During his time at Norwin, Ryan Edwards proved to be a valuable member of the Knights basketball team. Now in his third campaign at Geneva College, Edwards again has emerged as a vital contributor for his squad. Perhaps more impressively, Edwards also competes for the Golden Tornadoes golf team in the fall and spring. Edwards is under the microscope in this installment of the Westmoreland Alum Q&A.

Edwards was a freshman with the Knights in the 2019-20 campaign, when Norwin went 12-9 overall, but just 3-7 in section play, missing the playoffs.

The following year, Norwin finished 7-14, including 3-7 in the section once again. With the WPIAL holding an open postseason because of COVID, the Knights participated, falling to Butler Area in the Class 6A first round.

In 2021-22, Norwin improved to 9-11 overall, including 4-6 in section play. The Knights qualified for the playoffs, but once again came up short against Butler Area in the first round of the Class 6A bracket.

As a senior in 2022-23, Edwards garnered All-Section honors. His performance helped Norwin ascended to 14-9 overall, including 5-5 in the section. Back in the WPIAL Class 6A postseason, the Knights lost to New Castle in the quarterfinals to conclude the year.

Following his graduation, Edwards matriculated to Geneva College, joining the basketball program for the 2023-24 campaign. The guard appeared in four games that season, averaging 1.3 points and 0.5 rebounds. Collectively, the Golden Tornadoes had an epic season, going 24-4 overall, including 18-2 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC). In the conference tournament, Geneva knocked off Grove City College, and then defeated Saint Vincent College 83-63 to capture the PAC Championship for the first time. The Golden Tornadoes also advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament, where they fell to the University of Saint Joseph in the first round.

Last season, Edwards played in a dozen games, posting averages of 0.3 points and 0.3 rebounds. Geneva amassed a mark of 14-12, including 12-8 in the PAC. In the conference tournament, the Golden Tornadoes lost to Grove City in the quarterfinals.

This season, Edwards has emerged as a rotational player, appearing in all seven games, including two starts. In that action, he’s averaging 3.0 points and 1.4 boards, adding six assists and eight steals. To this point, the Golden Tornadoes are 3-4 overall, and they commence PAC play later this week.

Simultaneously, Edwards has played for the Geneva golf team. In his sophomore season, Edwards tied for ninth in the PAC Championships, earning Second-Team All-PAC honors. This October, Edwards paced the Golden Tornadoes at the PAC Championships, firing a two-round score of 159, which tied for 23rd.

Ryan set aside time from his packed schedule to answer questions about his favorite aspects of the PAC, the challenges of playing two collegiate sports, and a remarkable fact about his family.

Q: How have you evaluated your performance thus far this season?

A: It’s been a decent start to the year for me. Taking on a bigger role is definitely a learning curve, but I’m excited to keep figuring it out the rest of the season. Coach and our team put a big emphasis on peaking at the right time and playing our best basketball towards the end of the year.

Q: You have taken on a larger role this season. What are the biggest adjustments to that?

A: The biggest adjustments are needing to take charge and be more of a leader than I was last year.

Q: What team and individual goals did you establish for this season?

A: As a team, we want to make the PAC playoffs and try to make a run in the playoffs. Individually, I just want to make myself and my teammates better every day, any way I can - with play on the court, communicating with one another, etc.

Q: What are the best aspects of competing in the Presidents' Athletic Conference?

A: One of my favorite aspects of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference is the familiar faces you see in conference play. A lot of kids have come from the WPIAL, and you have played against before and made relationships with, so it's always cool to see those kids and play against them.

Q: You also play golf for Geneva. What are the biggest challenges of juggling both sports?

A: The biggest challenges honestly are just trying to make sure that you are staying at the top of your game in both sports, while maintaining good grades in the classroom. It's tough to always get shots up and hit golf balls in the same day, so balancing both sports and trying to stay at the top of my game in both sports can be a challenge sometimes.

Q: What led to your decision to attend Geneva?

A: Coach Santarsiero played a big part in my decision to attend Geneva. My family and I felt that coach was invested in not only making me a better basketball player, but also a better man. My faith also played a big part in my decision to attend Geneva.

Q: What is your major and ideal future profession?

A: My major is business finance. My ideal future position would be in the pharmaceutical sales world.

Q: Aside from athletics, what is your favorite aspect of college?

A: My favorite aspect of college is honestly the class schedule. It's a lot more flexible than high school, which I enjoy.

Q: What was your fondest high school memory at Norwin?

A: My fondest high school memory would be the team dinners we used to do the night before a game.

Q: Do you still follow Norwin athletics or WPIAL basketball?

A: I do still follow Norwin athletics and the WPIAL; great football season for the Knights!

Q: If you could play one-on-one against anyone, past or present, who would you choose? What would be the score in a game to 11?

A: If I could play anyone one-on-one, I would probably choose my brother. Some of my best basketball memories are out in the driveway just me and him. I think I would beat him 11-7.

Q: Do you prefer water, a sports drink, or something else for basketball?

A: I like to drink water while playing.

Q: Who is your celebrity dream date?

A: I do have a girlfriend, so her.

Q: What is a little-known fact about you or a hidden talent you possess?

A: I have 49 first cousins, 46 of which are on my mom’s side.