At the Park

Sister State Champs

Two State Championships. Two Hours Apart. Two Sisters.

Maliah Miskiewicz, Co-Editor in Chief

March 15, 2024

Natalie and Dani outside of the White Palace on the night of both of their championship wins!

On March 9th, both our girls varsity basketball and speech and debate team took home the title of state champions with the help of sisters Danielle and Natalie Daugherty.

While both the speech and debate team, as well as the girls basketball team, won their state championship collectively as a group, the Daugherty sisters still managed to shine individually.

On March 8th, our Patriots started off Wheeling Park’s journey to success after playing their semi-final game against Huntington and winning their way to the AAAA State Championship at the Charleston Coliseum, ending the game with the final score of 63-56.

Semi-finals kicked off early Friday morning during the same time that Wheeling Park’s speech and debate team commenced their road to 44.

This overlapping timeframe of the two state championships created a packed weekend for the Daugherty family but also an opportunity to amplify support for each other. “Even in the middle of competing and the stress of our championship, I still tried my hardest to send as many uplifting text messages when I had the free time and watch the game between rounds,” said Danielle in regards to her supporting her sister. The Daughtery support system doesn’t end here, Coach Chris Daugherty shares his personal struggles with being both a father and a coach to the Daugherty Sisters.

“It’s tough not being able to watch Dani…it’s different because we’re used to sports where you can go and watch and know exactly what’s happening,” said Coach Doc.

While Coach Doc was unable to see Danielle on Friday and Saturday, he spent his time supporting Natalie as well as the whole basketball team. Practicing was intense for the girls. Their days consisted of conditioning and training, as well as winning 13 out of their 14 games.

“We took a lot of time in preparation…We had practice on the day that we had off and then after our semi-final game. Then we had more and more practices,” said Natalie.

Even though Natalie had little time or opportunity to check in with Danielle and her speech status, she was extremely grateful for all Danielle had said and done.

“She watched all of my games which I am grateful for. We were both sending supportive messages throughout the weekend. Then I found out she won first in humorous interpretation and I was so happy,” said Natalie.

Not only did Danielle place first in humorous interpretation and Natalie earned the Metro News Player of the Game award, but their older sister, Josie, took the final Daugherty Dub. Josie’s Division II basketball team won the MEC Championship.

“It’s nice that not only are we winning together, we’re supporting each other as a family,” said Danielle.

Support can be life’s biggest blessing, and the Daughertys are a prime example.

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About the Contributor

Maliah Miskiewicz, Co-Editor in Chief

Maliah Miskiewicz is the Co-Editor in Chief of the Park Press as well as a senior at Wheeling Park High School. When not designing the Press or taking pictures of everything, she devotes the rest of her time filming, anchoring, and doing whatever she can within WPHP. When not surrounding herself in everything journalism, you’ll find Maliah practicing and competing with the Speech and Debate team where she is not only a State Champion in Humorous Interpretation, but also a qualifier for Pennsylvania's State Championship. Maliah is also the Humorous and Dramatic Interpretation Squad Captain of the team, where she guides her teammates on the road toward the 45th state championship. Maliah is a freshman mentor, REAP Counselor, the Social Media and Publicity Director for WPHP, member of National Honors Society, SkillsUSA, The Quill and Scroll Society, The Thespian Society, Radio-TV Club, The Park Players, as well as playing tennis recreationally. Maliah is proud to have been a member of the Wheeling Park Press during the revival era of our paper, where our staff only consisted of 16 members who re-built our paper from the bottom up… #FoundingFather. She started as merely a Staff Writer, moved her way up to help develop an official aesthetic for the Park Press as the Design Editor, and now is proud to take on her title of Co-Editor Chief.