WPIAL Announces 2024 James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award Winners The 33rd year of the program saw 20 winners selected from a group of 146 nominees 4/17/2024 11:00:00 AM   Pittsburgh, Pa. –  The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) revealed the recipients of the 33rd annual WPIAL James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award on Wednesday, with 20 candidates (10 male, 10 female) selected from a group of 146 nominees.   The 146 nominees are the eighth-highest total since 2000, and the second most since 2015. The candidate pool consisted of 77 female and 69 male student-athletes from a total of 87 schools, with 15 schools submitting at least one nominee after not doing so last year.   Among the 2023-2024 group of applicants, 87.7 percent participated in multiple sports with 11.6 percent being four-sport student-athletes. The nominees played a total of 20 different sports, including baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, flag football, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, unified bocce, volleyball, and wrestling. Track & field, basketball, and soccer were the three sports with the highest participation among the nominees.   In the classroom, 47.2 percent of candidates were ranked inside the top 10 of their class among schools that rank, 30.7 percent of candidates slotted inside the top five, and 6.3 percent of candidates top their peers as the number one student.   The 20 winners are listed below, as well as an overview of each recipient’s varsity career. The full list of nominees is attached to this press release.   2024 WPIAL James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award Winners   Vasilios Balouris Pine-Richland   Lola Abraham Riverview James Brewer Greensburg Central Catholic   Marlo Cyanovich Montour Kai Carlson Avonworth   Addison Girdwood Mars Isaiah Clerkley Seneca Valley   Lindsey Greb Knoch Ryan Frank Mt. Lebanon   Amelia Hardiman Avonworth Drew Griffith Butler   Katelyn Jackovic South Park Logan Kushner North Allegheny   Emma Paul Armstrong Ryan Pajak Ringgold   Lihini Ranaweera Seneca Valley Matthew Sarnowski Penn-Trafford   Alayna Rocco North Catholic Charles Weber Indiana   Sydney Selker Freeport     Lola Abraham (Riverview) –  4.653 GPA … Won a total of 10 letters between basketball, soccer, and track & field … Captained all three teams she has played on, including three years as soccer captain … Led Riverview soccer to WPIAL and PIAA runner-up finishes as a senior … Garnered All-State and Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player of the Year honors in her senior soccer season … Owns school records in single-season goals (77) and career goals (176) for soccer, single-game steals (15) and single-season steals (124) in basketball, and in the 100-meter dash (12.3) and triple jump (35-07.50) for track & field … Selected to participate in the U15 and U16 United States Girls’ Youth National Team camps … Named a NHSCA Academic All-American in 2023 … Member of numerous organizations, including National Honor Society, Key Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.), Student Council, and History Club … Volunteered approximately 202.5 hours to community service programs, including Toys for Tots, Relay for Life, and Salvation Army Kettle Ring … Serves as Student Council treasurer and a two-year S.A.D.D. president … Spent three years as section leader of Riverview’s marching band … Plans to pursue a degree and play soccer at the University of Pittsburgh Vasilios Balouris (Pine-Richland) –  4.5 GPA … Won five letters between basketball and football … Captained both the basketball and football teams as a senior … Helped lead Pine-Richland football to WPIAL and PIAA championships as a junior, and two section titles … Bestowed two All-Conference nods in football and an All-Section designation in basketball … Selected to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Peer Team as a senior … Named a finalist for the National Merit Scholar and garnered AP Scholar with Honor plaudits … Member of Student Government and School Culture and Diversity Leadership Council … Given time to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Youth Association (GOYA), serving as outreach coordinator as a junior and vice president as a senior … Participated in CalcuSolve Mathematics and Shaler STEM competitions … Plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering   James Brewer (Greensburg Central Catholic) –  4.397 GPA … Won 11 letters between soccer, swimming & diving, track & field, and wrestling … Captained track & field twice and soccer as a senior … Won WPIAL gold as a sophomore in the 300-meter hurdles, and team titles in soccer as a freshman and track & field as a junior … Owns school records in the 110-meter high hurdles (15.48), 300-meter hurdles (40.32), and 4x400-meter relay (3:29.67) … Garnered All-America honors as a decathlete at the USATF and AAU Junior Olympic National Championship … Won the pole vault and set a record as a junior at the International Youth Track & Field Championship … Named a National Merit Commended Scholar and selected to Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth with High Honors … Member of numerous organizations, including Math League, National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and Spanish National Honor Society … Serves as Student Council class representative, percussion leader for the band, and an assistant coach for St. Sebastian School cross country … Plans to pursue a degree in engineering and computer science and compete as a decathlete at Carnegie Mellon University   Kai Carlson (Avonworth) –  4.52 GPA … Four-year letterwinner and two-year captain of the Avonworth boys’ golf team … Captured section medalist honors as a freshman and junior, and helped lead the team to back-to-back section team championships as a junior and senior … Finished runner-up as a sophomore at the PIAA Golf Individual Championships, and placed in the top 10 as a freshman … Became first golfer in school history to qualify for PIAA Championships three times … Set school records for single-season average score and rounds under par … Named Tri-State PGA Junior Golf Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023 … Received the Rensselaer Medal Award for outstanding student in math and science and is a two-year Global Scholar … Given his time to mission trips to Nicaragua with Agros International and Appalachia, West Virginia with More Grace Outreach … Serves as a teaching assistant for math, sound team technician at New Community Church, and counselor/leader at summer camps in Pennsylvania and Michigan … Participates in Jazz Band and Honors Band … Plans to pursue a degree in computer science, and has been accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University   Isaiah Clerkley (Seneca Valley) –  5.112 GPA … Four-year letterwinner and captain as a senior of the Seneca Valley swimming & diving team … Won back-to-back WPIAL gold medals in the 1-meter dive as a junior and senior, also claiming the PIAA title as a senior … Helped lead the team to WPIAL and PIAA team titles as a sophomore and back-to-back section titles … Earned NISCA All-America Diver accolades as a junior and senior … Owns 6-dive and 11-dive school and pool records at Seneca Valley, as well as pool records at Beaver, Bethel Park, Moon, and North Hills … Qualified for nationals twice in gymnastics and was the 2022 Pommel Horse State Champion … Collected the College Board African American National Recognition Award twice … Volunteered time to Cranberry Community United Presbyterian Church and Cranberry Township Adopt-A-Roadway … Served as group discussion leader of Black Male Initiative and recognition/publicity team member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team … Plans to pursue a degree in computer science and compete as a member of the Penn State University swimming & diving team Marlo Cyanovich (Montour) –  4.854 GPA … Multi-year letterwinner in track & field and soccer, and a freshman letterwinner in basketball … Captained the Montour track & field team as a junior and senior … Placed second in the WPIAL as a junior and fourth as a sophomore in the discus, also earning a fifth-place finish at the PIAA Championships as a junior … Owns the school record in discus (136-07.00) … Recognized as a National Cyber Scholar by Cyberstart and with Model UN Distinguished Delegate honors at the African Union as a junior … Founded and serves as president of Philsophy Club and Compost Club, and is a member of National Honor Society, French Club, Spanish Club, Poetry Club, and Black Student Union … Placed sixth at the State Poetry Out Loud competition as a senior and is a four-year champion at school … Created a cookie catering business worth over $15,000 … Volunteered her time to numerous organizations and causes, including Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Montour’s Charity Fall Festival, Brazilian Soccer Academy, and as a calculus and physics tutor … Has been accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State University, and the University of Pittsburgh   Ryan Frank (Mt. Lebanon) –  5.3 GPA … Four-year letterwinner for Mt. Lebanon swimming & diving, and a two-year captain … Captured WPIAL gold and PIAA bronze in the 100-yard breaststroke as a senior … Helped lead the team to a section championship as a junior … Collected All-State honors in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard medley relay … Garnered NISCA All-America accolades as a senior and U.S. Swimming Scholastic All-America as a junior … Met the national time standards for the U.S. Swimming Speedo Summer Championships and U.S. Swimming Winter Juniors Championships … Owns pool records at Mt. Lebanon in the 100-yard breaststroke and Bethel Park in the 200-yard medley relay … Member of Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Student Athlete Council, and LeboSTARS … Co-founded Violins for All and Start-Turn Clinic … Serves as Mt. Lebanon’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) president … Volunteered his time as co-chair for Swim for SHIM Food Drive and as a meet volunteer and swim instructor for Mt. Lebanon Aquatic Club … Participated in High School Orchestra and Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra … Plans to pursue a degree in business, and has been accepted to Carnegie Mellon University   Addison Girdwood (Mars) –  4.683 GPA … Four-year letterwinner for Mars girls’ soccer and a team captain as a senior … Helped lead the team to back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA championships as a freshman and sophomore, and four consecutive section crowns … Named to the All-Section and All-WPIAL teams as a junior and senior … Member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Enrichment Club, Future Women in Healthcare Club, Science National Honor Society, and Spanish National Honor Society … Attended pre-college programs at Brown University and Wake Forest University … Earned AP Scholar with Distinction honors as a junior and made Butler County Community College President’s List as a senior … Serves as president of National Honors Society and Enrichment Club, and vice president of Varsity Club … Volunteered her time to organizations and causes such as Linus Project, Harvest Street Mission, Friends Helping Friends, Inspired Hearts and Hands, and Mars Youth Soccer Camps … Plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering and medicine, and has been accepted to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Penn State University, Ohio State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Florida, and Clemson University   Lindsey Greb (Knoch) –  4.42 GPA … Four-year letterwinner for Knoch girls’ tennis and team captain as a senior … Won three consecutive WPIAL girls’ tennis doubles titles as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and helped lead the team to WPIAL team championships in 2020, 2022, and 2023 … Captured PIAA gold in doubles competition as a sophomore, and in the team tournament as a freshman and junior, and took bronze in doubles as a junior and senior … Received the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Citation for athletic achievement … Member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Spanish Club, and Class Cabinet … Serves as Student Council and Class Cabinet vice president, and leader of Fellowship of Christian Athletes … Earned a perfect score on assessment of civic knowledge as a junior … Volunteered her time to St. John Lutheran Church, Vacation Bible School, and as a chemistry tutor … Plans to pursue a degree in biology and pre-medicine and play tennis at Saint Francis University Drew Griffith (Butler) –  4.425 GPA … Collected nine letters between cross country, swimming & diving, and track & field … Captained the cross country team twice and track & field as a senior … Won back-to-back WPIAL cross country golds as a junior and senior, and WPIAL track & field titles in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs as a junior … Earned gold at the PIAA Cross Country Championships as a senior, and was part of two PIAA track & field team champions as a freshman and sophomore … Named Pennsylvania Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior … Captured national championships in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field … Owns numerous state and national high school records, including the Pennsylvania 5K (14:21) and indoor 1-mile (4:02.19), and national indoor 2-mile (8:34.91) … Member of National Honor Society, serving as treasurer as a junior and senior … Volunteered his time to Special Olympics and the School Backpack Program … Plans to pursue a degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering and compete for the cross country and track & field teams at the University of Notre Dame   Amelia Hardiman (Avonworth) –  4.52 GPA … Collected a total of 10 letters between cross country, swimming & diving, and track & field … Captained the Avonworth cross country team as a senior … Earned WPIAL gold in the 200-yard freestyle relay and PIAA gold in the 400-yard freestyle relay as a senior, and helped guide the team to the WPIAL team title as a freshman … Accumulated a total of 10 WPIAL and four PIAA individual medals over her swimming & diving career … Member of National Honor Society, French Club, Data Jam, Math League, Key Club, and Student Government … Earned AP Scholar with Distinction, Global Scholar, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Certificate of Merit honors as a senior … Served as class secretary as a sophomore, junior, and senior … Given her time as an assistant swimming coach, JAM Club assistant, and organizer of a fifth-grade math competition … Plans to pursue a degree in applied mathematics and compete as a member of the University of Rochester swimming & diving team   Katelyn Jackovic (South Park) –  3.95 GPA … Earned five letters between the swimming & diving and track & field teams … Captained the South Park swimming & diving team as a senior … Won WPIAL individual titles in the 100-yard butterfly as a junior, and the 50 and 100-yard freestyles as a freshman … Claimed PIAA silver medals in the 50-yard freestyle as a freshman and sophomore, and three bronze medals in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle … Collected a total of eight WPIAL and eight PIAA individual medals during her swimming & diving career … Owns school records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, and 400-yard freestyle relay … Member of National Honor Society, Interact Club, Mini Thon, Prom Committee, and Principal Advisory Committee … Serves as the National Honor Society service coordinator … Volunteered her time to Miracle League baseball and Reel Dream Catchers Fishing … Plans to pursue a degree in business with a focus on health care administration and compete as a member of the University of Cincinnati swimming & diving team   Logan Kushner (North Allegheny) –  4.26 GPA … Earned multiple letters for North Allegheny football and captained the team as a senior … Helped lead the team to back-to-back WPIAL championships as a junior and senior … Garnered All-State and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 honors as a senior, three All-Conference nods, and won the KDKA Radio Super 7 Award … Named a finalist for the Willie Thrower Award and was selected to play in the PSFCA East-West All-Star Game … Recorded 1,877 passing yards and 1,475 rushing yards a senior, becoming one of a select few players in school history to accomplish that feat … Member of National Honor Society, North Allegheny Gifted Program, and TigerThon … Served as spokesperson for North Allegheny’s football partnership with the American Cancer Society, and given his time to North Allegheny Youth Football Camps … Plans to pursue a degree in business and play football at Duquesne University   Ryan Pajak (Ringgold) –  3.6 GPA … Earned 10 letters between basketball, cross country, and track & field … Four-year captain of the Ringgold cross country and track & field teams … Captured WPIAL cross country championships as a sophomore, junior, and senior, becoming just the second boys’ cross country student-athlete to win three WPIAL individual titles … Claimed the PIAA cross country title as a senior, and took silver in the 3,200-meter run and bronze in the 1,600-meter run as a junior at the PIAA Track & Field Championships … Competed twice at the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships, finishing runner-up as a senior … Owns school records in the 800, 1,600, 3,200, and 5000-meter runs, and the PIAA cross country course record, and holds the fourth fastest time in the 3,200-meter run in Pennsylvania high school history … Member of National Honor Society, Youth and Law Team, Outdoor Adventure Club, and Ram Pound … Given his time to Toys for Tots, St. Thomas More Church, and Appalachian Youth Mission Trip … Plans to pursue a degree in accounting and compete for the cross country and track & field teams at the University of Notre Dame Emma Paul (Armstrong) –  4.28 GPA … Collected nine letters in three sports, earning four each in basketball and softball … Three-year captain of the Armstrong basketball team, and a captain of the softball team as a senior … Helped lead the softball team to a WPIAL title as a sophomore, three WPIAL runner-up finishes in softball and basketball, back-to-back PIAA runner-up efforts in 2021 and 2022, and four section championships … Collected All-State honors in softball three times, and was a four-year All-Section pick in basketball … Owns school records in basketball for single-game points, and career points and assists, and in softball for single-season doubles, runs scored, stolen bases, and walks … Member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Class Cabinet, Interact Club, Ski Club, and Yearbook … Serves as a treasurer of Class Cabinet, Interact Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Yearbook … Volunteered her time as a math tutor, Elementary Basketball Camp, Elementary Drugs Kills Dreams Program, and Elementary March Madness … Plans to pursue a degree in professional flight and play softball at Fairmont State University   Lihini Ranaweera (Seneca Valley) –  5.352 GPA … Four-year letterwinner for the Seneca Valley girls’ golf team, and a captain as a senior … Collected silver as a junior and bronze as a senior at the WPIAL Golf Individual Championships, and finished inside the top 15 both years at the PIAA level … Helped lead the team to a runner-up finish at the WPIAL Team Championships as a senior … Captured three consecutive section medalist honors as a freshman, sophomore, and junior, becoming the first girls’ golf student-athlete in school history to do so … Ranked inside the top 250 internationally in the Class of 2024 on Junior Golf Scoreboard … Currently serves as a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania’s Laboratory of Structural and Physiological Functional Imaging … Member of National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Student Council, Academic Games, Computer Science Club, and Women in Engineering Cyber Patriot Team … Volunteered at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament, Keeping Up with Kindness, and Cranberry Area Diversity Network … Plans to pursue a degree in computer science with a concentration in artificial intelligence, and has been accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, Case Western Reserve University, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State University, and Penn State University   Alayna Rocco (North Catholic) –  4.36 GPA … Four-year letterwinner for the North Catholic girls’ basketball team, and a captain as a senior … Helped lead the team section titles in each of her four varsity seasons and three consecutive WPIAL titles as a sophomore, junior, and senior … Named All-State and All-Section twice, and was the WPIAL 4A Player of the Year as a junior … Garnered Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 5 and KDKA Radio Super 7 honors as a junior … Member of Latin Club, Active Minds, SPARK Club, and Westinghouse’s “Introducing High School Girls to the Possibilities of a Career in Engineering” … Volunteered her time to St. Agnes’ Fish Fry and Christmas Overseas Soldier Care Boxes, at the Diocesan Basketball Championships as a concession worker, and a volunteer coach at the Little Trojans Basketball Camp … Plans to pursue a degree in likely actuarial science or economics and play basketball at Harvard University   Matthew Sarnowski (Penn-Trafford) –  4.549 GPA … Won six letters between football and track & field … Captained the Penn-Trafford track & field team twice and the football team as a senior … Won WPIAL and PIAA championships with the football team as a sophomore … Claimed a WPIAL silver and PIAA bronze medal in the discus at the PIAA Track & Field Championships as a junior … Garnered two All-Conference nods in football and was selected to play in the PSFCA East-West All-Star Game … Owns the school record in discus (175-04.00) … Member of National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Ski Club, and Environmental Club … Serves as the Student Union president and was class representative as a sophomore and junior … Started a fundraiser for the Trafford Playground Fund called “Throws for Trafford”, which asks people to donate one cent for each foot he throws throughout the track & field season … Given his time to Read Across America, Jeannette Food Pantry, Big Buddy Program, and Youth Football Camps … Plans to pursue a degree in chemical engineering and compete for the track & field team at Penn State University   Sydney Selker (Freeport) –  4.304 GPA … Lettered in each of her varsity seasons for the Freeport softball and volleyball teams … Captained the softball team twice and volleyball team as a senior … Helped lead the volleyball team to four section titles, back-to-back WPIAL championships as a sophomore and junior, also winning PIAA gold in the latter season … Garnered multiple All-WPIAL honors and an All-State nod in volleyball … Member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), Community Equity Advisory Group, Executive Student Council, and Prom Committee … Volunteered her time for Restore Freeport Park, Freeport Volleyball Elementary Camp, Freeport Library, and Freeport International Baseball Invitational … Led SAAC in working at a food bank, delivering Christmas cards to nursing homes, making blankets for Children’s Hospital, and speaking at the 2023 WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit … Plans to pursue a degree in marketing and play softball at the University of Akron   Charles Weber (Indiana) –  4.221 GPA … Multi-year letterwinner in cross country and track & field, and participated in golf for three seasons … Captained the Indiana cross country and track & field teams as a senior … Claimed the WPIAL track & field title in the pole vault as a junior and finished third as a sophomore and fourth as a freshman … Placed ninth in the pole vault as a junior at the PIAA Track & Field Championships … Qualified for the Nike Indoor Nationals as a senior … Member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Spirit Advisory Council, Youth Advisory Committee, and Green Bandana, and is a four-year Indiana High School Ambassador … Serves as the IHS Ambassador vice president and was the treasurer as a junior … Attended the Naval Academy Summer Seminar and Candidate Weekend as a junior, and was certified as a lifeguard as a sophomore … Given his time to numerous causes and events, including Turkey Trot, Parent Engagement Night, United Way, New Student Orientation, ICCAP Food Distribution/Packing, Salvation Army, and Love Basket of Indiana … Participated in symphonic band, wind ensemble, and jazz … Has been accepted at the United States Military Academy at West Point   The WPIAL Scholarship Fund was created to award scholarships annually to student-athletes from schools and school districts comprising Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) District VII. Since 1992, the league has given $718,000 in scholarships to the James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award recipients. About the WPIAL Founded in 1906, the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) represents Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) District VII, which is one of the 12 districts governed by the Constitution and By-Laws of the PIAA. The WPIAL represents its member schools by promoting academics, the safety of participants, sportsmanship, citizenship, and lifelong values as the foundation of interscholastic athletics. The league holds championships for 26 different sports, and its member schools are made up of 10 state counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland.  #WPIAL Article at:  https://wpial.org/news/2024/4/17/general-wpial-announces-2024-james-collins-scholar-athlete-award-winners.aspx ...

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