This site is about the sports doings of the high schools in Venango County, Pa. Contact: pennyweichel@gmail.com
Venango County state champions
TEAM
Basketball
PCIAA
1939 -- Oil City St. Joseph
1941 -- Oil City St. Joseph
PIAA
1980 -- Venango Christian (now Catholic) girls, 1A
1992 -- Cranberry girls, 2A
1993 -- Cranberry girls, 2A
1994 -- Cranberry girls, 2A
2001 -- Franklin boys, 3A
2006 -- Franklin boys, 3A
Baseball
2018 -- Rocky Grove, 2A
Cross country
2024 -- Cranberry girls, 1A
​
INDIVIDUAL
Golf
1935 -- Barrett Melvin, Franklin
1936 -- Barrett Melvin, Franklin
Track
1954 -- Charlie Winger, Oil City, Class A mile
1955 -- Charlie Winger, Oil City, Class A 880
1955 -- Charlie Winger, Oil City, Class A mile
1959 -- Bob Flickner, Rocky Grove, Class B 100
1959 -- DeWitt Green, Rocky Grove, Class B pole vault
1969 -- Rick Weaver, Oil City, Class A 880
1981 -- Scott Moon, Oil City, 3A javelin
1982 -- Scott Moon, Oil City, 3A javelin
1985 -- Mike Renninger, Oil City, 3A 1600
1985 -- Ed Munoz, Oil City, 3A 800
1986 -- Chris Conway, Oil City, 3A long jump
1995 -- Liz Bodnar, Franklin, 3A high jump
1997 -- Kacey Neely, Cranberry, 2A 300 hurdles
2015 -- Abby Jones, Franklin, 3A high jump
​
Pictured are Barrett Melvin, Abby Jones, Charlie Winger, Alison Conrad, Chris Conway, Bob Flickner and DeWitt Green, Dakota Geer, Ray Frantz and Fred Young.
Swimming
1990 -- Alison Conrad, Oil City, diving
1995 -- Jill Wilkinson, Franklin, 2A breaststroke
1996 -- Jill Wilkinson, Franklin, 2A breaststroke
1996 -- Franklin (Darren Livezy, Mike Frederick, Ryan Fennick, Nate Edmundson, 2A medley relay
1997 -- Andy Fischer, Oil City, 2A diving
1997 -- Franklin (Jill Wilkinson, Amanda Armburger, Gwynne Junkin, Katie Findlan), 2A medley relay
2012 -- Phil Emerson, Franklin, 2A 100 free
2013 -- Phil Emerson, Franklin, 2A, 50 free
2013 -- Phil Emerson, Franklin, 2A 100 free
2013 -- Franklin (Phil Emerson, Andy Frederick, Quinn Heffernan, Isaac Cooke), 2A 200 free relay
2014 -- Phil Emerson, 2A 50 free
2014 -- Phil Emerson, Franklin, 2A 100 free
​
Franklin relays
1996 -- boys medley (Darren Livezey, Mike Frederick, Ryan Fennick, Nate Edmondson)
1997 -- girls medley (Amanda Armburger, Jill Wilkinson, Gwynne Junkin, Katie Findlan)
2013 -- boys 200 free (Quinn Heffern, Andy Frederick, Isaac Cooke, Phil Emerson)
Wrestling
1973 -- Ray Frantz, Cranberry, 98 pounds
1974 -- Ray Frantz, Cranberry, Class B 105
1994 -- Bret Ruth, Oil City, 3A 171
1996 -- Jack Rice, Cranberry, 2A 135
1998 -- Cory Ace, Franklin, 3A 135
2015 -- Dakota Geer, Franklin, 170
2026 -- Dalton Wenner, Cranberry, 139
​
Gymnastics
1940 -- Fred Young, Oil City, rope climb
Team champs
Three consecutive 2A state crowns from 1992-94.
1980 Class A basketball
PCIAA state champion 1939 and 1941. This photo was taken as the team left for Chicago to play in the National Catholic Tournament in 1941.
Three consecutive 2A state crowns from 1992-94.
Silver (individual, relays)
1953 -- Paul Wood, Oil City, discus
1954 -- Paul Wood, Oil City, discus
1968 -- Ed Wright, Oil City, wrestling (135)
1970 -- Terry Thompson, Oil City, high jump
1980 -- Steve Roser, Oil City, wrestling (119)
​1985 -- Marty Marczak, Oil City, 800
1986 -- Wes Gaylor, Oil City, 100 fly
1987 -- Kim Strawbridge, Oil City, diving
1993 -- Charley Carbaugh, Oil City, wrestling (135)
1994 -- Betsy Marshall, Oil City, 100 fly
1995 -- Andy Fischer, Oil City, diving
1995 -- Franklin girls medley relay
1996 -- Jill Wilkinson, Franklin, 200 free
1998 -- Franklin girls medley relay
1999 -- Josh Moore, Franklin (119)
2011 -- B.J. Frederick, Franklin, 100 free
2012 -- Phil Emerson, Franklin, 50 free
2013 -- Franklin boys 400 free relay
2014 -- Franklin boys 200 free relay
2024 -- Caleb Prettyman, Franklin, 1600
Bronze (individual, relays)
1953 -- Ernie Smith, Oil City, high jump (tie for third)
1960 -- Bob Flickner, Rocky Grove, 100
1967 -- Sam Dinger Oil City, pole vault
1967 -- Rich Hancox, Franklin, javelin
1970 -- Rick Weaver, Oil City, 880
1975 -- Jodi Gault, Oil City, javelin
1979 -- Stacy Cunningham, Cranberry, discus
1985 -- Wes Gaylor, Oil City, 100 fly
1986 -- Valerie Hricsina, Franklin, javelin
1994 -- Star Rial. Cranberry, long jump
1994 -- Jill Wilkinson, Franklin, 200 IM and 100 breast
1995 -- Star Rial, Cranberry, long jump
1996 -- Franklin girls medley relay
1997 -- Jill Wilkinson, Frankln, 100 breast
1998 -- Josh Moore, Franklin, wrestling (119)
1998 -- Gabe Higley, Oil City, wrestling (152)
2006 -- Zak Clifford, Oil City, 100 back
2007 -- Nate Frye, Franklin, 200 IM
2007 -- Nate Frye, Franklin, 100 breast
2007 -- Franklin boys medley relay
2007 -- Franklin boys 200 free relay
2008 -- Nate Frye, Franklin, 100 breast
2012 -- Franklin boys 200 free relay
2016 -- Dakota Geer, Franklin, wrestling (182)
2022 -- Laiyla Russell, Cranberry, triple jump
2025 -- Cranberry girls 3200 relay
2026 -- Natalie Wilson, Oil City (Cranberry), para 50 free