans with presentations by Randy Marino (left) and Steve Russell (right)
Meet the 2017 Mon Valley Belle Vernon Area High WPIAL Achievement Awardee
Belle Vernon Area softball head coach Tom Rodriquez accepts Achievement award on behalf of his team, the Class AAAA WPIAL championship softball Leopards, with presentation by Randy Marino (left) and Steve Russell (right)
Student Scholar Athletes 2017
The Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame annually honors senior scholar-athletes representing the nine school districts within the Mid Monongahela Valley. Tonight’s students are sponsored by the generous support of Charleroi’s Lee Supply Company. This evening the spotlight shines upon these young men and women who have made a difference in the classroom, in athletics, and in their communities.
Belle Vernon Area High School
Tyler Seliga
- Varsity 3-year soccer letterman/captain
- 1st Team All Section
- Varsity 3- year wrestling letterman
- 2017-2017 – Team Captain, 4th Place Westmoreland County Tournament, 2nd Place Section 2 Tournament, WPIAL 4th Place and PIAA State Qualifier, Earned 100th Career Victory
- 2015-2017 – 3rd Place Westmoreland County Tournament, WPIAL Team Champions, PIAA Team 3rd - , WPIAL Qualifier
- 2014-2015 – 3rd Place Section 2 Tournament, WPIAL Qualifier
- 2013-2014 - 2nd Place Eastern Area Invitational (Gateway Tournament), 3rd Place Section 2 Tournament, WPIAL Qualifier
Varsity 2-year baseball letterman - Honors: U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence, National Student Athlete Award Recipient, National Honor Society, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete
- Clubs: Student Council
- Volunteer: March for Parks, Relay for Life
- Seton Hill: Early Childhood Education and wrestling team
Sophia Yantko
- Varsity 3-year volleyball letterwoman
- Varsity 4-year track/field letterwoman, three-time Qualifier for AAA WPIAL in javelin, four-time Qualifier for USATF, National Junior Olympics in javelin
- Varsity 1-year basketball letterwoman
- Honors: Honor Societies (National, Spanish, Science, Social Studies), US Marines National Student Scholar/Athlete Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence, 2015 WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit Nominee
- Clubs: Interact Club, Student Council, Physical Education club, MIC/SADD, Outdoors Club, Chorus, Prom Committee treasurer, Penn State 4.0 Club
- Volunteer: Altar Server St Anne’s Church, Vacation Bible School Volunteer St Anne’s Church, Project Linus, Food Bank St Sebastian Church, Pancake Festival St Sebastian Church, Southwestern Surgery Center staff volunteer ,Relay for Life, Blood Drive, Assistant Throwing Coach for Valley Speedsters Track Club
- Ohio University: biology and track team
Bentworth High School
Josh Hughes
- Varsity 3-year football letterman/quarterback
- All Conference Team (2015-16), Mon Valley Independent Player of the Week (10-2-15, 10-16-15), Observer-Reporter Player of the Week (10-15-15) and 2015 Elite 11, Second Team Mon Valley Independent Finest 25, Career 4,793 yards and 48 TD’s
- Varsity 3-year baseball letterman
- Honors: National Honor Society, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete
- Clubs: Live God 24/7 NYC Mission Team
- Volunteer: NYC Relief Bus Feeding, Homeless feeding in Chelsea Park Harlem, Brooklyn
- Saint Vincent College
Autumn Zgorliski
- Varsity 4 -year softball letterwoman
- Varsity 3-year basketball letterwoman
- Varsity 1- year volleyball
- Honors: National Honor Society, Westinghouse Science Honor Institute, Who’s Who Among America High School students
- Clubs: Junior council vice-president, Homecoming Court, Majorette captain, L.E.F.T. program
- Volunteer: Cokeburg Bingo, Cheerleading coach for midget program
- Waynesburg University: forensic science
Brownsville Area High School
Jared Gaddis
- Varsity 1-year football
- Varsity 4-year basketball letterman/captain
- Player of the Month, All County, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete
- Honors: Student of the Month
- Clubs: SADD, Environmental club, Chess Club vice president, junior/senior class president
- Volunteer: Dunlap Lake clean-ups, fishing line recycling program, Grande March setup
- Penn State Fayette campus: business/economics
Alexandria Seto
- Varsity 4-year basketball letterwoman/captain, All County, Roundball Classic Player, 1,000 career points
- Varsity 4-year volleyball letterwoman/captain, All County, team MVP (4) All Section First Team
- Varsity 4-year track letterwoman/captain, FCCA Field MVP
- Varsity 4-year cross-country letterwoman, All County
- Honors: Chamber of Commerce/Rotary Student of the Month, Superintendent awards, W&J Merit Scholar award, Tricada/ WIPIAL student Athlete, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete
- Clubs: Tri-Hi-Y treasurer, Future Is Mine, FCCLA, Student Council, Student in Action, Upper Bound, Senior Cabinet, National/French Honor Society, 4.0 club, class treasurer
- Volunteer: Fayette Friends of Animals, youth basketball, Operation Falcon, Revitalization community service, CYS Christmas/Easter party
- Washington & Jefferson College: biological physics
California Area High School
Nathaniel Luketich
- Varsity 4-year baseball letterman/captain
- 2017 Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight, Mid Mon Valley Independent Player of the Week, WPIAL All Section (2015-17), Observer Reporter All District Team (2015), Greensburg Tribune Review Athlete of the Week (2015)
- Varsity basketball letterman (2016-17)
- Varsity 4-year golf letterman/captain, 2015 Team MVP, Section 8-AA Champions
- Honors: United States Military Academy Athletic award 2016, California Rotary Student of the Month (Nov 2016)
- Clubs: Vice President National Honor Society, Leo Club, Interact, Envirothon Team, Student Forum
- Volunteer: Washington Hospital, First Presbyterian Church
- University of Pittsburgh: chemistry
Jenna Miller
- Varsity 3-year volleyball letterwoman
- MVP 2016
- Varsity 3-year basketball letterwoman
- Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Herald Standard/ All District
- 3rd team/ All Section 1st team/ basketball classic/ Super 10 Mon Valley/ MVP Southside Beaver tournament 2016/ Budd Grebb Championship winner 2015
- Varsity 2-year track-field letterwoman/ 2015-16 WPIAL qualifiers
- Clubs: Relay for Life, art show, The Future is Mine, Interact, Leo club
- Volunteer: school dances, town car show concession stand, toys and Slippers donation, Jump for Rope Heart Association, track events
- Waynesburg University: Marine biology
Charleroi Area High School
Carter Riskey
- Varsity 4-year football letterman
- Honorable Mention, All Conference
- Varsity 4-year wrestling letterman
- Clubs: Astronomy club, Student Council, drafting club
- Volunteer: Relay for Life, School District Blood Drive, Youth Wrestling Tournament
- Slippery Rock
Jessica Day
- Varsity 4-year soccer letterwoman/captain
- Varsity 4-year track letterwoman/captain
- WPIAL 2016 broke school record in the 400m., participant in WPIAL 2016 100m. 200m. 400m. – 2017 200m.400m. States 2016 400m.
- Honors: National Honor Society, Salutatorian, Penn State 4.0 Club, Challenge Program for Academic Performance, November Charthene Girl of the Month, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete, Wendy’s HS Heisman award
- Clubs: History Club, SADD, Executive Committee, Secretary Ski Club
- Volunteer: Relay for Life, Special Olympics, Camp Invention, blood donation
- Robert Morris University: nursing
Elizabeth Forward High School
Ryan Lee
- Varsity 4-year soccer letterman/captain
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Star of the Week, All Section, Daily News Spotlight Athlete of the Week (2 times)
- Honors: National Honor Society
- Clubs: Physics Club President, International Club Founder
- Penn State Greater Allegheny: special education/physical education
Madison Ambler
- Varsity 4-year volleyball letterwoman
- South Fayette Athlete of the Week, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete/Jim Collins Scholar Athlete Scholarship nominee All Section 3 First Team Girls
- Honors: National Honor Society
- Clubs: Interact, Class of 2017 Historian, Fitness Club Vice President PBIS Brave Bunch, Student Government Association
- Volunteer: United Methodist Church
- California University of Pennsylvania: criminology/forensic science
Monessen High School
Justice Rice
- Varsity 3-year soccer letterman All Section
- Varsity 2-year baseball letterman
- Varsity 3-year basketball letterman
- All Section, 1st team All State senior, WPIAL Class A Player of the Year, 1,530 career points, Mon Valley Independent Bee Graphix Super 6 first team and Super 6 Boys Player of the Year
- Honors: Westmoreland County Judge John J. Driscoll Scholar Athlete, Tri-County Athletic Scholar, Co-Valedictorian, Lion’s Club Student of the Month, Monessen-Rostraver Rotary Student of the Month, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society
- Clubs: Spanish, Yearbook, Student Government, SADD, Editor Newspaper
- Volunteer: Monessen Walk-in-the-Park, road clean-up,
- Grove City College: Engineering
Victoria Cooper
- Varsity senior basketball letterwoman
- Varsity 4-year soccer letterwoman/captain
- Varsity 4-year softball letterwoman/captain
- All Section
- Varsity 4-year cheerleader All American Elite Team
- Honors: Westmoreland County Judge John J. Driscoll Scholar/ Athlete, Secretary National Honor Society, Rotary Student of the Month, Wendy’s Heisman award, Women in Science award, US Achievement Academy, National Science award, All American Scholar award, National Leadership & Service award, Spanish National Honor Secretary
- Clubs: SADD, Student Government, Leo Club, Spanish Club, Future Is Mine, Class President, FBLA, Ski Club Treasurer, Performing Arts
- Volunteer: O.S.P.T.A. Hospice, Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, Leo Club
- Slippery Rock University: exercise science: pre-physician assistant
Ringgold High School
Dalton Holt
- Varsity 3-year football letterman/captain
- 3-time All Big 9 Conference selection, All State DB, Player of the Week, Mon Valley Finest 25 team, Ringgold’s all-time leader in receiving yards, 2016 safety MVP for All State 125 camp series
- Varsity 3-year baseball letterman
- Varsity 2-year track and field letterman 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay
- Honors: Ringgold Rams Booster Club certificate of achievement
- Slippery Rock University: exercise science
Olivia Warner
- Varsity 4-year girl’s tennis letterwoman/captain
- #1 singles position 49 wins
- Honors: National Honor Society
- Clubs: Spring musical participant 4 years, Interact, Relay for Life
- Volunteer: tutor middle school students in tennis, Nursing home Bingo, Medallion Ball
- Slippery Rock University: computer science/tennis scholarship
Yough High School
Jack Cleary
- Varsity 3-year cross country letterman/captain/ distance 5K/ 3-time WPIAL Qualifier
- Varsity 4-year track & field letterman
- Events 4x800, 1600, 800, 3200 relay
- Honors: National Honor Society
- Clubs: Senior mentors, National and French Honor Society
- Volunteer: road cleanup, pet friend’s animal care
- University of Pittsburgh: biology
Olivia Miller
- Varsity 4- year softball letterwoman
- Tribune Review Spotlight Athlete of the Week
- Varsity 2-year volleyball letterwoman All Section 2nd team, MVP Chartiers Houston Tournament (2016)
- Honors: Vice President National Honor Society, April Student of the Month, Yough Rocks, French National Honor Society, Herald Standard Centennial Chevrolet Scholar Athlete
- Clubs: Chamber choir, student council, Fellowship of Christian Athletics
- Volunteer: peer tutoring, senior mentoring, Hospaws car wash, West Newton field cleanup, Yough softball clinic
- Penn State Altoona: electromechanical engineering technology
Past Students
Read about our past Student Scholar Athletes here!