Murrysville Star notebook: DiFalco picks up WPIAL scholar-athlete honor

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, April 23, 2022 | 9:01 AM

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Anthony DiFalco’s goals aren’t just limited to the soccer field.

The Franklin Regional star also excels in the classroom.

The WPIAL announced winners of its James Collins Scholar-Athlete Awards and DiFalco was a recipient. Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

DiFalco was a three-time All-American, three-time All-Region and three-time all-state player. He scored a school-record 118 goals.

He won two WPIAL Class 3A titles, added a runner-up finish and made the PIAA semifinals twice.

DiFalco will continue his playing career at Duquesne.

Among the 20 senior winners (and 142 nominees) were Carter Green of Penn-Trafford, Maddie Griffin of Ligonier Valley, Gracie Spadaro of Southmoreland and Meghan Zambruno of Greensburg Central Catholic.

Fox Chapel’s Russell Fenton, who has relatives in the area, also was a winner.

Green, a former standout quarterback, is headed to Seton Hill for lacrosse.

Griffin will play softball at Youngstown State, Spadaro basketball at IUP and Zambruno golf at St. Francis (Pa.).

Right on track

The Franklin Regional track and field teams improved to 4-0 with a Section 5-3A sweep of Oakland Catholic. The boys won, 95-55, and the girls were victorious by a score of 80-70.

Nick Petrucci took second place in all three throwing events, while Nick Provenzo earned 15 points as he ran a leg of two winning relays and also won the 800-meter run.

For the girls, Alexandra Hartman competed in four events, including a runner-up finish competing in the high jump for the first time.

College scene

Checking in on Franklin Regional athletes competing at the college level:

Softball

• Point Park: Junior Angalee Beall was named the River States Confernce Pitcher of the Week. She went 3-0 for the Pioneers, pitching a pair of complete games and saw some brief work in relief. Beall only walked two over 15 innings. In a 6-3 win over Carlow, she gave up five hits and two earned runs and did not walk a batter.

Men’s track & field

• Westminster: Junior Ryan Beard was part of two first-place relays at the Westminster Invitational. He helped the 400-meter relay to a win in 43.19 seconds, and the 1,600-meter relay in 3 minutes, 27.84 seconds. Beard also pitched in to a 400 relay win at the Grove City Mini Meet (42.17). Then, at the Thiel College Invitational, he joined his 400 relay teammates for another victory, in 42.42 seconds.

Women’s lacrosse

• Gannon: Sophomore Kendra Delissio had a 9.98 goals-against average over 283 minutes this season.

Men’s golf

• Gannon: Junior Clayton Skoff shot a 76 to help lead the Golden Knights to a victory at the Gannon Spring Invitational at Whispering Woods Golf Club in Erie. Freshman teammate Michael Wareham added a 77 on the way to a team score of 303, 12 shots ahead of Humber. Skoff tied for third individually, while Wareham was seventh.

Wareham nearly won his next start, at the Mercyhurst Invitational.

He tied for second, and his second-round 71 not only tied a tournament low, but it also vaulted him 11 spots on the leaderboard. He posted 78-71 for a 148 total. Skoff tied for 19th.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional