As one of the top high school javelin throwers in the country, Derry senior Sophia Mazzoni has a lot of college coaches following her progress.
Just after winning a PIAA javelin title in May, one of those coaches — Auburn throws coach Pat Ebel — began following her on Instagram, which immediately got Mazzoni’s attention.
“He followed me on IG and I was like, ‘No way. That’s crazy.’ Because that’s one of my dream schools,” Mazzoni recalled.
A few days later, Ebel messaged Mazzoni, and a couple of days after that they talked for the first time. The relationship between Mazzoni and Auburn grew quickly and grew strong, so much so that Mazzoni has turned a dream into reality — last week she decided that she will continue her studies and athletic career at Auburn.
It was the latest chapter in the story of Mazzoni, whose top sport had been softball before giving it up following a freshman track season that saw her place third in the javelin at the WPIAL Class 2A championships. Fast forward three years, and Mazzoni is a reigning PIAA and national champion and a two-time defending WPIAL champion who in a year will take her talents to the Southeastern Conference.
“Honestly, it’s crazy,” said Mazzoni, who plans on studying sports psychology. “It’s how everything has gotten built up and just everything that I’ve put into it. The time, the effort, the things I’ve missed in order to do this. It’s finally coming together.”
Mazzoni, with her parents and younger sister tagging along, took an official visit to Auburn on Sept. 20-21. The highlight of the visit, she said, was attending the Auburn-Arkansas football game, where she watched from the sidelines alongside Auburn track and field coaches and athletes. She took part in some of Auburn’s popular traditions, including the Tiger Walk and a visit to Toomer’s Corner.
“I felt spoiled there,” Mazzoni admitted. “I felt very comfortable there. I got to stand with the student-athletes and they were super cool. I felt like I was a part of the team. The game was crazy. It was perfect.”
Auburn may have lost to Arkansas that day, but in Mazzoni’s eyes, Auburn won her over. So, she canceled official visits to Pitt, Penn State and Bucknell, and let Auburn coaches know that she would like to become a Tiger.
Auburn was the third and final official visit for Mazzoni, who also took them to Notre Dame and Michigan. What’s really neat is that a former WPIAL throwing star hosted her on each of her visits. At Notre Dame it was Hempfield grad Peyton Murray. At Michigan it was another former Hempfield standout, Liz Tapper. And at Auburn it was South Park graduate Maura Huwalt.
“It was super cool having someone from my hometown there,” Mazzoni said.
Following an excellent sophomore season which saw her win her first WPIAL Class 2A javelin gold medal and then a silver medal at the PIAA championships, Mazzoni was absolutely outstanding as a junior, winning WPIAL and PIAA titles before claiming a national title at New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia. Her top throw of 159 feet at the WPIAL Class 2A championships set a meet record.
Mazzoni’s heave of 161 feet, 10 inches on her first attempt at the latest PIAA championships stands as her personal record and is No. 4 all time in WPIAL history, according to historian Jim Faiella. If she can add another four feet to her top mark her senior season, she will move into second place on that list. Connellsville great Madison Wiltrout is No. 1 courtesy of her throw of 185-8 in 2015.
“Me and coach [Derry throws coach] Dave [McNichol] are trying to break 160 a few more times and then hopefully reach 170,” Mazzoni said.
Mazzoni credited McNichol greatly for his help over the past few years — “All of my progress is because of Dave McNichol,” she said — and also praised Hempfield throws coach Dave Murray for letting colleges know about her.
Said Mazzoni, “He’s gotten my name to schools that I never thought would even know my name.”
Seton freshman QB picks up P4 offer
It’s not often that a freshman quarterback from a WPIAL school is offered by a Power Four program, but that’s exactly what happened last week when Boston College extended an offer to Seton LaSalle freshman Kia Jones. What’s interesting is that the offer came despite the fact that Jones has not attempted a pass this season. Jones is among the players backing up starter Michael Pastirik, a senior who is tied for the WPIAL lead with 18 touchdown passes.
The offer to Jones means that Seton LaSalle (5-0), ranked No. 1 in WPIAL Class 2A, now has five players with FBS offers. Junior Aaron Loritts and sophomores Khalil Taylor, Nelson Coleman and Richard Littlejohn are the others. Littlejohn’s first offer came from Miami (Ohio) earlier this month. Taylor is the most highly recruited of the group, as he boasts offers from Pitt, Penn State and Nebraska, among others.
Baseball commitments
Allderdice’s Zack Shook (Denison); Central Catholic’s Maxim Clister (IUP); Indiana’s Mark Collinger (Mercyhurst); Moon’s Andrew Cross (Penn State); Mt. Lebanon’s Brett Hamel (Marietta); North Allegheny’s Sean O’Donnell (South Carolina Lancaster); North Allegheny’s Jackson Walsh (Gannon); Norwin’s Justin McNelly (St. Vincent).
Basketball commitments
Latrobe’s Carley Berk (Millersville); North Catholic’s Mackenzie James (Allegheny); Penn-Trafford’s Kamryn Pieper (Point Park).
Lacrosse commitment
Chartiers Valley’s Kaitlyn Kuczinski (Mount Union).
Soccer commitments
Franklin Regional’s Abby Paterline (Edinboro); Trinity’s Braeden Knight (Allegheny).
Softball commitments
Belle Vernon’s Mia Zubovic (Mercyhurst); Shaler’s Bria Bosiljevac (Indiana).
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.