Category: Sports

Penn State cruises to 5th consecutive team title at NCAA men’s wrestling championships

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink, right, takes on Iowa’s Mike Caliendo in their 165-pound match in the finals at the NCAA wrestling championship, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Mitchell Mesenbrink and Levi Haines each won their second individual championship on Saturday to help Penn State win its fifth consecutive team title at the NCAA men’s wrestling championships.

Penn State, which clinched the team title during the consolation matches earlier Saturday, finished with four national champions and a record 181.5 points, breaking its own mark of 177 set last year. The Nittany Lions have won 13 of the last 15 national championships.

Mesenbrink, the defending national champion and No. 1 seed, beat Mikey Caliendo by technical fall (20-4) in the third round to finish the season undefeated and win the 165-pound title. No. 1 seed Haines beat Nebraska’s Chris Minto 2-1 to take gold at 174 pounds and win his second national championship. Haines also beat the third-seeded Minto 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference finals.

Josh Barr beat Oklahoma State’s Cody Merrill 6-3 at 197 pounds and Luke Lilledahl took the 125-pound title with a 2-1 win over Princeton’s Marc-Anthony McGowan.

Oklahoma State was second with 131 points, including three national champions, and third-place Nebraska had 100.5.

Freshmen Sergio Vega, Landon Robideau and Jax Forrest won titles for Oklahoma State. Vega beat No. 1 seed Jesse Mendez of Ohio State 4-1 on a takedown in overtime to claim the title at 141 pounds. Vega, who was not taken down this season, became the first undefeated freshman national champion since Oklahoma A&M’s Dick Hutton in 1947. Mendez, a two-time NCAA champion, had his 31-match win streak (which dated to last season) snapped.

Robideau beat defending national champion Antrell Taylor of Nebraska 4-2 to take gold at 157 pounds. A visibly frustrated Taylor appeared to have thrown his ankle band at Robideau — who stalled in the third round — after the match. Taylor and Robideau were each awarded a point for stalling in the final three minutes.

Forrest, who trailed 1-0 at the end of the second round, beat Ohio State’s Ben Davino 5-2 for the 133-pound title.

Tenth-seeded Aden Valencia of Stanford beat top-seeded and previously unbeaten Shayne Van Ness 8-5 in overtime to win at 149 pounds and became the third individual national champion — and first freshman — in program history. Van Ness was the first of six finalists to compete for Penn State.

North Carolina State’s Isaac Trumble beat Yonger Bastida of Iowa State 5-0 to win the 285-pound title and his first national championship.

Max McEnelly of Minnesota beat previously undefeated Rocco Welsh of Penn State 4-3 for the crown at 184 pounds.

Pirates reassign heralded prospect Konnor Griffin to minor league camp

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin drops his bat after hitting a two-run double off New York Yankees pitcher Jake Bird during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game Monday, March 9, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates debut for highly touted 19-year-old prospect Konnor Griffin will have to wait.

Griffin was reassigned to minor league camp on Saturday after the shortstop spent the last few weeks showcasing the skills that have made him baseball’s No. 1 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

Manager Don Kelly called the decision to leave Griffin off the season-opening roster “extremely difficult.”

“The talent that you see, I think he handled himself really well professionally,” Kelly told reporters. “We talk about the maturity level as a 19-year-old in big league camp. Really excited about him being a Pirate and what that means for the future of Konnor Griffin and the Pirates.”

Griffin homered four times and had nine RBIs in 16 Grapefruit League games, but he batted just .171 and struck out 13 times in 41 at-bats. After Griffin garnered so much attention this spring because of his status as one of the game’s top prospects, Kelly believed a return to the minors could allow the infielder to reassert himself.

“I think you see a young kid that was maybe pressing just a little bit and trying really hard,” Kelly said. “Konnor Griffin the person is elite. Allowing him to go and get back to basics and being Konnor Griffin out there (could help). We know there’s an elite talent level that comes with him. Just looking forward to him being in Pittsburgh whenever that time comes.”

Sewickley Academy wins the 2026 Class 2A PIAA boys high school basketball state championship

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Dan Rainville, USA TODAY Network, Caption for Photo: Sewickley Academy team members celebrate after winning the PIAA Class 2A Boys Basketball Championship against Old Forge at the Giant Center in Hershey on March 20, 2026. The Panthers defeated the Blue Devils 52-36.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Hershey, PA) Sewickley Academy’s boys high school basketball team won the 2026 Class 2A PIAA state championship game by defeating Old Forge 52-36 at Giant Center in Hershey on Friday. This state championship game for Sewickley Academy was a year since they lost to Linville Hill Christian Academy by one point. The Panthers got their revenge on a different team this year to win their fourth state title in program history. Sophomore forward Mamadou Kane, who missed the final shot of last year’s title game, redeemed himself to lead all Sewickley Academy scorers with fifteen points. The Panthers only lost one game this season and that loss was to Roselle Catholic, a team from New Jersey. The Roselle Catholic Lions defeated the Panthers 54-53 in overtime in Sewickley on February 9th, 2026.

Hurricanes score 3 times on the power play in a 5-1 win over the Penguins

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Bryan Rust (17) is defended by Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal (11) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored on a power play and assisted on two other man-advantage goals as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Sunday.

Sebastian Aho and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored on power plays for the Hurricanes, who beat the league’s best penalty kill team for three goals.

Aho, who scored his 25th goal of the season, became the first player in Hurricanes or Hartford Whalers history with eight 25-goal seasons.

Jalen Chatfield and Mark Jankowski also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won seven of their last 10 games. Carolina has points in 24 of its last 29 games. Frederik Andersen made 18 saves for his fifth straight win. He’s 6-1 in his last seven starts.

Jarvis has a goal and six points in his last three games. Ehlers has six goals and 14 points in his last 11 games.

Egor Chinakhov scored his 16th goal for the Penguins, tying a career high. Bryan Rust assisted on the goal and has for a career-high seven-game point streak. Stuart Skinner stopped 21 shots for the Penguins, who have two regulation losses in their last nine games. Pittsburgh has points in 21 of its last 26 games overall.

Pittsburgh and Carolina played for the third time in 13 days. Carolina won the other two games, a 5-4 shootout and 6-5 overtime victory.

The Hurricanes have power-play goals in their last three games. It’s the second time Carolina scored at least three power-play goals in a game after going 4 for 5 in a home game against Florida on Jan. 16.

Aho scored on a power play 47 seconds into the game. His point shot hit Connor Dewar’s stick, went between Jordan Staal’s legs and past Skinner. Ehlers scored Carolina’s second power-play goal at 6:24 of the second. Chatfield gave Carolina a 3-0 lead at 9:15 of the second when his point shot deflected off Chinakhov’s stick and past Skinner.

Jarvis one-timed a pass from Ehlers at the top of the crease for his power-play goal at 17:20 of the second.

Up next

Hurricanes: At Montreal on Tuesday.

Penguins: Host Colorado on Tuesday.

 

Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell score in shootout to lead Penguins over Jets, 5-4

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell gets the puck past Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) for a goal during the first period in an NHL game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored in a shootout and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 on Saturday.

Pittsburgh, which is jockeying for playoff positioning, earned an extra point in the shootout for the second time this season. The Penguins have points in seven of their last eight games and 21 of their last 25.

Arturs Silovs, who made 21 saves, stopped Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist in the shootout.

Erik Karlsson scored two goals and has five in his last three games. Karlsson, who has four straight multi-point games, now has seven goals and 19 points in his last 12 games.

Egor Chinakhov earned his 100th NHL point with a goal and Rakell scored to continue a career-best eight-game point streak.

Parker Wotherspoon had two assists, while Bryan Rust, playing in his 700th NHL game, continued a six-game point streak with an assist.

Cole Koepke scored a short-handed goal, while Morgan Barron also scored for the Jets.

Brad Lambert had a goal and an assist, while Neal Pionk scored in his return after missing the last 23 games because of injury.

Connor Hellebuyck, making his 11th start in 12 games, had 26 saves for the Jets, who have lost three straight and five of their last seven games.

Chinakhov and Rakell scored in the first 2:02 of the game for Pittsburgh, but the Jets tied the game at 6:10 of the second period thanks to Koepke’s goal.

Pittsburgh has given up 11 short-handed goals, second-most in the league. The Penguins have allowed short-handed goals in back-to-back games and four this month.

The Jets trailed 3-2 entering the third period, but Pionk tied the game at 4:04 with a shot from the point. Lambert beat Silovs at 8:36 from a distance off the rush. Karlsson forced overtime when he beat Hellebuyck with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.

Up next

Jets: Visit the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Penguins: Host Carolina on Sunday.

 

Pitt senior and women’s college volleyball star Olivia Babcock named top finalist for 2026 AAU Sullivan Award

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Pitt Volleyball, Posted on Facebook on February 24th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pitt senior and women’s college volleyball star Olivia Babcock was named a top finalist for the 2026 AAU Sullivan Award yesterday morning. The Amateur Athletic Association announced that she is in contention for the honor, which recognizes the most outstanding collegiate or Olympic athlete in the United States of America. Babcock is also twenty years old, which makes her one of the two youngest finalists in this year’s class. Her resume includes earning AVCA National Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025. She also received the CWSA Honda Award during her tenure at Pitt. Babcock will travel to New York City for the award festivities and ceremony scheduled for April 6th and 7th.

Penn State women’s hockey team advances to the 2026 Frozen Four for the first time ever in the women’s college hockey tournament

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – The Nittany Lion logo taken before an NCAA college football game between Penn State and Delaware, Sept. 9, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News 

(State College, PA) The Penn State women’s hockey team will compete in the Frozen Four on their home ice for the first time in their team’s history. The Frozen Four is the final four of both the men’s college hockey and women’s college hockey tournaments. Penn State will host Wisconsin tonight at Pegula Ice Arena, and a win will put them in the National Championship on Sunday.   

Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes selected as 2026 Opening Day starting pitcher for the Pirates

Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Posted on March 19th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates named 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes as their starting pitcher when they begin their 2026 season playing against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Queens, New York on Thursday. Skenes was the National League’s starter for the 2024 and 2025 MLB All-Star Games and became the first pitcher to start consecutive MLB All-Star Games since Max Scherzer when he played for the Washington Nationals and Chris Sale when he played for the Boston Red Sox in 2017 and 2018. Skenes was also the Opening Day starter for the Pirates last year against the Miami Marlins when the teams played at loanDepot Park in Miami on March 27th, 2025. The Pirates lost 5-4 even though Skenes pitched 5 1/3 innings while only giving up two runs and earning seven strikeouts.

29-1 Sewickley Academy and 22-6 Old Forge will play in the 2026 Class 2A PIAA boys high school basketball championship game

(File Photo of the Basketball Broadcast Schedule Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Hershey, PA) Sewickley’s boys high school basketball team advanced to the Class 2A PIAA championship and will take on the 22-6 Old Forge Blue Devils tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Giant Center in Hershey. The Panthers blew out Mercyhurst Prep 64-39 in their boys class 2A semifinal win on Tuesday night in Sharon to advance to this championship game. The Panthers are 29-1, and their only loss was to Roselle Catholic, a team from New Jersey. The Roselle Catholic Lions defeated the Panthers 54-53 in overtime in Sewickley on February 9th, 2026.

The PicksBURGH Draft Day 5K race will be held during the weekend events on the North Shore during the 2026 NFL Draft

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of P3R)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) P3R announced yesterday that the PicksBURGH Draft Day 5K will be held on Saturday, April 25th, starting at 8 a.m. near PNC Park and finishing near Point State Park. The race is expected to give people a chance to run or walk the course while “soaking in the excitement surrounding one of Pittsburgh’s biggest sporting events ever.” This race will be part of the weekend events on the North Shore during the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held from April 23rd-25th.