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Division I transfers bolster California (Pa.)
Wide receiver Marcel Pestano and linebacker Greg Webster have left Pitt for California, which lost to eventual champion Valdosta State, 28-24, in the Division II semifinals.
Pestano had 44 receptions in his final 15 games at Pitt. Webster, a Woodland Hills graduate, has overcome injuries and will join the Vulcans in the fall.
Said California coach John Luckhardt: "Marcel has outstanding speed and strength and has the capacity to be a big-play receiver in 2008. Greg is back in shape and ready to compete. He has a very bright future here."
California, which posted a school-record 13-1 mark and won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division last season, has signed 19 first-year college players to letters of intent. They will be joined by 12 mid-year and fall transfer players.
Other Division I transfers expected to join the program are defensive back Anthony Bailey (Central Catholic), from Maine; quarterbacks Will Brogan (Hawaii) and Kevin McCabe (Pine-Richland), from Virginia; wide receiver Chedrick Cherry (South Florida); linebacker Ray Lankford (McKeesport), from Boston College; and running back Hosea Simpson (Toledo).
Playoff hopefuls
A handful of basketball teams from around the region are battling for an NCAA playoff spot, as the season enters the final stages.
No. 2 West Liberty State, No. 3 California (Pa.) and No. 5 Edinboro are among the top five Division II men's teams in the East Region rankings, and Gannon is ranked No. 3 in the Great Lakes Region.
Penn State-Behrend is ranked 6 in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region.
As for women, No. 1 Indiana (Pa.), No. 2 California (Pa.), No. 3 West Liberty State, No. 8 Shippensburg and No. 9 Clarion are among the East Region leaders.
Swimming success
Washington & Jefferson senior Kaitlyn Orstein, a five-time NCAA Division III champion, was named MVP of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships for a fourth season. Her victory in the 200 breaststroke gave her 25 PAC titles for her career.
Washington & Jefferson won the PAC women's title as Orstein, a Mt. Lebanon graudate, posted seven qualifying times for the Division III Championships.
Broken records
Shippensburg sophomore forward Lauren Beckley came within one point of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference record for points in a women's basketball game, when she scored a school-record 47 in a 76-69 victory over Lock Haven.
The old Shippensburg record for points in a game was held by current Red Raiders coach Kristy Trn, who scored 45 against Cheyney in 1993.
Terri Gunder scored a PSAC-record 48 points for Millersville against Division III Rowan in 1971.
Elsewhere, Chatham freshman guard/forward Kayla Hilko, a Norwin High School graduate, set a school record with 39 points in an 81-70 loss to Westminster (Pa.).
District musings
Thiel won its ninth consecutive NCAA Division III Presidents' Athletic Conference wrestling championship behind six individual champions, including the third title in a row by junior Andrew Riddle at 184 pounds. ... Cassidy Krug, daughter of Pitt swimming and diving assistant head coach Julian Krug, has been selected as one of 12 divers to represent the United States on the 2008 World Cup Team. A graduate of Stanford, Krug earned the bid by scoring a total of 1,377.70 points and finishing first in the 3-meter springboard at the selection/training camp in January. ... Penn State's Drew O'Neil has been named to two preseason baseball watch lists. The Nittany Lions' reliever is among the early candidates for the National College Baseball Writers' Association Stopper of the Year and USA Baseball Golden Spikes awards. The latter recognizes the nation's top amateur baseball player.
