Junior embraces competition, camaraderie of cross country

By: Josh Rizzo | Oct. 20, 2022

Sawyer Kinney can usually see the people he races against are feeling what he is feeling. After crossing the finish line, Kinney sees, and emphasizes with, the suffering.

The Penn Hills junior cross country runner feels those moments are what build camaraderie in the sport.

“I love cross country and want to take it as far as my body and brain will take me,” Kinney said. “It makes me happy, the amount of straight up pain you feel during a race and the opportunity to bond with people. When you are at the finish line, you can look over and see someone who finished two minutes before or two minutes after suffering the same things.”

Kinney has shown improvement between his sophomore and junior seasons. At the A.J. Everhart Uniontown Invitational Sept. 24, Kinney was Penn Hills’ top finisher, placing 22nd in the event with a time of 18 minutes, 31 seconds......

Multi-sport athlete holds her own at No.1 singles on Penn Hills tennis team

By: Josh Rizzo | Sep. 18, 2022

Talia Russell knows when she glances across the net at her opponent on the tennis court, every match will be a challenge. Russell, who is a senior and the Penn Hills girls tennis team’s No. 1 singles player, doesn’t have nearly as much experience as many of her opponents.

“It’s nerve-wracking, knowing that there are girls that have done this for their whole life and think I’m an easy win,” Russell said. “No matter the score or what goes on the court, it’s about doing better than my personal best. I’m trying my best to go out there and show I might not beat you, but I can keep up.”

Trying to maintain a busy sports schedule is something Russell has to do that many of her top tennis opponents don’t usually worry about. In addition to playing on the tennis team, Russell runs for Penn Hills’ cross country team. She also swims in the winter.

As a kid, Russell also dabbled in cheerleading, dance and soccer.....

Top runners on Penn Hills cross country team set for competitive season

By: Josh Rizzo | Aug. 20, 2022

Austin Stuchul and Sawyer Kinney went east to make improvements for the Penn Hills cross country team this fall.

Attending a cross country camp at Shippensburg University provided both runners with a tremendous amount of perspective. When the team practices started for the fall, Indians coach Lee Zelkowitz saw the improvement right away.

Being at the camp allowed them to get a few runs in per day and meet a variety of people.

“I’ve had kids go to the camp before,” Zelkowitz said. “It’s a good supplement to our training. It’s set up on a college campus, which is nice. There are a lot of trails around there. It’s a nice environment. They were able to meet kids from other teams and get perspectives from other coaches.”

Stuchul, a senior, led the Indians at the WPIAL Class 3A championships last season...