Kniha, Wilson to join Jacket wrestling team
With the Penguins playing at a time that won’t allow me to either preview the Stanley Cup finals or looking back at a memorable 2015-16 campaign, I thought I would take this opportunity to provide a bit of news regarding Waynesburg University sports. However, before I continue, I want to wish good luck to the West Greene softball team and hope to be writing about a WPIAL title in the near future.
Waynesburg Central and Jefferson-Morgan wrestling fans may want to make plans to attend a few Yellow Jacket matches this winter as both schools are expected to be represented on Ron Headlee’s team. Recent Rocket grad Trevor Kniha is projected as a middleweight as he remains in Orange and Black. Raider standout Shaun Wilson also decided to stay close to home after a fantastic high school career at WCHS. Wilson projects at either 141 or 149 pounds.
Adam Rigney, another former Raider has also made a verbal commitment to Waynesburg. However, it’s been a while since Rigney wrestled in Greene County. He saw varsity action as a freshman during the 2012-13 campaign, before moving from the area and attending Mount Union High School. While competing for the Trojans, Rigney advanced to the PIAA AA Championships in Hershey this past winter and came one win shy of being a state medalist. He was also a three-year football standout at Mount Union.
The entire Yellow Jacket recruiting class as it currently appears is available for viewing on intermatwrestling.com. Waynesburg is expected to bring back all 10 starters from last year.
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One of the finest baseball careers in the history of Waynesburg University came to an end on Sunday, May 8, when senior pitcher Brian Resnik toed the rubber for a history-making win over Westminster. After working seven innings that resulted in a 7-0 Yellow Jacket win, Resnik earned his 29th collegiate victory, which set a new Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) record.
Resnik was named PAC Pitcher of the Year for a second straight season and was a four-time all-conference selection, including his last three as a first-team pick. The Burgettstown native was also honored as an all-region selection by national website D3baseball.com.
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Congratulations to the Waynesburg University women’s outdoor track & field team, which won its second PAC title in the last four years. Much like their counterparts at WCHS, the Yellow Jacket tracksters are sometimes overlooked as one of their school’s top programs.
Much like Resnik and the baseball team, one of the Jacket women’s top performers graduated from a small school in Washington County. Rising junior Addy Knetzer won her second straight PAC Field MVP award at the PAC Outdoor Championships and was a big reason for the Orange and Black victory.
The Chartiers-Houston graduate won the shot put in meet- and school-record fashion (42-10.25), finished second in the javelin (126-10) and was third in the discus (116-05). She also qualified for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships in both the javelin and shot put.
A native daughter was also on the roster during the championships. Rising sophomore Caitlin Brooks, who graduated from WCHS in 2015, competed in the 4脳100-meter relay, the high jump and triple jump.
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Few if any sports draw interest from the local community like the Waynesburg University football team. The upcoming 2016 season marks the 50th anniversary of the greatest Yellow Jacket squad ever: the 1966 NAIA national champion squad.
While there has been no official word as to how the legendary team will be honored, expect there to be some sort of ceremony or celebration of the one-of-a-kind group of athletes.