News Release

UPMC NORTHWEST SPORTS MEDICINE PRESENTS COMEBACK AWARD

April 29, 2006 — Angela Sterner of Franklin High School is the recipient of the 2006 UPMC Northwest Sports Medicine Comeback Award. She is the ninth recipient of the award, which recognizes local athletes who have sustained a season-ending injury, endured a lengthy rehabilitation process and returned to participate in their sport.

Certified athletic trainer Becky Barnes of UPMC Northwest Sports Medicine presented Angela’s award during the Franklin High School girls basketball banquet Thursday at the high school.

Angela was injured during her junior year and worked hard to get back for the high school basketball playoffs last year, but unfortunately had a few setbacks that prohibited her from competing in postseason play, Ms. Barnes said. “She never gave up and was able to return for her junior year softball season, then returned for a stellar season in basketball this year and helped the Lady Knights win the District 10 championship.

Angela is now completing her senior year of softball and is doing very well,” she said.
Angela plans to attend college and is being recruited to play softball, according to Ms. Barnes, who says comebacks like Angela’s are what sports medicine and athletic training are all about. “The greatest reward for a certified athletic trainer is to see an athlete like Angela work so hard to get back to her sport healthy and free of injury,” Ms. Barnes said.

Angela joins Sabrina Agnew, Kevin Bell and Jason Morrow of Cranberry, Amy Klinger of Franklin, Ben Schill of Oil City, Kara Mitchell and Garrett McCandless of Rocky Grove, and Kate Galletta of Venango Catholic as recipients of the award, which UPMC Northwest Sports Medicine presented for the first time in 1995. The award includes a plaque and a UPMC Northwest Sports Medicine shirt.

UPMC Northwest Sports Medicine provides a variety of services for area athletes including preseason muscle/skeletal screening, sports medicine staff coverage of local high school athletic events, and post-injury rehabilitation such as that which Angela completed. UPMC Northwest Sports Medicine staff members also serve as educators and consultants to local high school coaching staff members and to students interested in pursuing a career in athletic training.