Busy final stretch helps Gateway volleyball prepare for WPIAL playoffs
By: Michael Love Sunday, May 11, 2025 | 11:01 AM Christopher Horner | TribLive Gateway’s Darious Farrar (6) celebrates with Toktobek Kubanychbekov after scoring against Plum during their match on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Plum. Christopher Horner | TribLive Gateway’s Thomas Nikou sets up a kill against Plum on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at […]
Gateway’s Darious Farrar (6) celebrates with Toktobek Kubanychbekov after scoring against Plum during their match on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Plum.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Gateway’s Thomas Nikou sets up a kill against Plum on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Plum.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Gateway’s Thomas Nikou (26) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Plum during their match on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Plum.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Gateway’s Daniel Bozicevic scores past Plum’s Ramzy Feliachi during their match on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at PNC Park.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Gateway’s Aiden Coughran blocks a shot by Plum’s Adam Smith during their match on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Plum.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Gateway’s Thomas Nikou battles Plum’s Tavon Rupert at the net during their match on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at Plum.
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A couple of postponements created a busy scenario for the final week of the regular season for the Gateway boys volleyball team.
Four matches in four days, starting with a crucial Section 4 clash with Central Catholic and continuing with matches against Plum, Penn Hills and Fox Chapel, decided the Gators’ fate in regards to their goal of capturing the section championship.
“I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t physically and emotionally taxing at this point in the season to take on such a demanding schedule,” Gateway coach Phil Randolph said.
“While the expected signs and looks of fatigue were in place on the faces of the kids when I saw them in the hallways for school, we were spry and eager on the court, which is a testament to the work that these guys have put in both in and out of the gym since the conclusion of last season. I fervently believe that one of the big reasons that we have been able to make this program into a perennial playoff contender since I’ve taken the reins of this program is because we work year-round to ensure we are physically ready to perform in season.”
Gateway started the four-game stretch with three wins — a 3-1 triumph over Central Catholic, a 3-2 thriller over Plum, and a 3-0 shutout of Penn Hills on senior night at the Furrie Sports Complex.
That put the Gators at 7-2 in the section and clinched at least a tie for the section championship in their first season back in Class 3A after several seasons in Class 2A.
Gateway hoped for revenge against Fox Chapel last Thursday in a rematch of a 3-2 loss to the Foxes from April 15.
The Gators then were to find out their playoff fate Friday when the WPIAL boys volleyball playoff committee was set to assemble and release the Class 3A brackets.
The severe storms from April 29 knocked out power to several areas in the region, including Monroeville, and with Gateway schools being closed several days, Randolph said it created challenges for the team.
“We did miss a few days of practice last week before getting back to practice on Friday,” he said.
“Following the SATs on Saturday, we were able to get back in for a few hours and get a healthy run going. Even though it was only a few days of missed time, there was rust that needed to be shaved off before our marathon week, so this was certainly time well spent. We were able to take a closer look at what we needed to specifically tailor for each of our opponents.”
The game plan for the rematch with Central Catholic — moved to May 1 from May 5 because of the power outage — worked well as Gateway bounced back from an epic 31-29 Vikings win in Game 1 to capture the final three games — 25-23, 25-17 and 25-20.
“That match was a blast,” Randolph said. “If we matched up 10 times, you could have 10 different outcomes because there is a lot of parity with these squads. I loved that it was a clean, competitive contest. There wasn’t any trash talking or complaining about calls or drama from kids or coaches. It was just good, competitive volleyball between two squads with guys who love the game. I have a ton of respect for Grant Heckmann and the manner in which he runs his crew, and I have some imaginings that he and I have some similar manners in which we are both trying to play chess with hopes that others are playing checkers.”
Randolph said middle hitters Chase Lewandowski, a junior; and Donovan Shaeffer, a sophomore; senior libero Owen Echegaray; senior defensive specialist Ethan Nguyen; senior setter Tommy Nikou; outside hitters Darious Farrar, a senior, and Daniel Bozicevic, a junior; and junior utility player Tokyo Kubanychbekov, were able to execute the game plan with speed, mobility, power and efficiency.
Randolph also said junior opposite side hitter Aiden Coughran had a breakout game with his quick-strike swings.
“Aiden is apt to let his play do the talking, so I was super excited to see him have the spotlight deservedly shone on him following Monday’s big win,” Randolph said.
Gateway completed a sweep of rival Plum, but it wasn’t easy the rest of the way after the Gators seemed to breeze through a 25-14 win in Game 1.
Plum rebounded in Game 2, 28-26, and Game 4, 25-23, but the Gators prevailed, closing out the match with a 15-11 win in the deciding fifth game.
“Plum definitely was a different team (May 6) than they were when we saw them earlier in the season,” Randolph said.
“It was impossible not to come away from (that) night impressed with how efficiently Plum was able to have their outside hitters — Max Grice and Adam Smith — become threats from all six spots. They have some really talented and hard-working kids on that roster. For us to earn that hard-fought win, we had to hit reset a few times and take a few deep breaths so that we could get back on the same page. Once we restored our positive energy and made some strategic moves with regard to trying to exploit their blocks and serve-receive, we looked like our old selves again.”
Gateway celebrated senior night with a quick 3-0 win over Penn Hills with scores of 25-16, 25-13, and 25-16. Farrar, Nguyen, Echegaray, Nikou, middle hitter Brandon Maldonado and defensive specialist Cam Pawlowski were celebrated before the match.
“For the guys who’ve been here for all four years — Darious, Ethan, Owen and Tommy — it’s been like watching my own kid grow up,” Randolph said.
“All four of these young men have left big and lasting fingerprints on this court and this program, and while they will certainly be missed next year, they and their contributions to our ‘volleyball family’ will not be forgotten any time soon. And while I haven’t been able to spend as much time with (first-year seniors) Brandon and Cam, they’ve both been very welcomed additions to the squad, and it’s been really special to see how far they’ve grown in just a few short months’ time. I wish that they’d have been around for all four years.”
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
Chargers Haas, Kuzma, and Marshall win major awards as All-G-MAC honorees announced
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2025 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field All-G-MAC Teams 2025 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field All-G-MAC Teams At the end of another successful outdoor track and field season, both the Hillsdale College men’s and women’s teams brought home major honors as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced its All-G-MAC teams on […]
2025 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field All-G-MAC Teams
2025 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field All-G-MAC Teams
At the end of another successful outdoor track and field season, both the Hillsdale College men’s and women’s teams brought home major honors as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced its All-G-MAC teams on Thursday.
On the men’s side, junior Ben Haas was named the G-MAC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Haas also was the Indoor Field Athlete of the Year for the G-MAC and cemented his honor by becoming Hillsdale’s first double NCAA DII national champion on the men’s side by capturing the national title in the hammer throw with a winning mark of 66.31 meters on May 22nd in Pueblo, Colorado. The hammer throw title adds to Haas’ 2025 indoor weight throw national title, which the junior captured in March with a program and G-MAC record-setting mark of 22.89 meters on the biggest stage.
Haas was a double champion at the G-MAC Outdoor Championships in early May, winning titles in both the hammer throw and the shot put. He holds the Hillsdale school records in the weight throw, hammer throw, and indoor and outdoor shot put.
On the women’s side, two athletes won major G-MAC awards. Freshman Allison Kuzma was named the G-MAC Freshman of the Year for Outdoor Track, after a sensational finish at the NCAA DII national championships in Pueblo, Colorado on May 22 that saw her place third in the nation in the 10,000m run with a time of 35:02.50. A breakout star from Zeeland, Michigan, Kuzma dominated the 10K race at the G-MAC Championships in early May, winning the race by nearly 90 seconds over second place to add a second G-MAC title to her indoor 5,000m crown. Kuzma also finished second at the G-MAC Cross Country championships in the fall.
Along with Kuzma, senior Nicole Marshall was Hillsdale’s third-ever recipient of the Elite 26 award, honoring the athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing in the G-MAC Outdoor Championship meet. Marshall graduated with a perfect 4.0 from Hillsdale and a degree in Biochemistry in the spring, serving as her class’ Valedictorian at the commencement ceremony. A multi-time placer in the G-MAC both indoors and outdoors, Marshall is heading to medical school in the fall to become a doctor.
Both Haas and Kuzma were among the eight Charger men and women to earn All-G-MAC honors for their performances this spring. On the men’s side, senior Richie Johnston earned first team All-G-MAC honors after repeating as the conference champion in the 3,000m steeplechase, while junior Connor McCormick earned second team honors for his runner-up finish in the pole vault.
On the women’s side, juniors Tara Townsend in the pole vault, Anna Roberts in the 3,000m steeplechase, and Averi Parker in the discus all received first team honors along with Kuzma after capturing G-MAC titles in their respective events. Senior Marilyn Popplewell also earned second team All-G-MAC honors for her runner-up finish in the javelin at the G-MAC Outdoor Championships.
Long Beach To Host Swimming Competition For 2028 Paralympics
For the first time since the Olympics and Paralympics started being held in the same city in 1988, there will be two different venues for the swimming competitions. On Tuesday, organizers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics unveiled the plan for Paralympic venues, with the swimming competition scheduled to be held in Long […]
For the first time since the Olympics and Paralympics started being held in the same city in 1988, there will be two different venues for the swimming competitions.
On Tuesday, organizers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics unveiled the plan for Paralympic venues, with the swimming competition scheduled to be held in Long Beach.
A temporary outdoor aquatics center will be built on a lot adjacent to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center for the Paralympic swimming competition.
The swimming venue for the Olympic Games will be at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Events for Paralympic swimming will take place in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Mixed medley relays will be held also.
Competitors will compete in heats based on disability classification, which will have them either diving into the pool or starting a race directly in the water.
It will be the first time that different swimming venues will be used for the Olympics and Paralympics since 1984, but that was also the last year that the two events were held in different cities. The Paralympics were split between Stoke Mandeville, England and Long Island, New York, while the Olympics were in Los Angeles.
China won the most medals during swimming at the 2024 Summer Paralympics with 54 (22 gold, 21 silver, 11 bronze). The United States won 30 medals, 10 of them gold.
In addition to swimming, Long Beach will also host blind football, canoeing, climbing, rowing shooting and sitting volleyball during the Paralympics.
“The Paralympic venue plan ensures that Los Angeles’ first-ever Paralympic Games will take place in incredible existing stadiums and arenas across the region while creating the best possible experience for athletes and fans across the 560 events with accessibility top of mind,” LA 2028 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a press release.
‘I feel like I deserve it’: JaMeesia Ford and Gamecock Track and Field ready for NCAA Nationals
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — South Carolina track and field is heading to Track Town, USA, aka Eugene, Oregon, thanks in large part to JaMeesia Ford. At the East Regionals, the Gamecocks punched 16 tickets to NCAA track nationals between their men (5) and women (11). “I think we’re prepared to do something very special out […]
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — South Carolina track and field is heading to Track Town, USA, aka Eugene, Oregon, thanks in large part to JaMeesia Ford.
At the East Regionals, the Gamecocks punched 16 tickets to NCAA track nationals between their men (5) and women (11).
“I think we’re prepared to do something very special out there,” Head Coach Tim Hall said.
Many of those tickets, earned by sophomore JaMeesia Ford, who’s competing in the 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays.
“Well JaMeesia fits into the one percentile of athlete’s that you’re lucky to to be able to coach or be a part of throughout your coaching career,” Hall said.
At the SEC championship, ford won all four events.
“SEC that’s the hardest conference in college,” Ford said. “So I feel like going into nationals with the conferences all together it’s all a fast race. So I’ll say I’m prepared and I know what’s coming for me.”
Her goal for Nationals?
“Get all first place in all my events again,” Ford said. “I think I would be the first person to do that at Nationals.”
Ford, the 2025 Commissioner’s Trophy winner, is quickly becoming a household name in colligate track and field, but is getting used to the distractions of big time events.
“I don’t try and let that affect me because it is a great feeling just to be in that stadium seeing all the tracks fans and stuff,” Ford said. “The distractions? I try not to let it get to me because I get overwhelmed with all the celebrations and stuff. I have to remember to stay calm, keep going and yeah.”
Ford says their record setting relay teams have come a long way in a year.
“I feel like we’re more prepared, we are 10 times… 100 times better than we were last year,” Ford said. “We were such a young team last year now we’re getting more experience every time we run a race. We’re just ready.”
Coach Hall said Ford and the whole Gamecock team has been training for this moment all year.
“She’s ready, they’re ready for the task, Hall said. “We started that process in August. We’re ready.”
Ultimately, Ford and her team have one focus: winning.
“It would mean a lot to me just seeing all the hard work that I put in even from last year ash the Olympic trials, I feel like I deserve it. Me and my teammates as well,” Ford said.
“I’m looking forward to, having fun with my teammates and holding up a trophy.”
Portage’s Bode Layo signs to join PennWest California’s track and field team | Football
PORTAGE, Pa. – Recent graduate Bode Layo soared to new heights during his Portage Area High School career. After breaking the school’s high jump record in track and field, he entertained football college offers. Layo deliberated his options and decided to sign and continue his track and field career at PennWest California, an NCAA Division […]
PORTAGE, Pa. – Recent graduate Bode Layo soared to new heights during his Portage Area High School career.
After breaking the school’s high jump record in track and field, he entertained football college offers. Layo deliberated his options and decided to sign and continue his track and field career at PennWest California, an NCAA Division II program within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
“It aligned with my major and I really believe that the staff can help me succeed and develop me as an athlete and as a person,” Layo said.
Layo, who will play in the 1st Summit Bank Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic June 13, also competed in basketball and helped the Mustangs win three District 6 championships on the hardwood. He totaled 908 points, 418 rebounds and 82 steals over four seasons. He thought about pursuing a college football career after earning all-Heritage Conference recognition in 2023 and 2024, but decided to continue ascending to new heights with the Vulcans.
“I wasn’t too sure at first, but I saw more positives with track and field,” Layo said. “It should be easier on my body. I really liked the dorms, and the coaches are great.”
In football, Layo compiled 45 catches for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns over four seasons. He added 180 tackles, 361/2 for loss, and 141/2 sacks on defense.
Layo – who chose California over Indiana (Pa.), Robert Morris and Shippensburg – will compete for coach Daniel Caulfield. Assistant coach Brady Wert works with the jumpers at California and he mentored Chestnut Ridge graduate Logan Pfister.
Layo will major in business. He cleared 6 feet, 6 inches this spring to set a new school mark. Layo finished fourth in high jump at the 2025 PIAA Class 2A track and field championships and was the District 6 champion as a senior.
He was the 2023 and 2025 Heritage champ in the event.
“I would like to thank my parents and grandparents for their unending support over the years in both academics and athletics,” Layo said. “I would like to thank Coach (Lance) Hudak for suggesting I try high jumping and helping me succeed over the years. I have so much gratitude for coach Travis Kargo for all his guidance over the 13 years he coached me in basketball and led our team to multiple championships. I’d also like to thank our athletic director, Craig Castel, for helping me with this process. I will miss my Portage Area teammates, but am excited to pursue this opportunity.”
“On behalf of the entire Portage track and field program, we would like to congratulate Bode on his signing with California to continue his academic and track and field career as a Vulcan,” Hudak said. “Over the last three years, he has developed into a top high school high jumper in Pennsylvania. Under Coach Wert’s tutelage at California, the sky is the limit in what Bode is yet to accomplish. We are excited to watch your many successes yet to come on the collegiate level.”
Layo is the son of Deven and Breanna Layo, of Portage.
The 2025 Bowerman Watch List for men’s and women’s NCAA track and field
It’s time for a look at potential winners of the Bowerman, an annual award presented to the most outstanding athletes in collegiate track and field. Here’s the latest on some of the best in DI track and field. THE BOWERMAN: Complete history of the track and field honor Latest watch list Watch list update No. 7 […]
The 2025 winners will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 18 at the 2025 USTFCCCA convention at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.
Past watch lists
Watch list update No. 6
The sixth update to the Bowerman women’s watch list was announced on Wednesday, May 21, with the men’s watch list announced on Thursday, May 22.
Milford high school student arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice has been released
Local News “This kid is as clean as a whistle,” the teen’s lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after a hearing in Chelmsford. Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, is released from a federal detention facility in Burlington, MA on Thursday, June 5, 2025 and speaks to the media with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (left) and Rep. Seth […]
“This kid is as clean as a whistle,” the teen’s lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after a hearing in Chelmsford.
Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, is released from a federal detention facility in Burlington, MA on Thursday, June 5, 2025 and speaks to the media with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (left) and Rep. Seth Moulton. (Jackeline Luna/Globe Staff) Jackeline Luna/Globe Staff
By LEAH WILLINGHAM, Associated Press
5 minutes to read
CHELMSFORD, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts high school student who was arrested by immigration agents on his way to volleyball practice has been released from custody after a judge granted him bond Thursday.
Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, who came to the U.S. from Brazil at age 7, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday. Authorities have said the agents were looking for the Milford High School teenager’s father, who owns the car Gomes da Silva was driving at the time and had parked in a friend’s driveway.
Speaking with members of the media outside the detention center shortly after his release on $2,000 bond, Gomes da Silva described “humiliating” conditions and said his faith in God helped him through his six days of detention.
On his wrist, he wore a bracelet made from the thin sheet of metallic blanket he was given to sleep on the cement floor.
“I’ll always remember this place,” he said. “I’ll always remember how it was.”
His lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after the hearing in Chelmsford that his arrest “shouldn’t have happened in the first place. This is all a waste.”
“We disrupted a kid’s life. We just disrupted a community’s life,” Nice said. “These kids should be celebrating graduation and prom, I assume? They should be doing kid stuff, and it is a travesty and a waste of our judicial process to have to go through this.”
She said Gomes da Silva was confined to a room holding 25 to 35 men, many twice his age, most of the time he was detained, with no windows, no time outside and no permission to shower. He was able to brush his teeth twice. Nice said that at one point Gomes da Silva, who is active in his local church, asked for a Bible and was denied.
Gomes da Silva, who said his father taught him to “put other people first,” said many of the men imprisoned with him didn’t speak English and didn’t understand why they were there. He had to inform some of them that they were being deported, and then watched them break down in tears.
“I told every single inmate down there: When I’m out, if I’m the only one who was able to leave that place, I lost,” he said. “I want to do whatever I can to get them as much help as possible. If they have to be deported, so be it. But in the right way, in the right conditions. Because no one down there is treated good.”
He said some days, he was given only crackers to eat, which he shared with the other men. One of his first stops after being released was to McDonald’s to get a soda, chicken nuggets, and french fries.
Supporters gather outside federal court in support of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was arrested on his way to volleyball practice last weekend, on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Chelmsford, Mass. – AP Photo/Mark Stockwell
Not ICE’s target, but detained anyway
U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said earlier this week that ICE officers were targeting a “known public safety threat” and that Gomes da Silva’s father “has a habit of reckless driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour through residential areas.”
“While ICE officers never intended to apprehend Gomes da Silva, he was found to be in the United States illegally and subject to removal proceedings, so officers made the arrest,” she said in a statement.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Monday that “like any local law enforcement officer, if you encounter someone that has a warrant or … he’s here illegally, we will take action on it.”
Gomes da Silva initially entered the country on a visitor visa and was later issued a student visa that has since lapsed, Nice said. She described him as deeply rooted in his community and a dedicated member of both the school marching band and a band at his church.
The immigration judge set a placeholder hearing date for a couple of weeks from Thursday, but it might take place months from that, Nice said.
“We’re optimistic that he’ll have a future in the United States,” she said.
A federal judge considering Gomes da Silva’s request to be released while his immigration case proceeds has given the government until June 16 to respond and ordered that Gomes da Silva not be moved out of Massachusetts without 48 hours’ notice given to the court. The government sought permission Wednesday to move Gomes da Silva to a detention facility in a different New England state, Nice said. A judge quickly denied the request.
Supporters gather outside federal court in support of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was arrested on his way to volleyball practice last weekend, on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Chelmsford, Mass. – AP Photo/Mark Stockwell
A shaken community
“I love my son. We need Marcelo back home. It’s no family without him,” João Paulo Gomes Pereira said in a video released Wednesday. “We love America. Please, bring my son back.”
The video showed the family in the teen’s bedroom. Gomes da Silva’s sister describes watching movies with her brother and enjoying food he cooks for her: “I miss everything about him.”
Students at Milford High staged a walkout Monday to protest his detainment. Other supporters wore white and packed the stands of the high school gymnasium Tuesday night, when the volleyball team dedicated a match to their missing teammate.
Amani Jack, also a recent Milford High graduate, said her classmate’s absence loomed large over the graduation ceremony, where he was supposed to play in the band. She said if she had a chance to speak with the president, she’d ask him to ‘just put yourself in our shoes.’
“He did say he was going to deport criminals,” she said. “Marcelo is not a criminal. He’s a student. I really want him to take a step in our shoes, witnessing this. Try and understand how we feel. We’re just trying to graduate high school.”
Veronica Hernandez, a family advocate from Medford who said she works in a largely Hispanic community where ICE has had an active presence, said cases like Gomes da Silva’s show immigration enforcement is serious about taking “anybody” without legal status, not just those accused of crimes.
“I think seeing that something so simple as a child driving themselves and their friends to volleyball practice at risk struck a chord,” she said.
Associated Press reporter Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story.
