Nov 17, 2021 5 min read

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Kotchman

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Marisa

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Aeschbacher

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Arnold

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The scoring prowess of Sierra Kotchman has ’em rewriting the Fairmont State women’s basketball record book.

Kotchman, a fifth-year senior guard who was a standout for Trinity High School’s PIAA runner-up team in 2017, broke the Fairmont State record for career points during the first half of a 74-69 loss to Winston-Salem State on Sunday at Joe Retton Arena.

Kotchman scored 21 points in the game to break the record of 2,056 points that was held by Kailtin Snyder.

Kotchman currently has 2,066 career points. She is the Mountain East Conference’s all-time scoring leader and holds Fairmont State’s record for career three-pointers (324). Her 19.3 points per game career scoring average also is tops in Fairmont State history.

The points total does not include the 21 she scored in an exhibition game against Maryland on Oct. 29.

Kotchman will be back in Washington County this evening when Fairmont State (1-1) plays California (2-0) at the Convocation Center. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. The 22nd-ranked Fairmont State men (2-0) will play California (3-0) at 7:30 p.m.

In wrestling

Caleb Morris has made an immediate impact at Pitt-Johnstown.

Morris, a Waynesburg native, transferred to UPJ from West Virginia prior to the 2020-21 season and was named the PSAC Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 8 for the first week of the current season.

Morris had a pin that led No. 21-ranked Pitt-Johnstown to a season-opening win at No. 5 West Liberty. He pinned the Hilltoppers’ Marcus Jean-Baptiste at 6:19 in the 141-pound bout to give UPJ a 20-14 lead with one bout remaining.

Gannon senior Jacob Dunlop was named the PSAC Wrestler of the Week on Monday following his performance at the Journeyman Collegiate Classic in Manheim.

Dunlop, a senior from Rostraver Township and a belle Vernon graduate, finished first in his pool wrestling at 125 pounds. He opened the day with a technical fall (15-0) over Kaelen Francois of Long Island. In the semifinals, Dunlop won a 5-1 decision over Central Michigan’s Sean Spidle. He won the pool with a 14-4 major decision over Army’s Jake Staud.

Last spring, Dunlop was an NCAA All-American at 133 pounds.

In soccer

Austin Arnold has enjoyed a highly successful freshman season at Penn State-New Kensington.

A Chartiers-Houston graduate and multi-sport standout for the Bucs, Arnold played forward for New Kensington and ranked sixth in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference in scoring with 32 points that included 14 goals. He was named second team all-conference.

Arnold had a three-goal, eight-point game in a 10-5 win over Villa Maria and had four two-goal games.

Arnold helped Penn State New Kensington qualify for the USCAA Division II national championships for the first time in school history.

In basketball

Makenna Marisa and Penn State put together a record-breaking performance Tuesday against Delaware State. Marisa, a Peters Township graduate, had a triple-double of 30 points, 11 assists and 10 steals as Penn State set a school single-game scoring record in a 120-51 victory at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Marisa, a junior guard, became the first Lady Lion since Suzie McConnell in 1988 to record a triple-double and the first since Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference.

Marisa’s career-high 30 points, on 12-of-16 shooting, led the Lady Lions. She contributed 11 of Penn State’s program-record 37 assists and 10 of its Bryce Jordan Center-record 25 steals.

Penn State is 3-0 and Marisa is averaging a team-high 23 points per game. She is shooting 57.4 percent from the field, 50 percent (21-for-42) from three-point range and has not missed a free throw.

In volleyball

Penn State Fayette’s Kristina Aeschbacher had several big performances this season for the Lions and was named the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year and first team All-American.

A senior middle hitter from Carmichaels, Aeschbacher had a .385 hitting percentage and averaged 1.85 blocks per set, keeping her at the top of the conference statistics all season.

Aeschbacher was named the PSUAC Volleyball Player of the Week for Oct. 18-24 when she helped Penn State Fayette secure a spot in the conference tournament. Aeschbacher finished with 34 kills and 12 blocks during the week, including setting a career high with 15 kills against Potomac State. Aeschbacher’s efficiency also saw a hitting percentage above .500.

She was named the USCAA Volleyball Player of the Week for Sept. 13-19 for her play in wins over Penn State Mont Alto and Penn State Beaver. She totaled 17 kills and 11 blocks (8 solo) in the two victories.

Awards

Salem University presented its Distinguished Alumni award to Jeff Connors in October.

Connors is a Washington County native and a 1975 graduate of Beth-Center High School.

In 2017, the National Strength and Conditioning Association selected Connors, who was at East Carolina at the time, as the organization’s College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.

Connors is a retired collegiate strength and conditioning coach who was a three-year starter at quarterback and defensive back for Salem’s football team and led the Tigers in interceptions his junior season.

Connors worked at Bucknell, East Carolina and North Carolina as well as with the Marine Corps Special Operations Command.