Students Commended in
Students Perform With PMEA Honors Band
Several members of Mars Area High School Band were selected by solo audition to perform in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association ( PMEA ) District 5 Honors Band Festival , held Dec . 1 through 3 at Westminster College in New Wilmington , PA .
Students include seniors Riley Funk ( trumpet ), Zach Kowalewski ( alto sax ), Katie Olsen ( bass clarinet ), and Sydney Weiland ( oboe ); junior Michelle Manukas ( flute ); sophomores Dustin Bauer ( string bass ), Sarah Grimm ( clarinet ); Jenna Halenda ( flute ) and Jacob Smith ( trombone ); and freshman Ruby Watson ( trombone ). Brian Balmages , award-winning composer , conductor and producer , served as guest conductor .
The event concluded with a public concert at 2 p . m . on Saturday , Dec . 3 , at Westminster College ’ s Orr Auditorium . For more information , contact Mark Rodgers , Mars Area High School band director , at 724.625.1581 or visit pmea5advocate . com .
Students Commended in
National Merit Program
Mars Area seniors Jesse Chen , Nathan Kalieda , Adam Schueller and Michael Sutton were named Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program .
The students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million high school students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test . Each will receive a letter of commendation from National Merit .
For more information , contact Lindsay Rosswog , principal , at 724.625.1581 .
Mars Area seniors Nathan Kalieda , Adam Schueller , Michael Sutton and Jesse Chen were named Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program .
Mars Area High School students ( front row , from left ) Ruby Watson , Jacob Smith , Zach Kowalewski and Dustin Bauer ; ( middle row ) Sydney Weiland , Michelle Manukas and Sarah Grimm ; ( back row ) Katie Olsen , and Jenna Halenda ; and ( not pictured ) Riley Funk were selected to perform in the PMEA Honors Band Festival .
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
Girls Basketball Coach Earns
400th Career Win
Dana Petruska , Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team head coach , earned her 400th career win with the Lady Planet ’ s victory over the Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles at the Slippery Rock Tip-Off Tournament , held Dec . 9 and 10 .
Petruska ’ s combined record includes the more than 290 wins she compiled as head coach of the Lady Planets from 1986 to 2005 and 2015 to present . In the interim , she earned 111 wins as a coach of Deer Lakes High School Girls Varsity Lady Lancers Basketball Team .
A 1975 graduate of Deer Lakes High School , Petruska was recruited by the University of Pittsburgh Panthers Women ’ s Basketball Team , where she played under head coaches Jean Condo , Pat Wallace and Jean Balthaser .
Petruska , a physical education teacher at Mars Area High School , has also previously coached softball . She and her husband , Jim , live in Valencia and have three grown sons .
For more information , call 724.625.9380 .
Wrestlers Place at Hickory Invitational
Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Wrestling Team placed fifth overall in the 2016 Hickory Invitational Tournament ( HIT ), held Dec . 9 and 10 at Hickory High School in Hermitage , PA .
Junior Alex Hornfeck took first place in the 126-pound weight class and earned HIT All-Academic Team Honors . In their respective weight classes , seniors Justin Petrilena ( 170 ) and Max Aubrecht ( 220 ) took third place ; junior Nick Schriver ( 195 ) and sophomore Noah Hunkele ( 106 ), fourth place ; junior Jeff DeSantes ( 285 ), sixth place ; and senior Isaiah Johnson ( 180 ), junior Aidan Leshinsky ( 138 ) and freshman Mitchell McMarlin ( 145 ), eighth place .
For more information , visit wpial . org .
Mars Area High School wrestlers ( back row , from left ) Justin Petrilena , Nick Schriver , Alex Hornfeck , Max Aubrecht , Jeff DeSantes , ( front row ) Aidan Leshinsky , Isaiah Johnson , Mitchell McMarlin and Noah Hunkele placed in their respective weight classes in the 2016 Hickory Invitational Tournament .
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CITY MARS OF AREA MCKEESPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS NEWS
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