SID Blog #33 (We’re still blowing away the field!)
It's been far too long since we shared the latest Rock-solid success stories, so we will attempt to do so now:
• Congratulations are in order for, and apology owed to, 1964 Slippery Rock graduate and former Rock baseball student-athlete
Ed McCloskey, who will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Western Chapter Hall of Fame in May. McCloskey was a longtime baseball coach and instructor and is “a great guy” according to those who know him. So we regret not including him in the spotlight cast upon Rock Head Football Coach George Mihalik, who will also be a member of this year’s PSHOFWC induction class. Thanks to
Darrell Hess and
John Hicks for making us aware of McCloskey’s ties to The Rock.
• Congratulations also to SRU Athletic Hall of Famer
Tom Dolde Sr., who will become a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Fayette County Chapter in June. A former mat boss at Connellsville High School, Dolde held the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) record for most wins by a wrestling coach with 448 until fellow SRU alum
Chuck Tursky, the head coach at Kiski Area High School, bettered that mark in January.
• “Great job” to former Rock women’s basketball standout
Nikki Presto (2006-10), who led the Keystone Oaks High School girls basketball team to an appearance in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals and the PIAA state playoffs in her first season as head coach. Presto’s Rebels knocked off fourth-seeded Deer Lakes and fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Central Catholic in their second- and third-round games before the lost to top-ranked and defending champion Seton-LaSalle last Tuesday. KO will take a 19-7 record into next week’s PIAA playoffs.
• Fist-bump to former Rock men’s basketball student-athlete
Aaron Epps (2001-03), who led the Kiski Area High School girls basketball team to a 15-7 record and a berth in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs in his first season as head coach.
• Shout-out to former Rock men’s basketball graduate assistant coach
Romeo Lagmay Jr., who recently became the all-time leader in career victories by a women’s basketball coach at Talladega (Ala.) College. Lagmay, who served from 2000-02 on the SRU staff headed by Anthony Jones, led the Lady Tornadoes to a 19-7 (going into final game) record in regular-season play this winter and to 74 wins (+1?) in four seasons as their head coach. He broke the school record formerly held by Larry McNeil, the current Jackson State head coach, who won 63 games in six seasons.
• Belated congratulations to former Rock baseball standout
Kirk Scurpa, who was inducted into the Mercer County Sports Hall of Fame in January. Scurpa excelled as a pitcher at The Rock from 1986-1989. As a senior, he received All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors and was named as the Northeast Region Pitcher of the Year. He was also named to second-team Converse All-American honors after compiling a 9-4 record with a 2.61 ERA and leading SRU to its first-ever NCAA regional championship and a third-place finish in the College World Series in Montgomery, Ala. Scurpa later served as head baseball coach at his alma mater, Sharpsville High School, and led teams to 11 Mercer County Athletic Conference titles and four District 10 crowns. He 2000 squad won the Western Regional championship. Today, he serves as principal at Sharpsville High School and is a member of the PIAA District 10 and PIAA state Board of Directors, both as junior high representative.
Until next time …
GO ROCK!!!
Bob McComas
Sports Information Director
