Leaving C-H was tough decision for Karlon Nixon
Karlon Nixon knew it would be hard to say good-bye but this was an opportunity to follow his dream.
The the 34-year-old resigned as head track coach at Chartiers-Houston so he could take an assistant track coaching position at Chatham University. He will join the staff of coach Jon Morrow, who was hired in June.
Nixon spent the last 11 years at Chartiers-Houston, 10 of them as head coach. He said leaving was the toughest decision he had to make.
“I never had to make a tough choice, where I was going to upset people,” he said. “They understood. Eleven years is a long time at a school. I was an assistant coach at 23 and head coach at 24. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know the rules. … It’s real tough leaving those kids. Telling some of them was pretty hard. I’ll still be around to support them. I’ll try to recruit some to Chatham.”
Nixon joined his father, Jerome, as an assistant when the latter was hired as Bentworth’s head track coach in 2003. Karlon Nixon was just two years removed from college.
At Chatham, Nixon will coach sprinters and relays, as well as recruit the area. Nixon’s position is part-time so he will keep his job as a teacher at Wesley Spectrum School in Upper St. Clair. He works with developmentally challenged children.
“I’ve always wanted to coach college track,” he said. “I applied for a college job at Cal two years ago. This summer, I talked with a couple local college coaches and asked how I could get into the college game. They told me I would have to make some sacrifices, maybe take a pay cut, but in the long run, I would need to do this to be at the college level.”
The Washington School Board recently voted to end the varsity softball program. The move was made because the participation numbers were low.
“They were struggling just to get a team on the field,” said athletic director Mike Bosnic. “They had to forfeit some games and that led to ending the program.”
Joyce Eisiminger was the head coach. The Prexies lost their last 25 games.
Dan Trimbur, a wide receiver and kicker for South Fayette’s football team, will continue his career at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Trimbur leads South Fayette with 12 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 15 extra-point kicks and two field goals.
• Jarod Verkleeren has committed to Iowa State to continue his college wrestling career. The senior just had his transfer from Belle Vernon to Hempfield approved by the WPIAL board of control. Verkleeren, a Cadet World Champion in 2015, sat out the past postseason because of a weight criteria situation.
• Tyler Seliga, a former teammate of Verkleeren at Belle Vernon, will attend Seton Hill to wrestle. He is expected to compete at either 133 or 141 pounds.
Mapletown running back Dylan Rush needed just four games to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards. He has 1,027, which is second in the WPIAL. … Behind the offensive attack provided by Aideen O’Donahue, Sabrina Bryan and Cheyenne Trest, the Canon-McMillan girls soccer team is off to a 6-0 start overall, 3-0 in Section 2-AAAA. Paige Marshalek and Jocelyn Timlin combined for eight goals in the past two game to push Bentworth to a 7-0 overall record, 4-0 in Section 2-A. … The boys soccer teams at Peters Township (5-0-2) and Waynesburg (6-0) alsowent into Tuesday night undefeated.