Top Somerset County basketball, rifle, swimming and wrestling performers for Dec. 18-22
Athlete of the Week
Conemaugh Township rifle team member Brooke Szala was selected Daily American Somerset County Female Athlete of the Week, while Szala's teammate Noah Lehman was voted Male Athlete of the Week for their efforts Dec. 11-16.
Szala shot a personal best 263 to help Conemaugh Township to a narrow win over Portage.
Meanwhile, in two triumphs, including the aforementioned victory over Portage, Lehman shot a 278 and a 272 in another win.
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Friday
Girls basketball
Windber 55, North Star 21: Mariah Andrews netted 14 points to lead the Ramblers over the Cougars.
Maggie Manippo added 12 points for Windber.
Abby Barnick paced North Star with 11 points.
Portage 52, Conemaugh Township 31: Jenna Brenneman produced a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds for Conemaugh Township in a Heritage Conference setback.
Katie Wiley grabbed 11 rebounds for Conemaugh Township.
Rockwood 50, Meyersdale 32: Mollie Wheatley delivered a game-high 31 points to lift the Rockets over the Red Raiders.
Laurel Daniels scored eight points and Maci Moore pulled down 12 rebounds for Meyersdale.
Westmont Hilltop 67, Somerset 27: Reagan Holmes recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Golden Eagles in a setback to the Hilltoppers.
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Thursday
Boys basketball
Conemaugh Township 71, Portage 60: Colin Dinyar poured in a game-high 35 points to lead Conemaugh Township past Portage.
Jon Updyke provided 25 points and 14 rebounds for Conemaugh Township.
Ferndale 64, Turkeyfoot Valley 59: Bryce Nicholson contributed 21 points and eight steals for the Rams in a WestPAC setback to the Yellow Jackets.
Ely Walker added 10 points for Turkeyfoot.
Meyersdale 58, Rockwood 38: Spencer Whitfield recorded 19 points for the Red Raiders in a commanding win over the Rockets.
Landon Ludy scored 11 points for Meyersdale.
Riley Fazenbaker tallied 14 points and Zander Ritenour added 10 for Rockwood.
Windber 67, North Star 52: Grady Klosky provided 19 points for the Ramblers in a convincing victory over the Cougars.
Tanner Barkley (15), Evan Brad (12), Braeden Preuss (10) and Logan Serenko (10) all scored in double figures for Windber.
Andy Retassie led North Star with 17 points. Ethan Smith contributed 13 points and Brady Weimer added 11.
Westmont Hilltop 72, Somerset 28: Caleb Platt tallied 13 points and Aiden Roby added 11 for the Golden Eagles in a setback to the Hilltoppers.
Girls basketball
Berlin Brothersvalley 57, Fort Hill 40: Coral Prosser scored 19 points as the Mountaineers earned a non-conference victory.
Regan Lauer netted 12 points and Taylor Hillegass added 10 for Berlin.
Rifle
Everett 1,400, Berlin Brothersvalley 1,244: Sami Hayman (263) and Lukas Coughenour (249) each shot a personal best for the Mountaineers in a setback to the Warriors.
North Star 1,278, Meyersdale 1,270: Cody Snoeberger (268), Hayden Kobuck (262) and Aidan Barnick (260) were the top three shooters for the Cougars in a narrow victory over the Red Raiders.
Emilee Stewart shot a 264 for Meyersdale.
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Wednesday
Boys basketball
Berlin Brothersvalley 75, Fort Hill 65 (OT): Craig Jarvis and Pace Prosser each netted 30 points to lead the Mountaineers to a non-conference triumph in overtime.
Shanksville-Stonycreek 64, Northern Bedford County 27: Michael Kipp delivered 25 points to vault the Vikings over the Black Panthers.
Christian Musser contributed 21 points for Shanksville.
Windber 63, Bedford 39: Grady Klosky poured in 20 points to go along with eight rebounds as the Ramblers upended the Bisons.
Evan Brady scored 17 points, while Tanner Barkley added 14 points and seven rebounds for Windber.
Bishop Carroll 73, Meyersdale 35: Spencer Whitfield netted 11 points for the Red Raiders in a non-conference setback to the Huskies.
Girls basketball
Conemaugh Township 43, Conemaugh Valley 37: Jenna Brenneman tallied 11 points and nine rebounds for Conemaugh Township in a Heritage Conference victory over Conemaugh Valley.
Ava Byer scored a game-high 13 points for Conemaugh Township.
Turkeyfoot Valley 55, Mapletown 38: Shyanne Schur racked up 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Rams to a non-conference win.
Maleigha Younkin provided 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Kiley Mitchell added 16 points for Turkeyfoot.
Rifle
Forest Hills 1,262, Conemaugh Township 1,253: Noah Lehman shot a 269 for Conemaugh Township in a setback to Forest Hills.
Christopher Yoder shot a personal best 246 for Conemaugh Township.
Swimming
Somerset sweeps Westmont Hilltop: The Golden Eagle boys bested the Hilltoppers 97-46, while the girls earned a 94-75 victory.
Wesley Richard won the 200 and 500 freestyle and was on the winning 200 and 400 free relays. Emert Rugg won the 50 freestyle and was on the winning 200 medley and 200 free relay. Dean Clark won the 100 fly and was on the 200 medley and 200 free relay. Michael Kovatich won the 100 free and was on the winning 200 and 400 free relays.
Lydia Sheeler won the 200 and 500 freestyle and was on the winning 400 free relay. Hope Miller won the 100 backstroke and was on the winning 400 free relay.
Wrestling
Conemaugh Township 60, Cambria Heights 18: Nathan Dail, Colten Huffman, Carter Christ and Julian Thorne each picked up a fall for Conemaugh Township in a commanding win over Cambria Heights.
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Tuesday
Boys basketball
Conemaugh Township 70, Conemaugh Valley 65: Jon Updyke poured in a game-high 29 points to go along with 10 rebounds for Conemaugh Township in a narrow triumph.
Colin Dinyar tallied 17 points and Ethan Matera added 14 for Conemaugh Township.
Salisbury-Elk Lick 67, Hyndman 19: Lance Jones delivered 21 points to lead the Elks over the Hornets.
Drake Sellers scored 16 points and Brady Rugg added 11 for Salisbury.
Shanksville-Stonycreek 50, Ferndale 37: Christian Musser racked up 24 points for the Vikings in a WestPAC win over the Yellow Jackets.
Girls basketball
Berlin Brothersvalley 71, Juniata Valley 42: Coral Prosser delivered 25 points, including four 3-pointers to lead the Mountaineers over the Hornets.
Mercy Sechler contributed 15 points for Berlin.
Bishop McCort 76, Windber 43: Kaylie Gaye provided 13 points and Mariah Andrews added 12 for the Ramblers in a non-conference setback.
Angel James grabbed eight rebounds for Windber.
Rifle
Berlin Brothersvalley 1,236, Conemaugh Township 1,233: Levi Whipkey shot a 265 for the Mountaineers in a narrow victory.
Jacob Pelar fired a 254 for Berlin.
Noah Lehman led Conemaugh Township with a 272.
Athlete of the Week polls Vote for the Daily American Somerset County Athlete of the Week for Dec. 11-16
Wrestling
Berlin Brothersvalley 33, North Star 24: Lukas Smith, Grant Fisher and Trace Hay picked up falls for the Mountaineers in a victory over the Cougars.
Berlin's Zane Paxton won by an 8-2 decision, while Devin McCauley won 8-6.
Jesse Samler earned a fall and Braden Livingston won by an 8-4 decision for North Star.
Somerset 48, Central Cambria 20: Logan Baker, Rowan Holmes and Sam Sheeler picked up falls for the Golden Eagles in a win over the Red Devils.
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Monday
Zambanini hired as head baseball coach in Texas
Former Conemaugh Township athlete Arek Zambanini has been hired as the Lyndon B. Johnson High School baseball coach in Laredo, Texas.
Zambanini is a 2003 Conemaugh Township graduate. He attended Indiana University (Pa.), Allegany College of Maryland, and Texas A&M International University.
In 2009, Zambanini became an assistant baseball coach at Texas A&M International University, and from 2011 to 2021, he coached the TAMIU softball team as the associate head coach.
Fall Heritage Conference selections
Conemaugh Township's Jon Updyke and Sam Shaffer (football), Ashlyn Fetterman, Izzy Slezak, Briar Berkey and Jordyn Snyder (girls soccer), Dylan Giffin, Jackson Sotosky, Max Malicki and Colton Lehman (boys soccer), and Alison Matera and Ava Byer (volleyball) each earned all-Heritage Conference selections for the fall sports season.
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Boys basketball
Berlin Brothersvalley 96, Juniata Valley 58: Senior Craig Jarvis poured in a whopping 61 points, setting a new single-game Berlin record in the process, as the Mountaineers toppled the Hornets.
The previous mark was set by Jarvis's cousin, Travis Eisentrout, who scored 57 points on Feb. 9, 2001.
Jarvis also made 11 3-pointers, which tied a single-game Berlin record.
"He was locked in and had an amazing night," said Berlin coach Tanner Prosser of Jarvis. "He works so hard on his game and has the ability to score in bunches at any time. It was great to watch him put it all together tonight, and also great to watch the excitement his teammates had for him."
Pace Prosser added 23 points for Berlin.
North Star 49, McConnellsburg 43: Brady Weimer recorded 18 points, including four 3-points to propel the Cougars over the Spartans.
Andy Retassie tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Ethan Smith grabbed 10 rebounds and scored 7 points for North Star.
Girls basketball
North Star 37, McConnellsburg 32: Abby Barnick delivered a game-high 25 points as the Cougars edged the Spartans.
Rifle
Meyersdale 1,265, Northern Cambria 1,240: Tiani Christner shot a personal best 260 to lead the Red Raiders past the Colts.
Kyle Smith shot a 259 for Meyersdale.
North Star 1,293, Shanksville-Stonycreek 1,068: Cody Snoeberger shot a 274 and Hayden Kobuck tallied a 267 to guide the Cougars past the Vikings.
Maggie Weaver led Shanksville with a 235.
Portage 1,261, Rockwood 858: The Rockets were bested by the Mustangs.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County top winter sports performers for Dec. 18-22
