Bentworth’s Miller is grand prize winner at H-S Elite Scholar-Athlete event
Ed Thompson Bentworth’s Ryan Miller sits in the new Nissan Versa SV he won as Herald-Standard Publisher Michael Scott (left) and Tri-Star Uniontown General Manager Matt Turchetta look on Saturday. Miller and Turchetta display the winning key that started the car, signalling Miller as the grand prize winner at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown. (Photo by Ed Thompson)
Tri-Star Uniontown General Manager Matt Turchetta poses with the six finalists who were in the running to win the grand prize, a new Nissan Versa SV (in background), at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown on Saturday. From left are Connellsville’s Josh Mayer, Belle Vernon’s Mitch Pohlot, Turchetta, Waynesburg Central’s Peyton Foringer, Bentworth’s Ryan Miller, West Greene’s Kylie Simms and Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo. Miller was the winner of the car. (Photo by Ed Thompson)
Ed Thompson
Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo selects a key out of a bag held by the Herald-Standard’s Sharon Wallach on Saturday after Quarzo was randomly selected as one of six finalists for a chance to win a new Nissan Versa SV at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown.
Ed Thompson
Connellsville’s Josh Mayer reacts as his key fails to start the new Nissan Versa SV on Saturday at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown.
Ed Thompson
Students and parents mingle at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown and catered by Hugo’s Restaurant on Saturday.
Ed Thompson
Waynesburg Central’s Peyton Foringer inserts her key to see if it will turn over the engine of the new Nissan Versa SV on Saturday at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown. Bentworth’s Ryan Miller had the winning key and took home the grand prize.
Ryan Miller was a three-sport star at Bentworth whose senior track & field season was wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic.
Winning a new car on Saturday took away some of the sting of that loss.
Miller was the grand prize winner of a new 2019 Nissan Versa SV at the Herald-Standard Elite Scholar-Athlete event sponsored and hosted by Tri-Star Nissan in Uniontown.
He’s the second consecutive Bentworth scholar-athlete to win the annual automobile giveaway following Justin Kisner last year.
Miller, the 18-year-old son of Sean and Kim Miller, was a distance runner for the Bearcats whose specialty was the 3,200. He was set to become a four-year letterman.
“It was pretty hard missing the track season because I was thinking if I do better this year it might lead to me running in college,” said Miller, who will attend Muskingum University in Ohio to major in criminal justice. “I was disappointed because the last part of my senior year was spent mostly at home. We all missed out on a lot of things.
“But being able to come here today, to get chosen for this by my school and then get a chance at the car and then actually win it … wow. That’s a good ending. This means a lot to me.”
Miller, who also was a four-year letterman in soccer and a two-year starter in basketball, was asked how winning a car compares to scoring a big goal or winning a race.
“It feels a lot better actually,” Miller said with a laugh. “I’ve been trying to save up for a car so this helped a lot. I have two older sisters, Kirsten (21) and Kelly (24), who both graduated from college. They just bought new cars, so I can rub it in a little bit.”
Miller was about to take ownership of his sister Kelly’s older car, according to his dad.
“She just bought a new car and Ryan was going to buy her old car off of her,” said Sean Miller. “I guess he’s not going to do that now.
“This is a great event. I want to thank everyone involved. We really appreciate it.”
Miller was one of six finalists — three boys and three girls — chosen randomly for a chance to win the Nissan Versa. The other five were Joshua Maher of Connellsville, Peyton Foringer of Waynesburg Central, Mitchell Pohlot of Belle Vernon, Kylie Simms of West Greene and Gionna Quarzo of Brownsville.
Each chose a key and it was Miller’s who turned over the engine signalling him as the grand prize winner. All six finalists received a new television.
Various other prizes were given away by drawing to those scholar-athletes in attendance.
There were 46 Elite Scholar-Athletes invited to the event as each school in the Herald-Standard coverage area selected one boy and girl from those who were named scholar-athletes through the fall, winter and spring seasons of the 2019-20 school year.
Herald-Standard Publisher Michael Scott was the master of ceremonies of the event.
“It’s been a pleasure for myself and those at the paper and all of our readers to have read about you all year long and your accomplishments both in school and on the track, on the field, on the court, wherever it may have been,” Scott said in addressing the crowd. “You’re the future. You’re the people that are learning what teamwork is all about, you’re the ones who are learning what an education is all about, and how you mix the two of them and how important that is when we go forward.
“Thanks to all of you for the efforts that you put into your four years at school.”
Tri-Star Auto Group Vice President Greg Turchetta also addressed the crowd.
“We are so excited to join up with the Herald-Standard this year for this opportunity to help these student-athletes,” Turchetta said. “Only one person will leave here with a new car, but all of you, what an exceptional year you had this year.”
Other 2020 Elite Scholar-Athletes were Jackson Miller and Madison Hershberger of Albert Gallatin, Sydney Baciak of Belle Vernon, Paige Marshalek of Bentworth, Todd Fisher and Hannah Harhai of Beth-Center, Nicholas Seto of Brownsville, Colton Lusk and Britney Bevan of California, Dylan Wilson and Kylie Sinn of Carmichaels, Jonah Ruschak and Kaitlin Wagner of Charleroi, Callie Cunningham of Connellsville, Patrick Minda and Ashlee Toth of Elizabeth Forward, Ryan Balentine and Isabella Kudyba of Frazier, Isaiah Krizner and Lauren Tomasko of Geibel Catholic, Elijah Saesan and Caitlyn Dugan of Jefferson-Morgan, Nate Zimcosky and Kaia Zungri of Laurel Highlands, Charles Lash and Kailey Stover of Mapletown, Cameron Frolo and Milana Sacco of Monessen, Jacob Johnson and Heather Gardner of Mount Pleasant, Frank Lowstetter and Kylee Pry of Ringgold, Riley Comforti and Sarah Pisula of Southmoreland, Logan Maust and Mya Murray of Uniontown, Avery McConville of Waynesburg Central, Benjamin Jackson of West Greene, and Cody Ulander and Justine Appolonia of Yough.
Hugo’s Restaurant catered the event and Fayette Rentals provided tents. Other sponsors were Seven Springs, NobleClad, Abby’s Gold & Gems, Yum Yum’s Bagel Cafe & Bakery, Sullivan Brothers Coffee Company, and WMBS.
Past automobile winners in the Herald-Standard Scholar-Athlete program were Charles Manack, Frazier (2014); Brennan Bunner, Southmoreland (2015); Hannah Lacey, Beth-Center (2016); Sam Miceli, Charleroi (2017); Megan Walker, Carmichaels (2018); and Kisner (2019).