Lovelace headed to IUP
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Leechburg’s Mikayla Lovelace had been receiving interest from some smaller Division I schools and might have ended up at one if she would have extended her recruitmenta few more months.
Instead, Lovelace signed with one of the top Division II women’sbasketball programs in the country and said she is gladshe did.
IUP picked up another talented WPIAL player when Lovelace recently signed with the Crimson Hawks. Lovelace,a 5-foot-10 guard-forward, is the second-leading returning scorer in the WPIAL. She averaged 23.3 points per game her junior season when she was named Class 2A thirdteam all-state and helped Leechburg win its first WPIALplayoff game.
Lovelace pointed to IUP’s success and her comfort level with the coaching staff as being the primary reasons why she picked the school. IUP is 50and ranked No. 7 in the country. Coach Tom McConnell has guided the Crimson Hawks to three consecutive 20-winseasons.
“I got to go up for family weekend and I saw how family-oriented they were,” Lovelace said. “I really like coach McConnell and the staff and I like how they interact with theplayers.”
IUP has become a popular landing spot for WPIAL players. McConnell has seven on his roster this season, including three starters: Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s LaurenWolosik, Greensburg Central Catholic’s Carolyn Appleby and Blackhawk’s Halle Denman.
Lovelace’s father, David, was a football standout at Leechburgwho later played at Rutgers.
Savchik to Duke
One of the state’s top distance runners typically covers either 2 or 3.1 miles during herhigh school races.
She’ll travel nearly 500 milesto get to college.
North Allegheny senior Clara Savchik signed with Duke. Savchik chose Duke over Princeton and Georgetown after visiting all three schools. “I really like the girls at Duke and I’m really interested in medicine. They have a really good pre-med program,” said Savchik, who has a4.4 GPA.
Savchik is outstanding in track and cross country. She is the defending PIAA Class 3A champion in the 3,200-meter run and won a WPIAL title when she was a sophomore. In cross country, she has won a WPIAL championship and owns two runner-up finishes atthe PIAA championships.
Ohio’s future Czar
Little do Ohio residents know that the Buckeye State will have a Czar beginning nextfall.
Czar Tarr, a standout runner at Chartiers Valley who also has one of the most interesting names in the WPIAL, has elected to run for Ohio University. A senior, Tarr placed seventh at the WPIAL Class 3A cross country championships and 15th at the PIAAchampionships.
If you’re wondering about the origin of his name, Tarr explains.
“My great-great-grandmother was born on a boat coming from Russia during a war, which gave me a strong Russian background. Then my mother said if she ever had a son after having three daughters, she would name him Czar because czar means ‘king’ in Russian, so I would be the king of my siblings. And the Tarr last name just wasa coincidence,” Tarr said.
Commitments
• Montour senior tennis player Isabela Paixao to FerrisState.
• Penn Hills senior track and field athlete Jaden Rouse toBucknell.
• Upper St. Clair senior baseball player Dom Cepullio toJames Madison.