Charleroi’s Miceli wins new car
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Samuel Miceli of Charleroi High School gets a hug and kiss from his mother Annette Miceli after winning a brand new Chevrolet Spark Tuesday during the 2017 Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete ceremony held at the Historic Stone House Restaurant and Inn.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
The final six scholar-athletes selected at random — (from left) Annya Kossol of Frazier, Madison Ambler of Elizabeth Forward, Abigail McIntire of Mapletown, Samuel Miceli of Charleroi, Zane Wyckoff of Frazier and Joel Spishock of Carmichaels — show the key that they hoped would start the new Chevrolet Spark during the 2017 Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete ceremony held at the Historic Stone House Restaurant and Inn on Tuesday.
A crowd of family and friends gather around the new Chevrolet Spark as the six scholar-athlete finalists wait to try their key in the car Tuesday evening during the 2017 Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete ceremony held at the Historic Stone House Restaurant and Inn.
Annya Kossol (left) of Frazier High School selects a key that she hope will start the new Chevrolet Spark during the 2017 Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete ceremony held at the Historic Stone House Restaurant and Inn.
Samuel Miceli of Charleroi High School turns the key as Herald-Standard publisher Bob Pinarski watches and the engine starts, meaning the new Chevrolet Spark was his to take home at the 2017 Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete ceremony held at the Historic Stone House Restaurant and Inn.
Samuel Miceli (center) of Charleroi High School displays the winning key that started the Chevrolet Spark. With Miceli are (from left) Bob Pinarski, Herald-Standard publisher; Debbie Peters, Centennial Chevrolet general manager; and Annette and Sam Miceli, parents of Samuel Micelli.
CHALK HILL — Samuel Miceli has had plenty of thrilling moments in his athletic career at Charleroi as a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and as a key member of the Cougars’ baseball team.
Miceli had yet another exhilarating moment on Tuesday night but it didn’t come in a sports arena, it came at the 2017 Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete ceremony held at the Historic Stone House Restaurant and Inn.
Miceli was one of six randomly-chosen finalists out the 46 honored who had a chance to win a new car and it was his key, as the fifth to sit in the 2017 Chevrolet Spark, that turned the engine over and claimed the automobile through the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program.
“That felt great,” Miceli said with a huge smile. “I really didn’t think I had any chance of getting this car. But once it didn’t start for a couple people I said, ‘Oh, wow, this one might work.’ I got lucky I guess.”
Winning the car was great timing for Miceli as well.
“I just got in a car accident lately so this is great to have a new one,” Miceli said.
Miceli’s parents, Sam and Annette Miceli, were thrilled as well.
“It went from one out of 46 to one out of six to one out of two and he got it,” said Sam of his son. “We were really happy to see him win.”
“We are so thankful and blessed that our son won this car.” Annette said. “We appreciate the nice evening, Centennial Chevrolet and the Herald-Standard.”
It’s been a fantastic week for the Miceli family, according to Annette.
“Our daughter Lia graduated from Penn State Medical School on Sunday,” she said. “She’s going to be doing her residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Women’s Health and Samuel is graduating from Charleroi High School and going to Chatham University. And now this. We are the most blessed parents on the face of the earth.”
The other five finalists who had a shot at winning the car were Annya Kossol of Frazier, Madison Ambler of Elizabeth Forward, Abigail McIntire of Mapletown, Zane Wyckoff of Frazier and Joel Spischock of Carmichaels.
All six received a television courtesy of Reese’s Warehouse.
They were six of 46 scholar-athletes — one boy and one girl from each school in the Herald-Standard coverage area as chosen the school administrations — to be honored for their outstanding high school careers.
“What is represented here tonight are 46 elite male and female athletes throughout Fayette County, the Mon Valley and Greene County,” said Herald-Standard publisher Bob Pinarski.
Over the course of the 2016-17 school year, 138 scholar-athletes — two from each school for each sports season as chosen by the school administrations — were honored in the Herald-Standard through the Centennial Chevrolet program.
“The main reason I and the organization have chosen to do this is because it’s so nice to read good things about good people in the newspaper,” said Debbie Peters, general manager of Centennial Chevrolet. “The parents should be extremely proud, and congratulations to the children for all the hard work it has taken to get to this.”
The other elite scholar-athletes, who each received gift, were Kassie Miller and Colton Barkefelt of Albert Gallatin, Ben Cole and Sierra Lynn of Belle Vernon, Grace Marchezak and Josh Hughes of Bentworth, Londyn Brown and Nick Pryor of Beth-Center, Alie Seto and Tyler Herman of Brownsville, Jenna Miller and Nate Luketich of California, Paige Armstrong of Carmichaels, Adrianna Gottheld of Charleroi, Gianna Sigado and Jacob Rice of Connellsville, Colin Pastor of Elizabeth Forward, Gabby Kolencik and Anthony Lovat of Geibel Catholic, Erin Confortini and Eli Rafail of Jefferson-Morgan, Emily Rohm and Will Deichert of Laurel Highlands, Seth Shubert of Mapletown, Victoria Cooper and Justice Rice of Monessen, Anna Billey and Cole Dombrowsky of Mount Pleasant, Olivia Warner and Anthony Pampena of Ringgold, Tommy Pisula and Kaitlyn Walch of Southmoreland, Rachel VanNosdeln and Evan Klatt of Uniontown, Kiana Blasco and Ben Bumgarner of Waynesburg Central, Marissa Rode and Craig Weaver of West Greene, and Olivia Cook and Eli Ball of Yough.
Luketich won a special drawing for a gift package before the main event.
Previous car winners in the program were Beth-Center’s Hannah Lacey, Southmoreland’s Brennan Bunner and Frazier’s Charles Manack.
Sponsors of the program, besides Centennial Chevrolet and the Herald-Standard, are Uniontown Hospital, Sam’s Coffee Shop, Historic Stone House Inn, Abby’s Gold and Gems, TK the DJ, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa, All Tressed Up, Hot Diggity Dogs, Michael Polito Salon, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Geyer Performaing Arts Center and Yum Yum’s Bagel Cafe.