Why I never ran track

I wasn't the greatest student at my high school, but I was smart enough to not go out for the track team. And every time a day like Tuesday rolls around, I am sure it was the right choice.

More than a dozen track meets were held in weather - snow, rain, wind and cold - that I wouldn't want my dog to be in for long periods of time. Competing in weather such as yesterday's makes the competition a joke.

The wet weather made the jumping events dangerous, the soaked grounds affected throwing events, and even an all-weather track won't help your time in the runs when wind and snow are blowing in your face. Last week, an athlete competing in bad weather went to the hospital because he missed the landing area on a jump and suffered a concussion. It's surprising there haven't been more injuries.

If the weather doesn't matter, why not make the outdoor season year-round? Sound silly? Well, Tuesday's meets were held under the same type of weather conditions that existed for most of January.

Schools do a disservice to the sport and its athletes when it's allowed to be held under these weather conditions. Softball and baseball don't play games in this type of weather. Track events should not have to, either.

Joe Tuscano

Offers roll in for Wilkins

With Canon-McMillan's Mike Hull committed to Penn State, Trinity's Ken Wilkins figures to be the most heavily recruited high school football player in Washington County in the Class of 2010.

While Wilkins does not have the national profile of Hull, rated the nation's No. 43 in the upcoming class by Scout.com, the defensive end/outside linebacker and cousin of former Washington High School standout Travis Thomas is stockpiling offers.

Four more official offers came in this week for Wilkins, an AP Pennsylvania All-State Class AAA first-team defensive lineman as a junior. Wisconsin, Maryland, North Carolin and Akron joined a long list which also includes North Carolina State, Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia, Pitt, Cincinnati, Temple, Ohio, Illinois, Rutgers, Minnesota, Michigan State and Purdue.

RIP Don Harbison

The Fort Cherry community no doubt was saddened to hear about the loss of Don Harbison, a standout two-sport athlete who died Saturday morning when the SUV he was driving hit a house in Robinson Township.

Harbison, 25, lived in Midway.

A 2001 graduate of Fort Cherry, Harbison was a dominant two-way lineman on very good football teams at Fort Cherry. As a senior, Harbison was named to the Associated Press Small School All-State football team as a first-team selection. He also earned mention to the Observer-Reporter All-District basketball team.

Harbison went on to Slippery Rock, where he played football.

APB, Where are they now?

After an unsuccessful search for former Peters Township and Major League Baseball baseball player Brian Simmons, the Varsity Letters issues another All Points Bulletin for former Canon-McMillan softball pitcher Becca Petras.

Name the pitching record at Canon-McMillan and Petras owns it.

During her day, the Big Macs were among the best teams in WPIAL Class AAAA as Petras struck out 695 with a 0.75 ERA. As a junior, Petras led the WPIAL in strikeouts during the regular season.

Anyone knowing Petras' whereabouts is urged to contact the Varsity Letters.

Center-Monaca merger

MONACA (AP) — A merged school district in western Pennsylvania now has a mascot and official colors for its sports teams.
Teams at the Central Valley School District in Beaver County will be known as the Warriors and will wear navy and Carolina blue on their uniforms.
The former Center Area and Monaca school districts are officially merging July 1. The district settled on its new name in February, and a 48-member student committee picked the mascot name and colors on Tuesday.
Center Areas sports teams have been known as the Trojans while Monaca’s teams are called the Indians.
The districts elementary schools will combine this fall, while the middle and high schools will operate separately before combining in the fall of 2010.

Local duo earn all-state honors

Peters Township senior Emily Correal and Washington High School senior Jocelyn Floyd earned selections to the Associated Press Pennsylvania girls all-state high school basketball teams on Tuesday.

Correal, a three-time Observer-Reporter Girls Player of the Year, made the Class AAAA first team. She scored 1,808 career points to go with more than 1,200 rebounds and 300 blocks. Correal, a William & Mary recruit, was a third-team all-state selection as a junior.

In only two years at Washington, Floyd established herself as one of the school's great basketball players and she was named to the Class AA second team.

A Duquesne University recruit, Floyd led all local players in scoring (20.8 ppg) and she nearly averaged a triple-double (points, rebounds, steals) on the year.

Wilson to Seton Hill

Washington High School junior basketball player Troy Wilson made an oral commitment Monday night to Seton Hill University, a Division II school located in Greensburg.

Wilson, a 6-4 forward/guard, averaged 13.7 points and was the leading rebounder for the Prexies, who finished 25-4 and advanced to the PIAA Class AA semifinals. Wilson was recently selected to the Observer-Reporter's All-District Small School first team.

Wilson received a full scholarship and selected Seton Hill over Akron, Buffalo, Wright State, Gannon and Fairmont State.

Seton Hill, coached by Tony Morocco, competes in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Griffins completed their inaugural season as a full-fledged Division II program with an 11-17 record. Among Seton Hill's players is former Ringgold player Kellen Holmes.

Putting on the foil, er, Leaf

On Tuesday the Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Christian Hanson to a two-year, entry-level contract. Hanson helped the Peters Township hockey team win the 2002 Penguins Cup and state championship. He spent the last four years playing at Notre Dame.

Hanson, a Venetia native, might be more famous for his father, Dave, who formed part of the trio of Hanson brothers from the "Slap Shot" movies.

This season, Hanson posted career numbers of 16 goals and 15 assists in 37 games with the Irish.

Trio make all-state

Three area players earned spots on the Associated Press Pennsylvania boys all-state high school basketball teams, which were released Monday afternoon.

Nick Wilcox, the Observer-Reporter Boys Player of the Year, made Class AAAA third team and became the first local player to make the all-state team in the largest classification in over a decade. Wilcox, a senior, was also honored as an all-state soccer selection.

Nick Bryant, the leading scorer on Wash High's PIAA Class AA semifinal team, was a Class AA second-team selection and narrowly missed making the first team.

Mike Lamberti, the leading scorer and rebounder for South Fayette's WPIAL Class AA semifinal squad, was third team.