It has been quite a senior year for Norwin's Steve Removcik.

He played key roles for Norwin's football and basketball teams, both of which qualified for the playoffs.

The straight-A student has stood out in the classroom, as well, with a 4.0 grade point average.

Thanks to that combination of athletic and academic excellence, Removcik's senior year recently got even better.

He has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship by the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

"It's a nice honor," Removcik said. "And I can definitely use the money for school."

Removcik, who doesn't plan to continue his athletic career in college, will be in the pre-med program at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall.

The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame's Pittsburgh chapter awards scholarships each year to several student-athletes in the Pittsburgh area.

Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, financial need and athletic ability at the varsity level. The five 2008 scholarship winners were honored at a banquet in Pittsburgh in March.

Removcik will receive $1,000 for each of his four years at Pitt.

He was a first-team all-conference defensive back for Norwin's football team, which went 7-4 and advanced to the WPIAL Quad A quarterfinals last fall.

Removcik was a two-year starter for the Knights. As a senior, he recorded 39 tackles, including 28 solo, and had four passes defended, one interception and two forced fumbles.

"Steve was the quarterback of our defense. We relied on him to make calls based on the opponent's formations, and he did a great job of doing that for us," Norwin football coach Dan Conwell said. "He was a very integral part of our defense."

In basketball, Removcik helped the Knights go 20-8 and reach the semifinals of the WPIAL Quad A playoffs.

The 6-foot-2 guard was part of a solid group of seniors who fueled Norwin's tremendous post-season run.

"We knew we had the potential to make it far and contend for a WPIAL title," Removcik said.

Removcik was Norwin's third-leading scorer behind Mike Shanahan and Tyler Urban, at 11 points per game.

"Steve showed tremendous impro-vement in his high school career and really developed into one of the best shooters I have coached," Norwin coach Lynn Washowich said. "Steve is even more outstanding in the classroom. He is ranked among the top of his class and is a role model for all students. He has a great future ahead of him."

For additional information about the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, visit www.italiansportspgh.com.