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Athletes of the Week: 2.22.13
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Mallory Heinle, St. Joseph
Last week: Heinle battled through an ankle injury that caused her to miss four games by scoring 23 points to lead No. 12 St. Joseph to a 45-30 upset of No. 5 Avella in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Saturday.
Check this out: Heinle, a junior guard/forward, is averaging 19.7 points per game. She accounts for more than half of her team's points, as St. Joseph's averages 37.1 a game. The Spartans (11-12) play No. 4 Quigley (17-5) in Saturday's quarterfinals. Heinle's brother, Brian, was a former 1,000-point scorer at St. Joseph and now plays at Pitt-Greensburg.
• How do you score the majority of your points? I don't even know if I can pinpoint it. I like to have an inside-outside game, so it depends on what kind of defense the other team is playing. I score a lot on inside jumpers, but I do step out here and there and shoot 3-pointers.
• Do you feel a lot of pressure to score? I guess I do, but I really don't think about it during the game. I just go as hard as can. I do put a lot on myself, but my team steps up a lot, too.
• Best player you've played against this season? Probably either [North Catholic's] Lauren Wolosik or [Vincentian's] Brenna Wise. They're two different types of players, but both are almost impossible to guard.
• If your team doesn't make it to the WPIAL finals, will go and watch any of the games? Yeah, definitely. Basketball is our life. If we're not playing, we usually find a game to go see.
• Do you go to fish fries during Lent? Yes.
• Who has the best? Well, I think my mom makes pretty good fish. We go to Blessed Sacrament [in Natrona Heights] and eat there. They're good, but I think my mom's is best.
• Favorite celebrity to follow on Twitter? Josh Groban (singer/songwriter).
Garrett Vulcano, Chartiers-Houston
Last week: Vulcano captured his third consecutive section title, this time wrestling in the 195-pound weight class.
Check this out: Though he has made a significant mark in WPIAL wrestling the past few seasons, Vulcano was also a standout for the Chartiers-Houston football team. He was an all-state selection this past season and was also a member of the Post-Gazette's South Xtra Fab 22. Most impressive of all, he was named the defensive MVP of the Class A Black Hills Conference -- the same conference that features four-time defending WPIAL champion Clairton. Vulcano's father, Frank, is the athletic director at Chartiers Valley.
• What are you hoping to accomplish the rest of the season with the individual competitions? I'll focus on myself and I hope my friends do well. I'll root for them.
• You excelled at linebacker for the school's football team. Does that help at all with wrestling? I guess it helps. Wrestling requires mental toughness and it helps you with football because it's a longer game and you might need more mental toughness.
• Was it ever difficult to balance playing two sports? It's not easy, but it's fun to play both sports. It's not that hard. You're with your friends all the time.
• What was your reaction when you saw the IOC's decision to drop wrestling? It's not that good because wrestling was one of the first sports in the Olympics. A lot of people have high dreams to be in the Olympics and it stinks because they've been training their whole life for them and they took it away.
• What's your all-time favorite movie? Animal House.
• A final note: I'd like to give a shoutout for my Uncle Jimmy. Even though I beat his record, he's been supportive of me as a coach through all these years.
First Published February 22, 2013 12:00 am
