The Bethel Park School District has announced several key administrative appointments for the 2025-26 school year reflecting its commitment to strong leadership and continued educational excellence.Mr Joseph Villani has been named assistant superintendent for secondary education Villani has served as principal of Bethel Park High School for the past five years where he has been credited with driving academic growth the high school was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S Department of Education.Villani will oversee the district’s educational program for grades six through 12 in his new role who continues as assistant superintendent for elementary education and is responsible for kindergarten through fifth grade.Mrs who has spent the past three years leading Independence Middle School will succeed Villani as principal of Bethel Park High School Known for her student-centered approach and instructional leadership Sutton has also overseen the $55 million IMS renovation project She previously held administrative roles in the Southmoreland and Greensburg Salem school districts.Mr currently the assistant principal at the high school has been appointed the principal of Independence Middle School a former special education teacher at the high school is widely respected for his dedication to supporting all learners His new role comes as IMS prepares to add sixth-grade students to the building beginning in 2026.Looking ahead to the 2026-27 school year, Mrs Lisa Miracle-Volpe has been selected as the inaugural principal of the new Bethel Park Elementary School Miracle-Volpe has led Neil Armstrong Middle School for the past year and a half and previously served as principal of Francis McClure Elementary School in the McKeesport Area School District.“We are excited to recognize and promote these outstanding leaders from within our system,” said Superintendent Dr “Each of these administrators brings a wealth of leadership experience and a strong commitment to student success we move closer to our quest to become a best-in-class district.” TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need Editor’s note: Bethel Park Journal is only profiling candidates in contested municipal and school board primary elections Seven hopefuls are in the race for Bethel Park School Board and all are cross-filed on the ballot: incumbents Buffie Faes Sharon Janosik are challenged by the slate of newcomers Karleen Bileck Here are the candidates and their answers to the questions posed by TribLive Political affiliation: Cross-filed as Democrat and Republican What is the biggest issue facing the school district There are several uncertainties currently facing all public schools the evolving landscape of education presents potential changes to our federal funding with the Common Level Ratio dropping by over 20 percentage points and rising costs we are left to navigate how to balance our books moving forward we must consider the broader financial impact on our community — specifically whether we can continue to fund the programs that Bethel Park students and families have come to know While many of these uncertainties remain to be addressed I believe we are well-positioned to tackle the financial challenges organizational communication and leadership Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center Balancing fiscal realities with the needs of all students is the biggest challenge for not only our district but all public schools Local school boards do not control school funding mechanisms at the local from the reductions in assessed property values to threats of changing funding structures or withdrawal of funds By focusing on student achievement and outcomes which includes addressing the needs of every learner so they can benefit from our educational offerings we have been able to systematically plan for bringing our facilities curriculum and instructional practices up to modern expectations Public schools are for all children — no matter who they are what they believe or where they come from — and all of them deserve to learn in safe encouraging and supportive schools so they can thrive Significant challenges include student mental health and well-being financial pressures to meet rising education costs and the changes happening at the federal level in the Department of Education The potential and unclear changes that will filter down from the federal Department of Education must be considered as we move forward in 2025 The Department of Education changes could potentially alter funding structures and policy oversight These potential changes would necessitate strategic planning by the district to navigate a changing landscape this will be a challenge nationwide and here for local districts Note: The following candidates are running as a slate and chose to issue a combined answer Political affiliation: Cross-filed as Republican and Democrat London; master of education in math and science curriculum K-8 Occupation: Elementary school teacher in a neighboring district Education: Computer programming and business management Education: Registered nurse CCAC; bachelor of science in nursing Occupation: Occupational health nurse administrator Education: Act 120 Municipal Police Academy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Bethel Park schools are addressing significant challenges that require both prompt responses and careful long-term planning Facilities and transportation: We will refine plans for the new elementary school and Independence Middle School renovations while prioritizing a safe learning environment and pursuing solutions to the bus driver shortage Academic recovery and enhancement: We will develop programs to close learning gaps from covid-19 While Core Knowledge Language Arts has improved reading scores we’ll focus on boosting math proficiency Expanding STEM opportunities will ensure a well-rounded curriculum Communication Improvements: We will share concise board meeting summaries and utilize ParentSquare to keep families informed Teacher Support: We will invest in professional development and maintain a positive Open municipal positions only have two contested races: the Ward 1 Democrat Council race has current council vice president Joseph Consolmango facing newcomer Diane Ford for one open spot on the November ballot Ward 5 also has a contested Democrat council race with incumbent Joe Janosik and newcomer Lori Walsh seeking their party’s nomination Jack Allen (R) and Jon Lloyd (D) are running unopposed in the primary for their respective parties Education: Bachelor of science degree in business Occupation: Full-time Bethel Park councilman since retiring with 45 years of management in the food services industry What is the biggest issue facing Bethel Park The biggest issue facing all residents of Bethel Park today is balancing improving the quality of life for our residents and keeping our community safe without increasing municipal taxes We need to continually improve our services and upgrade our facilities The Bethel Park Industrial Park is a tremendous asset for us and keeps our low tax rate Education: Master’s in organization leadership; bachelor’s in business administration; associate degree in paralegal studies Occupation: Executive director of Melting Pot Ministries The lack of resources for those facing housing child care and transportation insecurities The working people are not aware or do not have access to these basic foundational resources that will support their efforts to become sustainable The senior citizens do not have access to affordable assistance for basic home care transportation and property maintenance that will keep them safe and secure in their homes long-term There are no free or affordable programs in the municipality for children to participate in recreational activities offered we can rebuild a sense of community and expose all community members to opportunities that could positively change the trajectory of their lives No Republican candidate is listed by the Allegheny County Elections Division for Ward 1 Republican John Oakes is unopposed in the primary No Democratic candidate is listed by the Allegheny County Elections Division Education: Bethel Park High School class of 1988; West Virginia University class of 1993 bachelor of science in business administration with a focus on human resource management relationship manager for the Bank of New York Mellon for more than 20 years facilitating the largest and most complex financial transactions in the world Services to maintain our community and the costs to have a full-time staff to take care of all the services we provide our residents have all become more expensive over time Our municipal authority sewage plant needs upgrades that also won’t be cheap The second-biggest issue facing our community is the pressure rising costs have on our citizens we need to be mindful that raising taxes isn’t always the answer I have always given careful consideration to all expenses because my family knows what it’s like to struggle and I know firsthand that any additional expenses only add to a family’s burden We have been working to streamline things and create additional savings wherever we can but there is more work to do on behalf of the people who live and work in Bethel Park Education: Bethel Park High School class of 2000; bachelor of arts in communication Robert Morris University; bachelor of science in operations management Bellevue University; master’s in project management Occupation: Senior manager of WFP operations support Verizon; employed by the corporation in many different roles since 2005 Improved communication and transparency from our elected leaders or access the municipality website for meeting agenda of council actions everything is at a very high level with summary statements; little to no explanation with the reasoning or analysis behind these actions I believe we can help gain a better understanding about what is happening in our community and communicate more effectively to our residents so they can act appropriately I would make common-sense communication of issues so that all residents understand Jillian Kautzman (D) and Kevin Sheahen (R) are running unopposed in the primary for their respective parties Galloni (R) and Ramona Stanley (D) are running unopposed in the primary for their respective parties Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service financial challenges at Bethel Park Elementary prompted the mayor’s office to outline options for its future — including a partnership with neighboring charter school Victory College Prep The school’s board didn’t want to do that at the time according to the school’s former principal the school worked to respond to concerns from Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Office of Education Innovation OEI still has concerns about Bethel Park’s financial standing and could revoke the school’s charter next month a move that could lead the school to close But the school says it’s shown OEI that its fiscal health is on the mend And it turns out that there’s another big change in the works: Victory College Prep is in the process of buying Bethel Park’s building All that has thrown the fate of Bethel Park — which enrolls about 225 students whose futures hang on OEI’s mid-February decision — into doubt And some believe the chain of events represents an unwelcome attempt to force the school to merge with a nearby competitor “It does sort of feel like a conclusion has already been made,” said former Bethel Park principal Jennica Adkins who said there was pressure from OEI on Bethel Park to merge with Victory College Prep this school year “And there’s not a ton that we can do about that.” OEI acknowledged approaching Victory College Prep to “gauge their interest and ability to provide support” to Bethel Park Elementary “Charter school authorizers have a responsibility to work with schools to anticipate issues before they intensify to ensure stability for students and responsible stewardship of public dollars,” the office said in a statement last month in response to questions from Chalkbeat OEI also said Bethel Park has applied for charter renewal after “years of declining financial health and amid months of intensifying cash flow concerns.” “Quality authorizing practices encourage authorizers to exercise professional judgment and engage in efforts to problem solve when needed to ensure good outcomes for students,” OEI said in its statement said she is working hard to address the concerns from the mayor’s office while maintaining the school’s vision and community “I just want to maintain my school and do what I need to do,” Welch said Victory College Prep’s board of directors did not indicate whether it intends to take over Bethel Park although it stressed that Bethel Park’s fate is up to the school and OEI to decide The board said it wants students in the area to have access to high-quality education and that it was “open” to the idea of providing “partnership support” to Bethel Park “If our current resources and capacity can ease financial pressures that could threaten such access for students and families in our region we are compelled to take action,” Victory College Prep’s board said in a statement the mayor’s office gave Bethel Park a notice of noncompliance — the least urgent level in the authorizer’s performance improvement framework — over its 2021-22 ILEARN and IREAD scores and its attendance rate The school’s ILEARN scores were below those of students in nearby assigned schools or comparable schools The school’s IREAD pass rate of 62% and its attendance rate of 87.6% also did not meet the office’s performance standard Get everything you need to know about Indy's public schools in 3 minutes — sign up today By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. You may also receive occasional messages from sponsors the school received a notice of deficiency over its cash reserves and year-end deficits that the office escalated from “moderate” to “high” concern The school has ended in an operating deficit every year since fiscal 2022 according to audit reports the school submitted to the state The latest audit from last year expresses “substantial doubt” about the school’s ability to stay open the school had not met OEI’s requirements for keeping at least 45 days of cash reserve in order to meet financial obligations in the case of an emergency But school leaders say they’ve tried to address the authorizer’s concerns Bethel Park’s board called the authorizer’s’s escalating concerns “unwarranted” due to the school’s positive cash balance and said that “the school’s financial position is no longer at high risk.” Its first notice of deficiency from OEI was largely due to bookkeeping errors that have been addressed In the first few months of this school year the school spent less money and brought in more revenue than anticipated It believes it will build up 40 to 45 days of cash reserves by the end of the fiscal year And its enrollment of 225 this year was above initial projections “We have learned from and responded to past financial mistakes and oversight and feel confident not only in our ability to finish out this school year but also to establish an ongoing financial position which should inspire confidence in renewal of our charter,” the school wrote Bethel Park has also cut costs to shore up its finances including ending a $150,000 annual coaching and consulting services agreement with the PilotED Foundation The foundation still provided six months of work pro bono after the expiration of its contract last June The school’s third grade IREAD results have also jumped to a 72% pass rate in 2024 remains just below the 90% that OEI requested it reach by summer 2024 OEI said in its statement that even with the correction of the bookkeeping error the school still had posted years of declining cash reserves Bethel Park had to correct several errors in submitted financial documents and failed to meet multiple financial reporting deadlines,” OEI said a strong authorizer should expect competent financial reporting and management which the mayor’s office described as a school in “strong financial standing,” did not disclose how much it is paying for the building The school had higher rates of proficiency on the 2024 ILEARN exam than Bethel Park and a slightly higher passing rate on the IREAD exam Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org The seven new schools are part of a multiyear flurry of openings that city officials hope will reinvigorate the system at a time of faltering enrollment and New Jersey have in-state tuition programs for undocumented students the Trump administration plans to take action against those programs A funding shortfall in the state budget forced New York City to freeze enrollment for a popular child care voucher program for low-income families Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said that while she’s deeply concerned about the changes brought by a new property tax law the district will strive to engage the community Here’s what I wish I could say when someone asks President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget would cut nearly $6 billion from K-12 education the proposal offers insight into Trump’s plans Join them to learn everything you need to know about Marion County's public schools and statewide education policy in our free newsletter By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. You may also receive occasional messages from sponsors CHALKBEAT IS A CIVIC NEWS COMPANY NEWSROOM ©2025 Community concerns about uneven enrollment and the need for significant capital improvements to existing decades-old facilities drove the project forward.The groundbreaking 280,000-square-foot school will feature a three-story design Its layout and design features customize the needs of primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-5) students while fostering collaboration among staff and eliminating building-to-building travel for special-subject teachers The school is also being built with 21st-century safety and security measures in mind.“This project will have a lasting impact on our community and I am thrilled to share these latest images of the space that will shape the future of our students,” said Bethel Park School District Superintendent Dr this cutting-edge facility will provide an innovative learning environment offering students unique educational opportunities and a strong foundation for success.”The facility and a 300-seat large group instruction area Rycon Construction is the general contractor and Massaro Construction Group is the construction manager.Renderings also highlight how natural colors and elements of nature support the building's national park theme and support wayfinding to respective learning spaces within the school CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RENDERINGS Bethel Park girls basketball players line up for the national anthem before a game at Franklin Regional. Bethel Park’s Joey Levis (12) plays against Trinity on April 1, 2025, at Bethel Park. Bethel Park’s Owen White plays against Trinity on April 1, 2025, at Bethel Park. Bethel Park’s Dylan Paul plays against Trinity on April 1, 2025, at Bethel Park. Bethel Park’s Ethan Stanhoff plays against Trinity on April 1, 2025, at Bethel Park. Bethel Park’s Ryan Petras plays against Trinity on April 1, 2025, at Bethel Park. There will be seven all-senior games over two days — four boys and three girls — with players from the WPIAL Bethel Park’s Sadie Orie and Ella Sabatos were chosen to the Class 5A West girls all-star team Bethel Park’s Tanner Pfeuffer was selected to the Class 5A South boys all-star team There will be four games May 24 and three May 25 Tickets are $10 per game or $15 for the weekend There also will be undergrad games – the Rising Stars Challenge — on May 19-21 at RIZE Sports in Leetsdale Bethel Park’s softball team racked up runs at an incredible pace in April The Black Hawks outscored the opposition 63-33 and averaged 10.6 runs per game after winning four times at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach and also capturing their section opener against Peters Township The Black Hawks then returned home to beat Peters Township “Our team is full of extremely hard workers that are focused and never yielding as they strive for success,” coach Nicole Davis said earlier this season “We have an incredibly solid defense that will make plays which would be base hits with any other team.” Davis welcomed four key players from 2024 back to this year’s club — seniors Audrey Campbell at shortstop and Taylor Striegel at pitcher and juniors Anastasia “Sia” Spano at third base and Julia Bitkowski in the outfield Spano was an all-section selection a year ago Other top players include seniors Kamiya Martin (OF) Courtney Roberts (OF) and Madison Timms (1B) and freshmen Emma Farrell (2B) and Presley Thimons (DP) There are nearly two dozen girls in Bethel Park’s softball program including five seniors the Black Hawks’ leading freshmen are Brenna Booth The sophomore class is represented by Calleigh Och “All of these girls (on the team) have potential to be exceptional,” Davis said The Black Hawks secured a 3-1 win April 14 in a Section 4-5A game against Thomas Jefferson Campbell had two singles and an RBI and Spano went 2 for 2 to lead the Black Hawks offensively There are more than enough Bethel Park baseball products playing at the next level to field an entire starting lineup Eric Chalus and Evan Holewinski are teammates at NCAA Division I Kent State Division II college players include David Kessler (IUP) Jack Edner (Clarion) and Ben Lentz (Point Park) Kaden Flambard and Ryan Tierney are former Black Hawks competing with Division III programs Flambard and Lentz are among the notable players who graduated from last year’s at team at Bethel Park which finished as the WPIAL and PIAA runner-up in Class 5A High school athletes who compete in swimming and diving are disciplinarians annually tackling the long grind of a winter pool season The first practice date for the 2024-25 season was Nov The WPIAL swimming championships took place Feb followed by the PIAA championships in mid-March The following Bethel Park athletes qualified for the WPIAL Class 2A swimming finals at Trees Pool on Pitt’s campus Brady McKiearnan (100 free) and Luca DeMartino (100 back) All six relay teams at Bethel Park also advanced to the WPIAL meet including the boys 200 freestyle relay as the No there was a five-team battle for first place in the Section 2-5A baseball standings Bethel Park (4-2) and Moon (3-2) led the way followed by Peters Township (2-2) and Upper St Clair (2-3) with Trinity (2-4) and Chartiers Valley (2-5) not far behind in the standings Bethel Park split decisions with South Fayette and Trinity and defeated USC twice The Black Hawks have a wealth of talent again this season including a combination of 10 returning starters or players who saw considerable diamond time a year ago — seniors Ryan Petras (IF) Owen White (P/IF) and junior Mike Bruckner (P/IF) “We have seven out of nine starting positions (back) from the WPIAL runner-up squad last year,” coach Pat Zehnder said “We hope to stay health and hungry.” junior Nick Rillo (IF/P/C) and sophomore Eric Miehl (C) are considered potential Division I prospects at Bethel Park which finished as a PIAA quarterfinalist last season Bethel Park inducted its Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2025 in March Five distinguished graduates whose accomplishments have significantly impacted their fields and communities were honored: Jess Fardella (class of 1969) Mary Rose Loney (1970) and Brigadier General Michael Paulick (1933) Hughes has dedicated more than 35 years to the Bethel Park School District in various roles including assistant principal and athletic director He led the varsity softball team to the WPIAL and PIAA finals in 1987 and has mentored countless student-athletes and educators If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE PRINTABLE KEY DATES CALENDARThe 2025-2026 Bethel Park school year runs from Thursday students will have an early release on Wednesday to begin Fall Break.The school year is structured around four academic quarters Additional staff development days are scheduled throughout the year with some resulting in no classes or delayed starts The outdoor graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026 is set for Thursday Make-up dates for unexpected school cancellations are designated in January A remote learning option is always available.Here are some of the major highlights of the 2025-2026 school calendar:AUGUST 2025 Bethel Park’s Matthew Hughes pitches against Moon on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Bethel Park’s Ryan Petras takes a cut against Moon on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. There have been 15 section series played between the seven teams and 11 of them have ended up with the teams splitting their two-game series Two of the four sweeps have been handed out by Bethel Park including a 4-3 victory over Moon on Wednesday that gave the Black Hawks back-to-back close wins over the Tigers “This year (our section) lost Connellsville and we gained Moon and Char Valley,” Bethel Park coach Patrick Zehnder said “Moon is so much better than their record They and Char Valley are the bottom two teams record wise which just shows how strong this section is I wouldn’t mind a couple of easy wins If this doesn’t get you battle tested it looked good for a split when Moon jumped on top with two runs in the top of the first inning Josh Longwell walked and stole second base then scored on an RBI single by Angelo Fachet Fachet scored on a two-out single by Connor Kunkle Bethel Park responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Petras was hit by a pitch stole second and scored on a double to the left-center field fence by Ethan Stanhoff I didn’t get all of it,” Stanhoff said about his RBI double off the fence Courtesy runner Owen Turoski then scored on a Noah LeJeune RBI single to tie the game “They did a really good job to start the game like that,” Stanhoff said of the Tigers’ two-run first inning “It was huge for us to punch back like that.” The Black Hawks appeared set to blow the game open in the bottom of the second inning Eric Miehl walked and Nick Rillo singled to chase Tigers starter Nathan Weber after only one inning Tyler Ebner came on in relief for Moon and promptly hit the No to load the bases with nobody out with the top of the order coming up Ebner struck out Petras and got Stanhoff to fly to shallow left field before hitting LeJeune with a pitch to force in a run He then struck out Mike Bruckner to limit the damage to one run “We need to come through in certain situations,” Zehnder said of only scoring one run in the second inning “That’s going to come back and bite us eventually.” Moon tied the game and chased BP starter Owen White in the third inning thanks again to the senior combo of Fachet who drove him home with a second RBI single before Tyler Stewart came in for the final out of the inning for the Hawks While the top of the Black Hawks order could not break the game open in the second inning they provided the game-winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning on three straight two-out singles by Petras The Tigers had a good shot to tie the game again in the top of the fifth inning when Longwell led off with a double down the left field line He was sacrificed to third on a great bunt by Fachet Nicholas Machusko lifted a fly ball to center field Jack Bruckner made the catch coming in and let fly a strong throw to the catcher Stanhoff who came up the third base line to catch the ball and swipe tag Longwell for an inning-ending 8-2 double play and all I ask for him is to give me a chance,” Stanhoff said Zehnder realizes he has something special behind the plate in his senior catcher in Stanhoff “What makes him so special is that not only is he able to move laterally to get in front of the ball but it’s amazing how he can angle his body and the ball is always in front of him he’s one of the best catchers in the WPIAL all the way around.” Bethel Park is alone in first at 7-3 in the section and 11-4 overall despite a rash of injuries to key players The three pitchers used Wednesday by Bethel Park — White Stewart and Matthew Hughes — had pitched a combined 17 innings this season yet held Moon to six hits in seven innings who has done an awesome job with the pitching staff,” Zehnder said “We’re so deep that there are guys that haven’t thrown at all varsity wise who are good enough to pitch for us We’re very fortunate to have a lot of great arms.” Moon is now 3-5 in the section and 3-9 overall The Tigers are still in the middle of the playoff chase heading into their final two section series remaining Clair and the week of May 5 against Trinity “We know every game is going to be close,” Stanhoff said about the section “I think it’s very important to get us ready for playoff baseball and I think it’s a lot of fun.” If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase. Bethel Park’s Sadie Orie (left) and Autumn Flowers earned medals at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association outdoor championships April 12, 2025, at West Mifflin. Bethel Park’s Fiona O’Neill (discus, shot put) earned medals at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association outdoor championships April 12, 2025, at West Mifflin. Bethel Park’s Brady McCarthy (triple jump, pole vault) earned medals at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association outdoor championships April 12, 2025, at West Mifflin. “We had a very successful indoor season where we had 11 student-athletes qualify for the Adidas Indoor Nationals,” Bethel Park coach Mark Jacobs said “So we are hoping to keep the momentum going into the outdoor season We have some great upperclassman leadership; they are showing the younger athletes the right way to do things.” Bethel Park racked up eight first-place finishes April 5 at the seven-team Mt “I thought we had a good day,” Jacobs said “With the weather not being ideal — though it was expected to be much worse — and the fact it was our second meet in three days I was not sure what kind of times we may get So I was looking more at the kids’ abilities to compete with the other good track schools in the area and I was very pleased with the results “We had a good number of kids finish in the top three of their events and many others hit personal bests.” won two individual events in the girls competition taking first in the discus with a toss of 105 feet 9 inches and the shot put by hitting a mark of 31-1 took first in the 800-meter run in 2:35.11 and junior Autumn Flowers won the 100 hurdles with a 15.7 time “We have two freshman girls who did very well in their first invitationals,” Jacobs said “Winning an event in an invitational is a big deal no matter the distance or time you get We are excited to see how they progress not just this season but for the next four years.” also garnered first place with a time of 10:37 a sophomore was a triple medalist in the 100 hurdles was a double medalist in the discus and shot put Uhl (3,200) and Elaine Flatherty (triple jump) and freshman Abby Kelly (300 hurdles) also placed in the top eight in individual events Other competitors for Bethel Park included senior Talia Jackson (100 Two members of Bethel Park’s boys team secured individual titles at Mt Senior Jackson Friday won the 300 hurdles event in 41.74 and also placed third in the 110 hurdles a starting forward on the boys soccer team was selected to play for Class 3A at the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association all-star event at Pine-Richland zeroed in on the top spot in the shot put with a toss of 51-5 Orie also finished fifth in the discus event The boys 400 relayers also corralled first place with 46.13 performance Junior Brady McCarthy was a triple medalist in the long jump A trio of athletes were double medalists for the Black Hawks: Jack Lester (100 Juniors Kahanualo Kuewa (100) and Hendrix Odham (pole vault); seniors David Nyerere (400) Alex Dziezgowski (discus) and Denzel Meyers (shot put); freshman Johah Mercurio (800); and sophomore Colin Uhl (pole vault) also placed among the top eight in individual events Other competitors at the meet included sophomores Mitchell McGrail (100 Antonio Williams (200) and Julian Lubawy (discus) Seton LaSalle and South Fayette at the invitational The Black Hawks also participated in the Tri-State Track Coaches Association outdoor championships April 12 at West Mifflin “I was pleased with the performances of our medalists and all of the kids,” Jacobs said the weather was not the best for getting fast times so it was more about their ability to compete We had a lot of kids do very well and we look forward to continuing that momentum into meets with nice weather.” Medalists for the girls team included O’Neill (discus Flowers (100 hurdles) and senior Sadie Orie (300 hurdles) Jacobs discussed each girl’s performance “Fiona continues to impress as a freshman,” he said “She did not let the high level of competition affect her one bit She did well in both events and even got a personal-best in the shot put “Autumn ran a good race to take fourth place in a very stacked field though she smashed that time in our (recent) dual meet Autumn had a record-breaking indoor season that went well into March so we are bringing her along slowly so she can peak at the right time.” The Bethel Park coach continued: “Sadie’s performance was another good performance for early in the season She got a late start to the season because of basketball but we are expecting big things from her as the year goes on.” pole vault) and Clancy Orie (discus) were the medalists for the boys team “Brady did a nice job of balancing his two events which ended up happening at basically the same time,” Jacobs said “Brady has really improved in his triple the last month so I was not surprised at all about his medal-winning performance he battled with many of the best in the WPIAL in what felt like a preview of the WPIAL finals in May He competed well and was close to moving farther up the podium if we could have had some more bar luck “Clancy has been throwing very well all the way back to the start of December He was able to qualify for Adidas Nationals in the shot put and place fifth The discus result was somewhat surprising because it was a big PR for him but we thought he could become a good thrower in multiple events.” Orie was a three-year starter on the Bethel Park football team and is a Navy recruit and use the promo code bethelparkflex (case-sensitive) before purchasing.Good Any Day tickets will only be available for purchase through June 30 and refunds are not available for online purchases The park will provide a return ticket if the weather disrupts the visit.Follow the step-by-step purchase instructions to secure the best deal and enjoy a fun-filled day at Kennywood PURCHASE TICKETS HERE:https://www.kennywood.com/buy-tickets/school-single-ticket/select-visitors Bethel Park School District has demonstrated its commitment to inclusivity and support for families of children with autism as part of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month Students and staff across the district wore blue to show solidarity and promote understanding kindness and empathy for individuals with autism students in Room 403 recognized both Autism Acceptance Day and Paraprofessional Appreciation Day by honoring their support staff and donning custom-made shirts to raise awareness Benjamin Franklin Elementary School also joined in the effort unveiling an Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month bulletin board designed to educate and inspire The display encourages students and staff to engage with messages promoting neurodiversity and the importance of acceptance The monthlong initiative reflects the district’s ongoing mission to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all learners Bethel Park School District will have a Remote Learning Day on Thursday 2025 due to the forecast of an all-day snowfall that the forecasters are warning could make the morning and after commutes very challenging Students and staff are expected to follow the school district's standard Remote Learning Day procedures Parent Guide for Remote Instruction for Students in Grades K-4 Parent Guide for Remote Instruction for Students in Grades 5-12 Seventy-five Bethel Park High School DECA members competed at the 2025 Pennsylvania DECA State Career Development Conference, held Feb. 18-21 in Hershey. Thirty-nine students were recognized on stage, with 16 qualifying for the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC), scheduled for April 25-30 in Orlando, Florida. An additional 15 Bethel Park students were recognized as event finalists, placing between sixth and eighth. Five seniors received scholarships, and five students earned medals for outstanding performances. LeadershipSara Impellicceiri served as the Pennsylvania DECA District III Representative, presiding over the conference. Bethel Park's strong showing at the state conference reflects the students' hard work and dedication as they prepare for the next level of competition at ICDC. Corey White (1990 – Baseball/Football)White was a standout on the baseball field, hitting .470 over two seasons and setting school records for triples and extra-base hits in a season. He guided the Black Hawks to two section titles and the 1990 WPIAL Championship Game. He was a two-year starter at wide receiver and defensive back in football, earning All-WPIAL and Almanac Elite 11 honors. White continued his baseball career at Ball State University, earning All-MAC recognition. Clarke White (1997 – Baseball/Football/Basketball)White earned seven varsity letters, excelling in baseball as a shortstop and helping the Black Hawks secure two section titles. Twice named to the All-Section team, he also stood out on the football field, recording 682 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. He was named to the Almanac Elite 11 and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette All-South Area team. White played Division I baseball at the University of Akron. Jordyn Wells (2004 – Golf)Wells, a four-year letter winner and team captain, was the 2001 WPIAL Champion and 2002 PIAA State Silver Medalist. A three-time state qualifier and two-time All-State honoree, she played Division I golf at Michigan State University. Wells contributed to the Lady Spartans’ 2007 Big Ten Championship and earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors. Distinguished Contribution Award: Edward StrallCoach Strall is celebrated for founding Bethel Park’s baseball program in 1948 and coaching the varsity boys' basketball and baseball teams to multiple section titles. His basketball teams won four consecutive section crowns (1948-1951), and his baseball teams secured three section titles (1949, 1950, 1952). The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will celebrate these remarkable individuals’ contributions to Bethel Park athletics.Congratulations to the Bethel Park Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 and their families. Bethel Park pitcher Dylan Paul delivers against Chartiers Valley on May 10, 2023. Bethel Park’s Noah Lejeune celebrates with Kaden Flambard (2) and Ethan Stanhoff after defeating Trinity, 11-1, in a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal May 21, 2024, at Boyce-Mayview Park. the Bethel Park baseball team took a trip to the beach to compete against the likes of Sussex Tech (scrimmage) Patrick County High School and Central Bucks South The Black Hawks have a wealth of talent again this season including a combination of 10 returning starters or players who saw considerable diamond time — seniors Ryan Petras (IF) “We return many players with both starting and general playing experience,” Bethel Park coach Pat Zehnder said “They have been in big games and performed well so expectations are understandably high going into this season We hope to stay healthy and hungry and can’t wait to get going.” Petras is a fourth-year starter who finished with a .452 batting average 27 runs and .973 fielding percentage last spring He was named first team all-section and second team all-state Stanhoff batted .386 with 23 RBIs and was voted first team all-section Other leading hitters on the club include Dylan Paul Walsh racked up a 2.26 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 2024 while Paul chipped in with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP A large group is looking to crack the starting lineup or hold key reserve roles this season including the likes of senior outfielders Brian Bitkowski Aaron Hofbauer and P Cody Roberts and juniors Nick Rillo (IF/P/C) Tyler Stewart (IF) and pitcher Matthew Hughes Top sophomore candidates include Caden Stokes (OF) infielders Brady Bruckner and Colton Fisher (IF) and pitcher Jace Rendulic There are 13 returning lettermen on the 2025 team and five potential Division I prospects — Petras Bethel Park finished as the WPIAL Class 5A runner-up last season and a PIAA quarterfinalist “We have seven out of nine starting positions returning from the WPIAL runner-up squad last year,” Zehnder said The Black Hawks won the Section 2 crown with a 7-3 record last season in a tight race with South Fayette (6-4) Connellsville (5-5) and Trinity (5-5) and ended up 16-8-1 overall Bethel Park won nine of 11 games in the second half of the season including six of seven prior to the start of the playoffs The page you are looking for might have been removed Grand openingA grand opening is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18, featuring a ribbon cutting, snacks and beverages, and a chance at a special prize for all who attend.For more information, visit alicatsrescue.com Bethel Park School District will have a Remote Learning Day today While there will be no in-person instruction students are expected to complete their required classwork and will follow the 2-hour delay schedule from home Captains for Bethel Park and Woodland Hills meet at midfield before their WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. The Black Hawks’ defense was also on display Friday night as it shut down a short-handed Woodland Hills unit on the way to a 49-22 win “I think this place and the storied tradition of this arena and this program and the kids that they have you can never take this team (Woodland Hills) lightly,” said Bethel Park coach Phil Pekich we did not take it lightly at all.” Bethel Park took the opening kickoff and scored less than two minutes into the game Tanner Pfeuffer threw a strike to Jack Bruckner from 21 yards to open the scoring Woodland Hills was driving on the next possession but fumbled the football and Ryan Petras scored from 8 yards on a jet sweep with 35 seconds left in the first quarter The 2-point conversion pass failed and the score was 12-0 But Woodland Hills has the Big East Conference Player of the Year and junior Scoop Smith showed why he won that honor electrifying the crowd with a 75-yard kick return to bring the Wolverines within 12-7 Bethel Park went back to work offensively in the second quarter the Blackhawks were 4 for 4 on fourth-down conversions and scored on four of their five possessions who carried the ball 37 times for 280 yards the second Woodland Hills red-zone turnover in the first half Pfeuffer snuck into the end zone to put Bethel Park in front 26-7 at halftime Things got kind of wild in the second half Smith took a wildcat snap and raced 86 yards for a touchdown The Black Hawks’ Nowozeniuk picked off his second pass of the night which led to a short field and a 5-yard touchdown run by Moore throwing a 62-yard touchdown pass to Cymeon McCoy then adding the 2-point conversion run to make the score 34-22 Moore fittingly capped off the night with the final two scores Moore ran 80 yards on the next play from scrimmage for a touchdown Moore then caught a 59-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Pfeiffer to make the final score 49-22 “He is a special and dynamic player,” Pekich said of Moore “He can affect the game as a three-down back That’s a product of this team and the players on it doing a good job.” Pfeuffer completed 7 of 14 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns while Moore finished with 361 all-purpose yards for the Black Hawks The senior running back eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark on the season They also saw their seven-game winning streak snapped Woodland Hills was undefeated in 18 previous home playoff games the fifth seed and a wild card entry into the 5A playoffs is now 10-2 and will face top seeded Pine-Richland in the semifinals and we know that we fell short in two games (during the regular season) that we did not finish the game,” Pekich said “We are going to worry about us and try to get better The good thing is we are healthy right now and that’s tough to do at this time of the year.” It will mark the second semifinal appearance for Bethel Park in three seasons Bethel Park’s Jacob Meyer hits against Penn-Trafford’s Nathaniel Rugh last season. “Our early expectations are to get our players comfortable in their new positions and build on-court chemistry to help us compete early on,” Thomas said “We are only returning three starting positions while having two right-side hitters convert to our setter and libero We expect to keep building the program and compete for a playoff spot.” is in his second season as the Black Hawks’ coach “We are really trying to build a new foundation here at Bethel,” he said “It starts with team camaraderie and a focus/motivation to strive to get better with every practice and match “As long as we learn from our mistakes and limit the frustrations there’s no reason Bethel Park won’t return to (being) a section threat sooner rather than later.” The Black Hawks’ group of five returning players is led by Jacob Meyer a senior outside hitter and all-section selection in 2024 “There’s no reason not to expect Jacob to lead our team this season and earn first- or second-team all-section honors,” Thomas said “He has been named a captain for the 2025 season and I expect his skill set and maturity will help his team on and off the court.” 160-pound Meyer is a fourth-year starter at Bethel Park He also participates with the A10 volleyball club in the offseason and helps out as a coach at Ave Maria Academy “My expectation is that we will be a team that will show improvement very fast from game to game,” Meyer said “I do believe we have what it takes to compete game in and game out We have a relatively younger team when it comes to varsity experience but the team is hungry to learn and improve on last season “Our team is hungry to get back to the winning program we had during the 2010s We feel very confident being led by coach Thomas and coach Ina (Helmick) We are excited to get the season started and get back to Bethel Park volleyball The four other players back this spring are junior setter Ryan Burns senior right-side hitter/libero Matt Gerber senior middle blocker Colton Gregg and sophomore outside hitter Joey Boff Gregg led the Black Hawks in blocks last year also are being banked on to make an impact in the lineup “Carson Foote will be starting at middle for us,” Thomas said to make positive impacts for the varsity by season’s end.” Bethel Park is a member of Section 1-3A along with Baldwin The Black Hawks finished with a 3-7 section record in 2024 and were 6-12 overall Canon-McMillan was the section champion and was joined in the WPIAL playoffs by USC and Baldwin “Canon-McMillan has been the powerhouse of the section for a few years now,” Meyer said “Our section is always highly competitive; there isn’t any easy team you get to play in our division.” The Bethel Park netters have not advanced to the playoffs since the 2022 season “That was my freshman year,” Meyer said “We squeaked in and put up a good fight against Hempfield.” Shaler captured last year’s WPIAL 3A championship ahead of North Allegheny and Seneca Valley Benjamin Franklin Elementary School will have a Remote Learning Day on January 28 Students and staff at that school should follow standard RLD procedures All other Bethel Park schools are unaffected by this development and will operate as scheduled with standard in-person instruction including the previously scheduled 2-hour delay for staff development The Bethel Park School Board held its annual December reorganization meeting The newly re-seated board appointed James Modrak and Gail Hoppe as board president and vice president LLC (WBK) reappointment as the district’s solicitor.The school board also announced its preliminary 2025 meeting calendar The Bethel Park Black Hawks wrestling team is turning heads before the first whistle of the season, earning the No. 3 spot in Class 3A in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's preseason rankings. Coming off an impressive campaign last year that saw them advance to the WPIAL semifinals, the Black Hawks narrowly missed the finals after a dramatic 27-26 loss to eventual runner-up Trinity. This year, the team looks poised to make another deep run, with nine returning starters leading the charge. Among the returning athletes are five standouts who recorded 20 or more wins last season: Jaden Palombine (22-11 at 107 lbs), Colton Fisher (20-13 at 121 lbs), Seth Miller (32-17 at 127 lbs), Aden Stout (26-11 at 139 lbs), and Ethan Higgins (34-10 at 145 lbs). With a strong core and a hunger for redemption, Bethel Park is set to be a force to reckon with in the 2024 wrestling season. Bethel Park’s Jack Bruckner steals the ball from Fox Chapel’s Will Siegel during a 2024 PIAA Class 5A second-round game. The Black Hawks defeated TJ by scores of 52-48 and 65-63 but missed out on a WPIAL playoff berth while the Jaguars advanced as the fourth-place team in Section 3-5A Bethel Park finished 4-8 in the section and 7-14 overall losing twice in overtime and once to South Fayette by a 49-47 score in section play The Black Hawks were involved in two games decided by one point and two others decided by two points upon losing several games by only a bucket you can’t help but to think we were close on many occasions,” Bethel Park coach Rico Abbondanza said “I am confident that our opponents didn’t doubt our potential for eight games due to football-related injury He proved to be an important factor in our previous season’s success but certainly this season as well with him as our top scorer.” The Black Hawks last season advanced to the WPIAL and PIAA quarterfinals before ending up 15-14 Bethel Park made some blaring noise in the postseason by winning three times in the WPIAL tournament and twice in the state playoffs Seven seniors graduated off last year’s squad Two seniors — Pfeuffer and 6-foot guard Jack Bruckner — were the only returning starters “It is hard to assess how you measure up against other teams in the preseason not seeing them for an entire year and with the growth and development of their players,” Abbondanza said “But with a short preseason and the late inclusion of our shared football athletes there was a lot of excitement to see how things would play out but we had so many individual breakthroughs and victories internally that you can only feel a sense of joy and reward when you witness these things across 10 or 11 active players on your roster.” the team’s starting five consisted of Pfeuffer 5-10 senior guard Alex Dziezgowski and 5-8 junior point guard Will Thomas Pfeuffer led the Black Hawks offensively by averaging 13 points per game also started several games and shared his starting spot on and off with a few different teammates Sabatos tipped in a missed shot to break a tie in the final minute in his team’s two-point win against TJ late in the season “Will Sabatos is just a high-level athlete who is a focused defender and a timing expert,” Abbondanza said “He creates so many unpraised plays down in the trenches doing a lot of the high-level gritty plays “All of our starters shared the scoring role and had big games throughout.” Bethel Park’s rookie coach plans to keep building on a basketball culture within the program “This year was a great lead-up to what we are trying to establish at Bethel Park a basketball culture,” Abbondanza said brings such a great addition to that culture with a wealth of knowledge and background of winning basketball tradition His energy and excitement and his teaching are fun to be around You can see something special in the air by having him with us we see a lot of potential in the underclassmen in our program and with a lot of experienced players returning I think we will be in a position next year to simply get over the hump There were so many achievements and moments for us this season This team has helped lay the foundation for our program.” The four playoff qualifiers in Section 3 were Baldwin (11-1) “I want to congratulate the other teams and coaches that earned their spots to move on,” Abbondanza said “and that we wish them well to represent our section proudly.” Bethel Park girls basketball players line up for the national anthem Friday night in Murrysville. A mid-game sigh turned into a ray of hope for the Panthers, but it ended in tears. The fifth-seeded Panthers, section champions for the first time since 1979, rallied from 16 down to get within one of No. 12 Bethel Park in the closing seconds. But a Madison DeRiggi-led rally came up short as the Black Hawks pulled out a 46-45 upset in the first round Friday night in Murrysville. “Our hearts are ripped out,” Franklin Regional coach Bernie Pucka said. “I wish I had another timeout left. Man, this was a tough one.” Bethel Park (12-11) led 40-26 early in the fourth quarter after a punishing third that saw it outscore the Panthers, 15-2. Franklin Regional’s only field goal came with 1.4 seconds left in the quarter on a layup by DeRiggi, who was tremendous down the stretch, scoring more than half of her team’s points. DeRiggi erupted for 14 of her game-high 23 points in the final frame — the Panthers scored 13 points in the final 1:40 — and nearly led the Panthers (15-7) all the way back. Sophomore Chloe Pucka ignited an 11-0 run with a 3-pointer, then DeRiggi scored eight straight, including three layups off of steals, to close the gap to 44-43 with 43.6 seconds left. Senior Ella Sabatos made two free throws for the Black Hawks, who were in the bonus, for a 46-43 edge with 17.4. Senior Anna Novelli then scored inside for the Panthers with 7.2, but the ball was knocked away from under the hoop before Bethel Park could inbound and Bethel Park was able to let the clock run out. Out of time and wanting one more chance, Franklin Regional players and coaches looked stunned as the buzzer sounded. “These girls hadn’t won in the playoffs since three years ago at Norwin,” said Bethel Park coach Steve Norman, who celebrated his first playoff win as the Black Hawks’ coach. “It’s great to see them experience this. It wasn’t the greatest game, but we’re moving on.” Norman wore his trademark bucket hat after the game: orange to match his suit and personalized T-shirt that peeked out of his sport coat. Sabatos led Bethel Park with 16 points, freshman Fiona O’Neill had 11, junior Kathryn Boff nine (all on 3s) and senior Sadie Orie eight. The Black Hawks stepped on the gas in the third after taking a 21-20 lead into halftime. O’Neill opened the half with a 3, and Boff connected on two 3s from the corner to quickly extend the lead to 36-20. “We got stagnant offensively,” coach Pucka said. “It was a story of too little, too late. We preached transition and defense all night.” Pressure is what led to the comeback, with the Black Hawks unable to get the ball over the midstripe on lob passes. DeRiggi was there to intercept and quickly score. “We got a little careless with the ball, but these girls haven’t been in a situation like this,” Norman said. “In the third quarter we locked in defensively and limited their second-chance opportunities. In the last three minutes, I should have used timeouts more judiciously.” Bethel Park will play No. 13 Mars (14-9) in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Mars knocked off No. 4 Shaler, 44-23. Franklin Regional’s last lead was 17-16 on a 3 from senior Toryn Fulton. Fulton added seven points in her final basketball game for Franklin Regional. The Panthers will lose five seniors who helped the program turn a long-awaited corner. “This senior group, they’ll never forget,” Bernie Pucka said. “They can look up at that banner and remember the 2025 Lady Panthers.” Recent temperature fluctuations caused roof leaks at Independence Middle School The leaks resulted from the rapid expansion and contraction of the schools’ aging roofs.The Bethel Park School District prioritizes student and staff safety the school district recently hired a certified air quality testing agency to conduct comprehensive tests in each affected building Director of Environmental Services at Allegheny Global Environmental performed the tests and confirmed that none of the tested areas showed signs of mold. District officials continue to monitor and address the situation to ensure safe learning environments Bethel Park’s Tanner Pfeuffer prepares to shoot a free throw against Thomas Jefferson on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. the lights did not go out on their playoff hopes Sophomore guard Will Sabatos tipped in a missed shot to break a tie in the final minute as Bethel Park held on to defeat Thomas Jefferson The win moves the Black Hawks into a fourth-place tie with the Jaguars in Section 3-5A heading into the final week of the regular season The BP victory also kept Trinity’s postseason hopes alive Sabatos tipped in a missed 3-point shot in traffic for the final field goal of the contest Each team added a free throw in the final half-minute of play Thomas Jefferson called timeout to set up a possible winning or tying basket; however Jaguars junior Nick Trklja drove the left lane and missed a contested layup at the buzzer to seal the win for the host Black Hawks “The play was designed for a 3 for (Noah) Kaszer but our one kid ran the wrong play,” Thomas Jefferson coach Dom DeCicco said “Second option was Nick getting to the rim They are kids and they’re going to make mistakes but we still got a great look at it.” pounding the ball inside and getting easy put-ins to lead after the opening quarter The second quarter was a complete about face The Black Hawks started shooting outside and missed shot after shot around the perimeter and they outscored the Hawks 18-4 in the second quarter to take a 31-24 lead into the locker room Bethel Park came out in the third quarter and instead of trying to hammer the ball low on the blocks again the Black Hawks nailed five 3-pointers from the perimeter and one conventional three-point play for 18 of their 20 points There were many contributors to BP’s lights-out shooting from long range in the third quarter seniors Alex Dziezgowski and Tanner Pfeuffer and junior Jude Hamel at the buzzer to end the third with Bethel Park trailing “It was incredibly big,” Bethel Park coach Rico Abbondanza said of his team’s third-quarter shooting “We worked on the high reps shooting model for the last week or more Over 200 to 300 3s per player across our entire roster We started seeing a pattern of guys who can shoot it at a high level of efficiency.” Bruckner and Dziezgowski added two more 3s in the fourth quarter as Bethel Park took the lead and upped it to five points with just over two minutes remaining The Jaguars fought back to tie the game late before the Sabatos tip put the Black Hawks up to stay “He creates so many unpraised plays down in the trenches doing a lot of the high-level gritty plays.” Thomas Jefferson could have clinched a playoff spot with a victory Now the Jaguars head into the final week of the regular season needing wins and possibly some help “I thought them hitting those 3s in the second half caused us to get out of some of our pressure defense which let them slow the pace down,” DeCicco said “Crucial turnovers at really bad times cost us.” Sophomore Justin Fry was one of four players to hit double-digit scoring for the Jaguars with a game-high 18 points Kaszer had 14 and Kane Eggerton added 11 points Pfeuffer led the Black Hawks with 16 points Mike Bruckner had 15 and Sabatos 14 points Thomas Jefferson (9-10) and Bethel Park (7-11) are now tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in Section 3-5A with records of 4-6 one game ahead of Trinity (9-8) at 3-7 in the section TJ visits last-place Ringgold on Tuesday and is home to first-place Baldwin Friday BP visits Baldwin on Tuesday and hosts third-place Peters Township on Friday Trinity hosts second-place South Fayette on Tuesday and travels to Ringgold on Friday they would all qualify with each holding a 2-2 record in head-to-head tiebreaker Bethel Park is 2-0 against Thomas Jefferson TJ is 2-0 against Trinity and the Hillers are 2-0 against the Black Hawks Bethel Park softball players (from left) Audrey Campbell, Nora Cooley, Kamiya Martin and Taylor Striegel volunteer at the team’s booth during Bethel Park Community Day on Sept. 7, 2024. the Bethel Park softball team anticipates breaking the mold of last year’s performance The Black Hawks proved to be the definition of a .500 team in 2024 They were 5-5 in section play and finished 10-10 overall in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs Coach Nicole Davis welcomed four key players back to this year’s club — shortstop Audrey Campbell third baseman Anastasia “Sia” Spano outfielder Julia Bitkowski and pitcher Taylor Striegel Campbell and Striegel are the team’s co-captains “We expect to be competitive in our section and in 5A,” Davis said “Our team is full of extremely hard workers that are focused and never yielding as they strive for success We have an incredibly solid defense that will make plays which would be base hits with any other team.” Nina DePasquale (C) and Allison Jones (C); juniors Cara Cummings (P) Courtney Roberts (OF) and Madison Timms (1B); plus freshmen Emma Farrell (2B) and Presley Thimons (DP) There are 23 players in the Bethel Park softball program consisting of five seniors “All of these girls have potential to be exceptional,” Davis said the Black Hawks’ leading freshman prospects include Brenna Booth Bethel Park took fourth place in Section 4-5A behind co-champions Connellsville (7-3) and Trinity (7-3) and third-place finisher Thomas Jefferson (6-4) Clair (4-6) and Peters Township (1-9) rounded out the section standings TJ captured the PIAA championship after taking second in the WPIAL playoffs Bethel Park suffered major graduation losses from last year’s team consisting of pitchers Makenzie Wade and Alayna Owen; catcher Lupe McElvenny; infielders Julia Miller Rebecca Gillenberger and Nicolette Antonucci; and outfielders Belina Bova Wade and Owen shared pitching duties last season; Wade was the team’s leading hitter And while Davis is in her second season as the Black Hawks coach Davis started out as an assistant at Baldwin under Sam Kuharic for five seasons from 2010-11 to 2014-15 served as head coach at Peters Township for four years (2016-12 to 2019-20) was head coach at Sto-Rox for one year (2019-20) where she restarted the school’s softball program then took over as head coach at Keystone Oaks for one year (2022-23) Davis is assisted by Shannon Wyzkoski and Cameron Meier Tipoff between Peters Township and Bethel Park on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. To qualify for the WPIAL postseason in Section 3-5A they needed to win at home over Peters Township on the final night of section play and have Thomas Jefferson lose to section champion Baldwin The Highlanders helped with a comeback win over TJ but the Black Hawks could not hold up their end of the bargain The loss eliminated Bethel Park and clinched a playoff berth for Thomas Jefferson as well as bumped Peters Township into a second-place tie in the section with a South Fayette team that the Indians swept this year “It was absolutely far from us coming up short,” Bethel Park coach Rico Abbondanza said upon the completion of his first season as head coach “There were so many achievements and moments for us this season This team has helped lay the foundation for our program It is sad that we will not reap the rewards of that when the future of the program begins to thrive.” While a great deal of focus was on the Bethel Park situation coming into the game Peters Township had something to play for as well with second place and seeding at stake “Those were all the kind of things we talked about,” Peters Township coach Joe Urmann said “We knew Bethel would come in here with a sense of urgency and they did Our message was to take the fight to them and credit to our guys for executing the game plan at a high level.” Peters Township wasted very little time taking control building up a double-digit lead in the opening quarter by hitting on five of its first six shots including a couple of long distance 3-pointers “Sean (Thelk) made a couple of deep ones which he has been known to do,” Urmann said “A couple of our guys made shots (early) but our guys locked in defensively as well and I give them credit for that.” Bethel Park finally righted the ship and trimmed the deficit to eight points by the end of the opening quarter thanks to sophomore William Sabotos scoring half of the Black Hawks’ 12 first-quarter points Peters Township junior guard Dylan Donovan started to take control Donovan scored nine of his game-high 19 points in the second quarter with good penetration and some short pull-up shots that had the Indians up by nine by halftime “Dylan strikes that balance in an awesome way between finding his guys when they were collapsing on him and then also getting his own when he had opportunities,” Urmann said “It’s hard being the centerpiece of the other team’s scouting report and having the ball in his hands as much as he does He’s done a really good job handling it this year.” At one point in a low-scoring third quarter Bethel Park climbed to within four points at 36-32; however Peters Township scored the final five points of the quarter to build the lead back up to nine heading into the fourth quarter Bethel Park just could not find another urgent gear in the fourth quarter and could not bring any suspense to the final quarter The Indians claimed victory without starting senior guard Nick McCullough Team officials hope he will be back and ready to go for the playoffs “I thought Ben Miller was a sensational player filling in for Nick McCullough,” Urmann said “He guards everywhere and makes a ton of little gritty plays that impact winning on so many levels.” Junior Michael Bruckner led Bethel Park with 11 points as the Black Hawks’ season ends with a section record of 4-8 and an overall mark of 7-14 Peters Township sophomore Jake Wetzel scored 12 points on the block as the Indians finish 9-3 in the section and improve to 15-6 overall They will close out the regular season Monday with a home game against Mt Bethel Park High School German students earned impressive results on the 2025 AATG National German Exam Gold Award winners Brady McKiernan (senior) and Ben Campbell (junior) scored in the 96th percentile nationally Senior River Hendrych-Bondra and sophomore Rickart Zuehlke also earned Gold Awards despite being tested outside the standard group due to their time in Germany Senior James Lowen earned a Silver Award Sam Hoppe, and Colin Finnegan received Bronze Awards Honorable Mentions were awarded to seniors Frederick Mach and junior Holly McGough.In the Level 3 exam sophomore Adele Stamenov earned a Gold Award in the 95th percentile and sophomores Connor Blocklin and Zoey Roberts received Bronze Senior Thaddeaus Smith and sophomores Sydney Miller and Reed Zeis were recognized with Honorable Mentions and Stamenov are eligible for a travel/study scholarship to Germany this summer.More than 71% of Bethel Park High School German students earned commendations for their outstanding performance on the exam Bethel Park High School recently contacted the Bethel Park Public Library to connect students to its resources The school hopes this will inspire a love of reading and encourage students to explore books that align with their interests.Two years ago the Student Library Card Initiative was launched all grades 7-12 students received public library cards which granted access to resources such as research tools Handouts highlighting these opportunities were shared to help students maximize their library access.This year 12th-grade teachers have introduced an independent reading project in which students read complete stories in genres and areas of interest to them Nicole Zalak from the Bethel Park Public Library showcased curated book lists and provided personalized suggestions based on students' interests and songs.Additional engagement opportunities include a book club hosted by and at the library including high school teacher Mrs Kristen Kincak. This book club offers the teens a platform for book discussion The high school also highlights a rotating collection of new and seasonal titles arranged by Mrs ensuring fresh options are readily available in the library.Looking ahead plans are in place for a summer reading group where students can collaboratively discuss their assigned honors texts and summer assignments.These positive initiatives empower students to explore reading on their terms fostering a deeper connection to books and building a lifelong love for literature Bethel Park School District officials have addressed concerns regarding a recent security breach involving PowerSchool a vendor that provides student information system (SIS) software the district was informed that PowerSchool experienced a security incident affecting its SIS.Fortunately Bethel Park School District's data remains secure The breach was limited to PowerSchool's SIS a subsidiary of PowerSchool used by the district to maintain student records "We are relieved to report that this incident was contained to the PowerSchool SIS and our data was not impacted," said the district's Technology Director "We take privacy and data security very seriously and are committed to continuing to follow our policies and state laws to protect our students' information."The district encourages families with questions or concerns to contact the Technology Department at 412-854-8422 for further information.This assurance comes as part of the district's ongoing commitment to transparency and data security ensuring the community that student information remains protected Bethel Park High School senior Sophia Iorio has been awarded Gannon University’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship a four-year full-tuition award valued at nearly $170,000.Iorio who plans to enroll in Gannon’s five-year Physician Assistant program was among 75 students who competed for the scholarship Eligible candidates were required to apply and be accepted to Gannon by Dec with the top 10 percent of applicants invited to participate in the competitive selection process Up to eight students were awarded full-tuition scholarships based on their performance in a multi-stage competition that included an essay and an in-person interview."I received an email in December notifying me that I had qualified I learned more about the competition," said Iorio and it was an intense but rewarding experience."For the essay portion Iorio wrote about her cousin, Liz Shirley a practicing Physician Assistant who played a significant role in her upbringing and inspired her to pursue the profession a collage featuring Pittsburgh’s iconic yellow bridges symbolized the pillars of her character in alignment with Gannon’s mission statement.The final stage was a 30-minute in-person interview before a panel of faculty members but I wasn’t sure how it would turn out."Iorio has been deeply involved in her high school’s youth ministry programs making it fitting that she learned about her scholarship in that setting I was attending a youth group meeting,” she said It was a very emotional moment and a special memory.”She credited her great aunt Cindy Shirley, with introducing her to Gannon and accompanying her to the competition She also expressed gratitude to her father, Justin Iorio, who offered some memorable words: "You’ll never know the pain of student loans."Looking ahead Iorio plans to continue her commitment to service at Gannon During a recent visit to the Erie campus—one that happened to be blanketed in snow—she was thrilled to meet her future roommate a Shaler Area High School student."Gannon has an excellent reputation and its urban campus drew me in," Iorio said "They offer strong ministry opportunities and an outstanding PA program—it aligned with everything I was looking for."As she prepares for college Iorio hopes to return to her hometown to practice as a Physician Assistant she emphasized how the combination of her interview and art project helped set her apart "That artwork is worth $170,000—I’m definitely framing it." the Black Hawks recovered from a midseason malaise to finish 11-11 with a spot in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A tournament against Franklin Regional “An 11-11 record may seem like the definition of an average year,” Bethel Park coach Steve Norman said we played three of the teams from 6A that are in the playoffs we’re playing our best basketball at the end of the season and entering the playoffs “Our seniors have really stepped up to shoulder that burden but we’ve got a great team of kids that show up and do their job whether that’s putting points on the board or boxing out We’ve got a great program here at Bethel Park.” 12 Black Hawks squeaked past fifth-seeded Franklin Regional in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs Feb It was the first postseason win for Baldwin’s girls program since the Highlanders defeated Norwin in 2021-22 a section champion for the first time since 1979 rallied from 16 down to get within one in the game’s closing seconds The Panthers (15-7) scored 13 points in the final 1:40 and whittled the deficit to 44-43 with 43.6 seconds to go Senior forward Ella Sabatos made two free throws to give the visitors a 46-43 lead with 17.4 seconds remaining “We didn’t have our best night offensively,” Norman said “We moved the ball well and got great looks that didn’t fall limited good looks for them and offensive rebounds and our offense was poised and took advantage of the opportunities they gave us We did a good job not panicking when we did make mistakes made mistakes during the season and we did a good job learning from them so we were ready for a close game.” junior guard Kat Boff nine (all on 3s) and senior point guard Sadie Orie eight Bethel Park improved to 12-11 with the win and was set to face No The Bethel Park-Mars game took place after this newspaper’s print deadline “We expected to be a playoff team,” Norman said and we knew we were capable of making it this season We knew we’d be much younger than last year and a lot of the girls we were hoping would step up given the opportunity really have “I think we have a couple kids that are going to come back this summer and demonstrate the same readiness for next year’s opportunity There’s been a lot of growth this year and that’s all we can ask for: competitive players that want to get better.” There are 18 girls in the Bethel Park girls basketball program Senior leadership this season has been provided by the 6-foot Sabatos and 5-7 Orie Sabatos and Orie were joined in the starting lineup by the 5-6 Boff 5-9 O’Neill and 5-10 sophomore forward A.J The team’s leading reserves were junior Bella Coleman and sophomores Avery Bonacci and Gabby Labate in the backcourt Orie averaged a team-best 16.1 points per game during the regular season and dished out 3 assists per game Sabatos netted 13.5 ppg while averaging 9 rebounds and 3 assists “I really think there’s a lot of great basketball ahead of us,” Norman said “We’ve put in a lot of work since May after coming really close and coming up short last season we’re excited to be where we are today in the playoffs “It’s a great time to be part of Bethel Park basketball The team came in confident and focused; everyone’s excited for the opportunity ahead of us there’s a lot more to write about this season before we talk about the incoming class and the 25-26 season.” Bethel Park finished fourth in Section 4-5A with a 6-6 record and the Black Hawks eked out their one-point win over Franklin Regional “We just wanted to get a win,” Norman said “Franklin Regional was a section champ and a talented team We needed to come ready to go before we thought about anything else.” The Steel Center for Career and Technical Education recently announced that seven Bethel Park High School students were recognized as the Students of the Month in their respective programs.Seniors Gabriella Balkovec (Cosmetology) and Matthew Yee (Cybersecurity & Networking Technology) were honored and Ashlin Williams (Advertising & Design) were also recognized.Steel Center’s best students are recognized monthly for their consistently high achievement and outstanding overall performance The recognition is meant to acknowledge the students’ unwavering commitment to their career and technical education as demonstrated by their remarkable achievements Bethel Park High School senior Sophia Iorio has been awarded Gannon University’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship a four-year full-tuition award valued at nearly $170,000 who plans to enroll in Gannon’s five-year physician assistant program “I received an email in December notifying me that I had qualified I learned more about the competition,” said Iorio and it was an intense but rewarding experience.” a practicing physician assistant who played a significant role in her upbringing and inspired her to pursue the profession a collage featuring Pittsburgh’s yellow bridges symbolized the pillars of her character in alignment with Gannon’s mission statement The final stage was a 30-minute in-person interview before a panel of faculty members Iorio has been deeply involved in her high school’s youth ministry programs Iorio hopes to return to her hometown to practice as a physician assistant “I think those were a big deal,” she said “That artwork is worth $170,000 — I’m definitely framing it.” Abraham Lincoln Elementary School teacher Patricia Esposito along with 39 fellow educators from western Pennsylvania participated a lesson planning blitz aimed at creating interactive STEAM (Science and Mathematics) lessons earlier this month The day commenced with a welcome from the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh setting a collaborative tone for the sessions Educators worked together to brainstorm innovative lessons that combined the STEELS standards with hockey themes participants took to the ice at PPG Paints Arena The group also enjoyed a tour of the Penguins’ locker room Esposito looks forward to piloting the lessons developed during the blitz with her students while providing feedback to the Children’s Museum “I just want to thank the Penguins and the Children’s Museum for their gracious hospitality allowing us to participate in this fabulous experience,” she said High School Students learning German by the American Association of Teachers of German Based on his performance on the 2025 AATG Level 4 National German Exam (on which he scored in the 96th percentile nationally) and the STAMP world language proficiency exam the AATG declared Ben to have “significant promise in (his) continued study of German.” Bethel Park School District received three significant awards for excellence in communication in the 2024 PenSPRA Excellence in Education Communication Contest which highlights school districts from across the commonwealth for their digital and print communication the district claimed the prestigious Award of Excellence in Writing category for its efforts following last summer’s attempted assassination of President Trump by a former Bethel Park student It also earned the Award of Merit for its District Profile It was given Honorable Mention recognition for its Best in Class special projects website highlighting the new elementary school slated to open in 2026 “I would like to thank our communications team for its tremendous work on behalf of our school district His dedication and expertise continue to elevate our communications and strengthen our connection with the Bethel Park community,” said District Superintendent Dr which reflect Bethel Park’s commitment to fostering meaningful engagement and strengthening connections within our school community.” a third-grade student at Memorial Elementary School recently returned from an unforgettable international experience after participating in a Real Madrid Academy Training Camp in Spain Cunningham earned the opportunity to train in Madrid after impressing soccer coaches at a Real Madrid camp he attended over the summer His performance caught the attention of the academy’s staff leading to an exclusive invitation to train at the club’s world-renowned facilities Cunningham spent the week honing his skills at the Real Madrid training complex and visiting some of Spain’s most iconic soccer stadiums A highlight of the trip included attending a match between Real Madrid and Leganés Cunningham’s talent continued to shine during the camp earning him the title of Most Valuable Player for the 2014–2015 age group In recognition of his outstanding performance he was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Real Madrid summer training camp in Pittsburgh