North Carolina
Hall of Fame induction a happy homecoming for Valley, North Carolina wrestling standout | Trib HSSN
By:
Saturday, April 29, 2023 | 11:01 AM
Joe Galli didn’t lose many matches whereas wrestling at Valley Excessive Faculty within the mid-Nineteen Seventies. However when he did, the individuals round New Kensington took discover.
Whatever the time of day or climate, Galli responded to a setback on the mat by embarking on a seven-mile run up and down a few of the hilliest streets in his hometown.
“Folks would see me working in horizontal winds with ice pelting and snow,” he recalled. “They might name my mother and say, ‘Your son is working. Is Joey OK? Is he out of his thoughts?’”
Galli relied on these grueling runs as a motivational instrument.
“I did it as a psychological factor, like, ‘I’m higher than this.’ However I additionally thought I needed to do extra (bodily) to recover from the hump,” he mentioned.
Galli did greater than recover from the hump. He turned the primary Valley wrestler to advance to a WPIAL championship match and compete within the PIAA event. He went on to the College of North Carolina, the place he was a four-year letterman, workforce captain and ACC champion.
For his wrestling prowess, Galli is amongst these scheduled for induction into the Alle-Kiski Sports activities Corridor of Fame on Could 20 on the Pittsburgh Shrine Heart in Harmar.
Galli, who lives in Florida, was inducted into the Nationwide Wrestling Corridor of Fame & Museum in 2016. He described his emotions about moving into the 2 halls as “drastically completely different.”
“The nationwide corridor of fame is prestigious, however nobody there is aware of you personally,” he mentioned. “I grew up in New Kensington and discovered methods to wrestle there. That’s dwelling.”
Galli credit Moe Guin, the legendary New Kensington YMCA youth wrestling coach, with recruiting him to the game. A 2011 A-Okay Sports activities Corridor of Fame inductee, Guin spied Galli in a gymnastics class as a sixth grader and satisfied him to maneuver to the wrestling program.
“Moe was my hero and mentor, and adjusted my life,” Galli mentioned. “I used to be little in highschool. I wrestled at 91 kilos as a junior and I used to be a 105-pounder as a senior. With out wrestling, I wouldn’t have had a sport.”
A 1976 Valley graduate, Galli compiled a 21-2 document as a senior, along with his solely losses coming within the WPIAL last (by one level) and within the PIAA tourney’s second spherical. He was chosen for the Dapper Dan Wrestling Basic, the place he upset a three-time Ohio state champion.
That efficiency caught the attention of then North Carolina wrestling coach Invoice Lam. After the match, he provided Galli a scholarship to wrestle for the Tar Heels.
As a school freshman, Galli grew 5 inches. He developed right into a four-year starter in varied weight lessons, capturing the ACC title at 142 kilos as a senior.
“My first three years I misplaced within the semifinals and took third within the ACC,” he mentioned. “Lastly, I received the entire thing my senior yr. It was an effective way to complete up.”
Galli’s last faculty match got here with some further stress. The Tar Heels wanted him to document a pin to clinch the ACC workforce crown. He responded with a first-period fall over a nationally ranked wrestler.
“I achieved my particular person aim, however it was 5 instances extra highly effective as a result of my workforce received the ACC,” he mentioned.
Since graduating from UNC in 1980, Galli has utilized the teachings discovered in wrestling to assist attain appreciable success within the enterprise world. He presently is the chief government officer at Techtronic Industries, which had $13.3 billion in gross sales in 2002 with 44,000 workers. Thought-about a worldwide chief within the energy instruments business, TTI’s manufacturers embrace Milwaukee, Ryobi and Hoover.
“I’ve labored onerous to present again to the game of wrestling,” he mentioned. “Proper now, now we have 27 former Division I wrestlers working for us, together with two Olympians and 6 nationwide champions.
“I’m not doing it to be gratuitous. I’m doing it as a result of a wrestler who develops the basic success components – the grit and dedication, the power to get knocked down and get again up, the need to win – might be superb in a company atmosphere.”
Whereas Galli’s profession has taken him away from dwelling, he nonetheless seems to get again to the Pittsburgh space as a lot as attainable.
“I like Pittsburgh – and I like the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins,” Galli mentioned. “I’ve been everywhere in the world and a few individuals simply don’t perceive it. They have a look at Pittsburgh as a smoke stack and metal mill metropolis. However whenever you come via the tunnels and see these rivers at evening, there’s nothing higher.”
If you happen to go
52nd A-Okay Valley Sports activities Corridor of Fame induction
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Could 20
The place: Pittsburgh Shrine Heart, Harmar
Tickets: $40. There will probably be no tickets bought on the door.
Contact: Larry Lutz, 724-822-3695; Fred Soilis, 412-736-1809; Invoice Heasley, 724-882-3079
Tags: Valley
North Carolina
NBA Draft Scouting Report: Texas’ Tre Johnson
Drake Powell
Guard | UNC
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 185 lbs
2025 Draft Age: 19.78
As a natural wing or off-ball guard, Powell has what it takes to be an impact player at the next level. He boasts the positional size and athleticism to exploit his opponents on either end of the floor. Overall, he’s a very smart player with a competitive edge and is willing to adapt to what his team needs to win.
Powell is really best as an off-ball player offensively, especially given he’s not known for being a self-creator or primary ball-handler. However, he is a smart cutter and has found ways to position himself for success when finding space. To really take his game overall to the next level, the North Carolina freshman will need to prove he can become a better shooter. Whether it’s in the mid-range or beyond the arc, his jumper is inconsistent. Again, as an offensive prospect, he needs to improve to really become a two-way threat. The physical traits are there for him to get where he needs to be, but the development of his offensive game is a huge swing for Powell in terms of draft stock.
On the defensive end of the floor, Powell really shines. His athletic tools allow him to be all over the place and make plays on and off of the ball. He is quick, boasts length and is very smart as a defender. When thinking about what will differentiate him from other prospects at the next level, it will be his upside as a defensive prospect. He plays with tremendous energy and effort and he makes those around him better on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, he is one of the best defenders in the entire freshman class.
If Powell can convince NBA teams that he has the future projection of being a better offensive player, there’s no question he could be one of the most impactful players in the draft. In the meantime, he can lean on his defensive abilities to contribute to winning. The former five-star recruit is following in the footsteps of his father as a Tar Heel, as he played baseball for North Carolina when he was in school.
Mid to Late Lottery Pick in 2025 NBA Draft.
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North Carolina
WATCH: Steamy and Stormy in North Carolina on Friday, Heat Advisory in the eastern Triad
Friday, August 2: High humidity remains Friday with highs reaching into the 90s and feels like temperatures expected near 100 degrees. A Heat Advisory for the heat index reaching between 105 to 107 degrees is in effect from 11 a.m. Friday until 8 p.m. in the easter Piedmont Triad. Spotty to scattered storms may also bring a severe threat for the afternoon. Storms that do become severe may bring damaging wind and hail.
North Carolina
Body of 20-year-old North Carolina man recovered after 400-foot fall at Grand Canyon National Park
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — The body of a North Carolina man who fell 400 feet (122 meters) near a scenic viewpoint on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park has been recovered, authorities said Thursday.
Park rangers said they received a report about a park visitor falling from the Pipe Creek Vista around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. They said the body of Abel Joseph Mejia, 20, of Hickory, was later recovered about a quarter-mile from the overlook.
Park officials said Mejia accidentally fell when he was near the edge of the rim. The National Park Service and the Coconino County medical examiner’s office are investigating.
Authorities said park staff encourages visitors to stay on designated trails and walkways, keep a safe distance of at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) from the edge of the rim and stay behind railings and fences at overlooks.
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