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Almanac announces female finalists for Athlete of the Year

18 min read
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Samantha Amos Upper St. Clair senior Volleyball Duke University recruit Will major in pre-med All-state, four years Had 391 kills last fall Lettered in tennis, track

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Olivia Caragein Seton-La Salle senior Lacrosse, soccer Seton-Hill University Maintains 4.53 GPA All-America, All-WPIAL NHS, STEM award winner Captain & leading scorer

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Claire Dougherty Mt. Lebanon senior Track, cross country Dartmouth College bound Triple WPIAL champion. WPIAL record holder (4x800) Four-time PIAA qualifier 5.0 GPA, NHS member

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Mikayla Fetchet South Fayette senior Basketball, volleyball, softball West Virginia University Will major in nursing WPIAL champion Average 8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg All-WPIAL, All-Section

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Emma Hasco Upper St. Clair senior Soccer Penn State University National All-American PIAA state champion WPIAL runner-up Almanac MVP

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Madison Kerr Peters Township senior Basketball, volleyball IUP hoop recruit All-district, all-section Led in kills, digs Led in points, rebounds Maintains 4.60 GPA

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Julia Menosky Bishop Canevin senior Volleyball, bowling Point Park recruit PIAA state champion All-time dig leader No. 1 in kills 2015 All-WPIAL, All-section

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Laura Pryor Mt. Lebanon senior Lacrosse, soccer Penn State bound Soccer scoring leader WPIAL LAX champion 4.5 GPA NHS member Link Leader, SGA

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Kelsey Tischler Bethel Park senior Football, track, soccer Grove City College Kicked 34 PATs & 3 FGs 16 varsity letters 4.0 GPA, NHS DECA state champion

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Cheyenne Trest Canon-McMillan junior Basketball, soccer Three-year starter, 2 sports Averaged 17 points per game 15 assists, 9 goals in soccer All-section, Almanac all-star 4.58 GPA. NHS

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Samantha Amos

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Olivia Caragein

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Claire Dougherty

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Mikayla Fetchet

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Emma Hasco

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Madison Kerr

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Julia Menosky

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Laura Pryor

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Kelsey Tischler

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Cheyenne Trest

Listed below is a synopsis for each finalist for The Almanac Female Athlete of the Year award. The top 10 will be honored, along with their male counterparts as well as the MVPS in their respective sports, at the 26th annual Premier Performers Sports Banquet. This year’s event will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bethel Park. Tickets are $35. To order, call 724-941-7725 ext. 8129.

Samantha Amos

Grace under pressure. That’s Samantha Amos. For this Upper St. Clair senior keeps her cool while slaying the competition.

In volleyball, she captained the Panthers to an undefeated section title this fall and a 27-7-2 overall record that included a Final Four appearance and PIAA playoff berth. Statistically, Amos led USC in kills with 391. She maintained a .351 hitting percentage, blocked 50 shots, registered 199 digs and served up 44 aces.

A four-year starter, she was a National Freshman of the Year Finalist as well as sophomore. Additionally, Amos was ranked as the best attacker during the Capitol Hill Classic, which featured 900 players in her age bracket. Plus, she’s been a four-year all-state selection. “A first,” said Alex Hinsey. The USC head coach added, “Samantha is regarded as one of the best high school girls’ volleyball players to come out of Pennsylvania ever.”

Amos used her leaping ability to jump for the track team. She also was the only freshman to letter in two varsity sports–she played tennis too–during the same season.

However by the end of her sophomore year, some of the top collegiate programs, including Texas, Michigan, Penn State, Stanford, Nebraska and Florida, were recruiting her. Amos accepted a volleyball scholarship to Duke University, where she will pursue a pre-medicine tract with the hopes of becoming a pediatric specialist.

In addition to her scholastic achievements, Amos competes at the Junior National level. She participated in the USA Championships from 2011-16. She has been recognized by Under Armour as an All-American, second-team selection.

Off the court, Amos served as a member of student council and volunteers with the Jewish Foundation. She will be inducted May 22 into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

“Sam is a leader on the court and in the classroom,” Hinsey said. “Not only is she an astounding athlete on the court but she is one of the best teammates and a great leader. She looks past her own success and cares more about the team success as well as her teammates individual achievements.”

Olivia Caragein

The eye of the Tiger. When it comes to sports, Olivia Caragein from Seton-La Salle has it.

“Olivia plays the game with a ferociousness,” said lacrosse coach Brian Klisavage. “She uses her speed to pounce on her opponents. She is a tenacious defender.”

“She is fast, strong and smart,” added her soccer coach Brooke Quertinmont. “She is one of the best athletes I have coached. She listens, works hard all the time, asks questions, is always looking to improve and leads by example. She is a coach’s dream. She is always calm and under control. She kept the team organized and focused.”

Caragein knows no other way. In order to excel on the field and in the classroom–she maintains a 4.53 GPA–she must be methodical and attentive. Sports and studies are not all she does.

Caragein volunteers for Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald House, Marian Manor Assisted Living, Seton Center Day Care and St. Wendelin’s Food Bank. She makes blankets for cancer patients. In addition, she is a member of the National Honor Society and Rebels For Life. Caragein won the STEM Award for math and science. Plus, she attended the Pacific Institute Leadership Seminar.

“Olivia is a kind person. Polite and friendly to everyone and she is a great teammate,” added Klisavage.

For the playoff-bound lacrosse squad, she does a lot of scoring. She racked up 53 goals and 11 assists last season and is on pace to surpass those numbers this spring. She is averaging three goals and one assist per game.

In lacrosse, Caragein is an all-section and all-WPIAL performer. She earned academic All-America honors and was selected to the US Lacrosse National Tournament team.

Because she plays defense on the soccer team, Caragein doesn’t score so much. But she did captain the Rebels to the playoffs.

Lacrosse, however, is where her future lies. Caragein will play the sport at Seton Hill University while majoring in health sciences. She hopes to go into physical therapy as a career.

Claire Dougherty

On the run is where one will find Claire Dougherty. For the Mt. Lebanon senior keeps up a fast pace academically, socially and athletically.

A 5.0 GPA helped earn Dougherty admittance to Darmouth College, where she hopes to pursue a career in medicine. She belongs to National Honor Society and the Mt. Lebanon Cum Laude Society.

In addition, Dougherty serves as student council vice president. She sings in the choir and performs in school theatrical productions. She also is involved in Best Buddies and Link Leader, groups which work with special needs children and incoming high school students.

On the track, Dougherty is a record breaker. She set two school marks in relay events and shattered the WPIAL record for the 4×800 relay. Lebo won the event in 9:13.22. A three-time WPIAL champion in track, including the 800-meter run, Dougherty is setting the pace this spring, winning the middle-distance event in every invitational. She is ranked in the Top 10 in WPIAL history among 800-meter runners. She has run the gamut from the 200 dash in 26.53 to the mile in 5:11.52.

During the indoor track season, Dougherty competed in the national championships. She also helped the distance medley relay to a state championship and finished fourth for the second year in a row in the 800 race. Dougherty holds a school record in the 800 and shares in two distance-medley relay marks for indoor track.

In the fall, Dougherty competes on the cross country team, helping Lebo to Top 3 finishes as a team the past four years, including WPIAL titles in 2012 and 2013 and a runner-up showing in 2014. She qualified for the PIAA championships four years in a row with a best time of 20:07 and a Top 65 finish. During the Legends Meet in Ohio, she clocked a best five-kilometer time of 19:02. A top performer during the WPIAL championships the past three years, her best time of 19:50 netted her 14th position in the standings.

Work ethic has paved Dougherty’s road to success, says head coach Oscar Shutt. “Claire is a tireless worker in the weight room and a vocal leader of her teams. She demonstrates by example of her unparalleled work ethic. She can guide other team members with her cheering and vocal support. In addition to assisting her teammates, Claire also makes sure they all are included in the team.”

Mikayla Fethcet

A champion on and off the court is this South Fayette senior. For Mikayla Fetchet has excelled in three sports, maintained high academic standards and exceeded in extracurricular activities.

In the athletic arena, she earned 10 varsity letters in basketball, volleyball and softball. She gained all-section honors in all three activities and all-WPIAL honors in two. She captained the softball team, earned defensive specialist acclaim in volleyball and took over the point guard position this winter after an injury to one of her teammates. The basketball team fared well after the shift as the Lions won the WPIAL championship after finishing runner-up a year ago. Fetchet averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals for the Lions, who also claimed a section banner and a berth in the PIAA tournament.

Academically, she maintained a 3.43 GPA in her advanced placement classes. She even attended Pennsylvania Governor’s School in the summer for health care. She plans to become a nurse when she matriculates to West Virginia University this fall.

Fetchet demonstrates leadership in many ways through her social causes. She served as an apprentice at the Ohio Valley Wound Car Clinic and a facilitator for a medical mentoring program. She assisted with the high school’s annual blood drive and participated in the Four Diamonds Fund to Fight Childhood Cancer Mini-thon. She is a member of Circle of Friends, Teen Institute, Student Government and the Health Career Club.

Emma Hasco

The Midas touch. Emma Hasco had it. For everything her foot touched turned golden for the Upper St. Clair girls’ soccer team.

During the fall, the senior scored twice and lifted the Panthers to the program’s first state championship. USC defeated Central Bucks East, 2-1, in the PIAA Class AAA final at Hershey. While the Panthers finished 20-2-1 overall, including a WPIAL runner-up showing, Hasco totaled 19 goals and 25 assists.

Hasco heaped on the honors. She garnered All-America honors at the national and regional level. The Almanac MVP for girls’ soccer also was named All-WPIAL and All-Section. In addition, she was named the 2015 Pennsylvania Player of the Year.

From the start, Hasco has experienced success and opportunity in soccer.

Hasco has played 10 years with the Beadling Soccer Club, winning more than a half dozen PA-West championships and participating in the national finals. In addition, she earned a scholarship to Penn State, which recently won a national title. She is already at Happy Valley, working on her transition from high school to college soccer while getting started in her studies. She is majoring in business marketing.

Off the pitch and outside of the classroom, where she maintained a 3.75 GPA, Hasco has helping hands. She belongs to Kids Helping Kids Organization and she was the recipient of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Award.

In addition to being a four-year varsity letter winner in soccer, Hasco played basketball during the first half of her high school career.

“Emma has set the bar very, very high,” said USC soccer coach David Gray. “One of the special things about her is not how good a player she is, it’s how good a leader and person she is. That makes her special.”

Madison Kerr

For the second year in a row, Madison Kerr is an Almanac Athlete of the Year finalist. There are lots of reasons why.

Let’s start with basketball. Kerr finished her career as the No. 2 all-time leading scorer in Peters Township history with 1,414 total points. She pulled down 678 rebounds and dished up 250 assists. In leading the Indians to their first section title in 16 years and a WPIAL playoff appearance, she led the team in scoring and rebounding with respective averages of 16 and eight per game. A four-year starter and team captain, she earned all-section, all-district and all-Almanac honors as well as MVP laurels at two tournaments this winter. Outside of high school hoops, Kerr led her AAU team to the United States Junior National Championships.

In volleyball, Kerr is a three-year starter and two-year captain as well as a three-time all-section and two-time all-district performer. She led the Indians in kills and digs the past two seasons, both of which featured playoff appearances.

Off the courts, Kerr excels academically and socially. She maintains a 4.60 GPA and has been accepted into the honors college at Indiana University Pennsylvania, where she will play basketball for Tom McConnell while studying to become a nurse anesthetist.

Kerr is vice president of student council and co-president of Students Against Destructive Decisions. She is on the executive council of student leaders and a high school ambassador team leader. Kerr also belongs to NHS and Mu Alpha Theta, a math honors club. In addition to being on the homecoming court, Kerr owns a black belt in karate.

Kerr draws high praise from her coaches.

According to basketball skipper Bert Kendall, she has distinguished herself as a role model by approaching all of her well deserved accolades with humility and class. “A player with a sports resume as lengthy as hers, could easily fall into a trap of self-centered behavior that can be detrimental to a team. But not Madison,” he said. “She is an awesome teammate, talented, humble, a good listener and a joy to coach. She is without question a leader in athletic ability, academic success, and has the support of her coaches and administration. I’m sure there are several young players in our youth programs that hope to play like Madie when they get to high school.”

According to volleyball coach Ashley Green, Kerr is a competitor that has always worked hard to exceed her obligations both on and off the court. “She prides herself on being a leader and gives 100 percent in the classroom, in her community, and in her sports. Madison has left a large footprint and has been a good role model at Peters Township High School.”

Julia Menosky

In volleyball at Bishop Canevin, nobody did it better than Julia Menosky. The senior finished her career ranked in the Top 3 all-time among Lady Crusaders in the major statistical categories. She is No. 1 in digs with 1,220, No. 2 in aces with 152 and No. 3 in kills with 583. Last fall, Menosky led the squad in kills with 227. She ranked second in aces (53), assists (241), digs (416) and serves received (207).

Those numbers added up to big success for the Lady Crusaders. Menosky guided Bishop Canevin to its first state championship. The Crusaders also won the WPIAL title, a feat replicated also in 2013.

Canevin succeeded this season because of Menosky’s adaptability and flexibility. She possesses every skill a player needs to compete in all six rotations, says her coach Kevin Walters. When the team struggled in the middle of the season, the coaching staff moved the lineup around to better utilize Menosky’s all-around skills.

“Julia was willing to change her position with the team, simply because we asked her to, and she believed in her coaches and her teammates, along with her belief in herself,” said Walters. “Those changes helped spark our team and built the momentum for our championship runs. Julia’s talent and team-first attitude were major reasons for our team’s success.”

With the victories came accolades. Menosky garnered WPIAL Class A MVP honors. She claimed all-district and all-section, first team laurels. And, for the second year in a row, she merited recognition on the all-state squad.

When she isn’t playing volleyball, Menosky bowls for the high school team. She averages 147 and has rolled up a high game of 189 in her career.

Additionally, she maintains high standards in the classroom. Menosky owns a 4.0 GPA. She will major in business and play volleyball at Point Park University.

Menosky is a plus for the Pioneers, says Walters. “Julia loves to play volleyball and loves to be in the gym. Her enthusiasm makes the gym and our team a better place to be. She is a leader on and off the court. She helps her teammates and plays the game with the relaxed attitude and positive energy that you want to see in athletics,” he said.

Laura Pryor

At Mt. Lebanon, Laura Pryor pulls double duty. She’s a scorer for the soccer squad. But, she’s a defender for the lacrosse club.

A four-year starter and captain, Pryor led the soccer team in scoring with 21 goals. Plus, her game-winning goal gave Lebo its first playoff victory in six seasons. Pryor earned Almanac Elite Eleven and All-Section status.

A three-year starter, Pryor has put Lebo again in position to contend for a championship in lacrosse. The Blue Devils won a WPIAL title in 2014 and finished as runners-up last spring.

“Laura is a team leader in both sports and she is looked up to by younger players not only because of her abilities on the field but because of her willingness to help them off the field,” said Lebo LAX coach Brian Kattan.

Pryor always puts the team first, adds Kattan. In fact, she started out on offense but switched positions when the team needed a defender. “Laura stepped up and volunteered,” said Kattan. “She wanted to help the team anyway she could. She’s a big part of the reason why we have been so successful.”

Off the field, Pryor is equally successful. She excels in the classroom with a 4.5 GPA. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Government Association and the Link Leader Organization, which helps transition students into high school. In her spare time, she volunteers at summer and fall youth lacrosse and soccer camps. She also works as a nanny and a sitter for families within the community.

Pryor will continue her education at Penn State University. She is pondering a career in marketing.

Kelsey Tischler

A difference maker. That’s Kelsey Tischler. For this senior has changed the face of athletics at Bethel Park High School. She became the first female in the history of the school to make the football team. Tischler converted 34 extra points and kicked three field goals for the Hawks as they advanced to the quarterfinals in the district playoffs. For her efforts, she earned all-conference, second team honors as well as Almanac honorable mention recognition.

“Kelsey did what few girls could do at 17,” said football coach Jeff Metheny. “She invested the time and became good enough to play on an all-guy team. She has set the bar for other girls in Bethel Park to dream big. She is a great kid with a great work ethic, smart and a true pleasure to coach.”

In addition to football, Tischler lettered four years in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and field. She excels in pole vauting, another relatively new event for females. Tischler also earned three varsity letters for soccer.

Academically, she maintains a 4.0. She belongs to National Honor Society and DECA, an organization in which she has won first place in the state for her creative marketing project. She has completed mission trips to build housing in impoverished areas, volunteered at nursing homes and packed boxes for the troops through her church’s bible school events. She won Rotary Student of the Month honors and school spirit awards as well as being named princess on the homecoming court.

According to guidance counselor and former coach Jim Knapp, Tischler is “one amazing young lady. A very humble individual,” he said. “In all my years at Bethel Park, I have never met a more well-rounded, fun-loving, dedicated, disciplined, determined and extremely talented individual in the classroom and on the athletic field as Kelsey.”

IT teacher Andrew Tsangaris concurred. “Kelsey is one of the truly remarkable student athletes I have come across. Anything she puts her mind to gets 100 percent effort and is accomplished. She has demonstrated excellence in the classroom, in athletics and in the community. Her dedication to the community above all is what makes her a role model. If high school students and people in general were as committed as Kelsey to giving back and making the community better the world would be a better place.”

Cheyenne Trest

Cheyenne Trest has put Canon-McMillan girls’ sports on the map. And, she’s just a junior.

In her preferred activity, Trest led the Lady Macs to their first section banner and first post-season victory in school history. She actually scored the game-winning basket in C-M’s historic win against Fox Chapel in the first round of the 2016 WPIAL Quad-A playoffs. Trest averaged 17 points per game and also led the Lady Macs in assists and steals. A three-year starter and three-time all-section performer, she holds the school record for points in one game with 33. So far, Trest has scored 875 career points.

“Cheyenne is not a vocal leader but clearly the girls on the team follow her lead,” said floor boss Lou Waller. “Without her leadership, there is no way the team would have had a record-breaking season.”

As a sophomore, Trest started on C-M’s history-making soccer team. The Lady Macs reached the district finals and finished runner-up in the state for the first time ever. This season, she led the team to its first undefeated regular season and first section banner since 1991. Trest dished up 15 assists and scored nine goals. A two-year captain, she earned all-section honors.

Outside the athletic arena, Trest maintains a 4.58 GPA. She is a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies, Student Council and Math League. She volunteers at the Washington County Food Bank and Produce For People. She tutors at the middle school and is involved in C-M’s mentorship program. She instructs at youth camps and clinics for both basketball and soccer. And, she has competed for the past five years at the AAU level, playing for the Western PA Bruins in national basketball competitions.

“Cheyenne is absolutely committed to excellence in everything she takes on,” said soccer coach David Derrico. “She is a highly-motivated person of strong character, values and work ethic. She is devoted to her teams, teammates and the task at hand. She is constantly looking to improve, accepts constructive criticism and eagerly anticipates additional challenges.”

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