Jeff Vella stories

Freeport grad Ashleigh Schmidt ‘goes out with a bang’ at Penn State Behrend

Ashleigh Schmidt could have returned to Penn State Behrend next season, taking advantage of the NCAA allowing athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the covid pandemic. But the Freeport graduate has a job waiting for her as a nurse at Children’s Hospital. Plus, it’d be hard to top...
Penn-Trafford grad, Penn State standout Josh Spiegel lives out dream of homering at PNC Park

Young baseball players in Western Pennsylvania grow up dreaming about the moment. Josh Spiegel experienced it. The Penn-Trafford graduate hit a three-run homer at PNC Park on May 17, leading Penn State to a 19-6 victory over Pitt. Spiegel drove a first-pitch slider over the North Side Notch in left-center,...
Playing D-I softball at Robert Morris ‘a dream come true’ for Burrell grad Alaina York

Robert Morris’ Alaina York has some serious range in center field. How serious? “It’s kind of a running joke that any time a ball gets hit in the air, it automatically seems like Alaina is calling for it,” Colonials coach Jexx Varner said of York, a Burrell graduate. “It could...
Seton Hill lacrosse standout Jackie Frank pointing the way

One of the leading scorers in NCAA Division II lacrosse played one varsity game as a high schooler. Let that sink in. It suffices to say Seton Hill graduate student Jackie Frank has made up for lost time, as she has 43 goals and 65 assists this season and was...
Latrobe grad Kiley Myers pushes through pain to lead Marist pitching staff

Kiley Myers at 75% is better than many college pitchers. That’s why the Latrobe graduate has continued to play for Division I Marist this season despite persistent pain in her left knee. “That kid goes out there every day and gives us a chance to win,” Marist coach Joe Ausanio...
Hits keep coming for Norwin grad Alexandra Dillner at Saint Vincent

Newcomers make up half of the resurgent Saint Vincent softball team’s roster: seven freshmen and a transfer. Norwin graduate Alexandra Dillner isn’t one of them, but it might seem that way. The sophomore left fielder made major changes in the offseason and has gone from part-time starter to the leading...
Penn-Trafford grad Emma Nedley toughing out senior softball season at Penn

The pain is constant. On the field. Off the field. Driving in her car. Major knee surgery awaits Penn softball player Emma Nedley next month, but don’t expect the Penn-Trafford graduate to sit out many games the rest of the season. The pandemic already robbed Nedley of most of her...
Doctor’s orders: Chloe Poulich gets late start at Towson to fulfill nursing degree requirements

An injury had nothing to do with Chloe Poulich missing a month’s worth of games and almost every practice in February for the Towson softball team. Still, getting a doctor’s note would not have been a problem. Poulich, a Mt. Pleasant graduate, spent February fulfilling her final 120 hours to...
Latrobe graduate Jake Biss leaves lasting impression at ShippensburgVideo

Latrobe basketball practices were flush with elite talent during the late 2010s. Those Wildcats teams produced future Division I players Austin Butler (Holy Cross, Charlotte) and Reed Fenton (Lehigh). Sean Graytok averaged 19.9 points as a senior in 2015-16 and went on to play at Coast Guard. And Bryce Butler,...
Mt. Pleasant grad Haylie Brunson wastes no time making impact for Pitt softball

Pitt softball coach Jodi Hermanek wants freshman Haylie Brunson to sing the national anthem before one of the team’s games this season. “I’ve yet to see this hidden talent that I’ve heard is pretty awesome,” Hermanek said. For now, though, the coach is more than happy to watch Brunson’s more...
Burrell graduate Faith Remich looking to finish strong for W&J track team

For the first time as a competitive runner, Faith Remich is trying to slow down. The Burrell graduate and Washington & Jefferson senior’s career is nearing its end, and she is trying to soak in as much as possible. “I feel like in general, due to covid, I have a...
Greensburg’s Asa Klimchock flourishes in new position for Bethany basketball

After four schools in six seasons, Greensburg native Asa Klimchock has found a home with the Bethany (W.Va.) basketball program. And that new home includes a new position this winter. Klimchock moved from point guard — where he played his “whole life” — to shooting guard, and he is thriving...
Katie Nolan keys Seton Hill’s focus on defense as Griffins rise to top of PSAC West

Katie Nolan and her Seton Hill women’s basketball teammates are not fans of the 60s. And it has nothing to do with bell-bottoms or hippies. The Griffins’ goal is to hold every opponent below 60 points, and that defensive focus has played a major role during their rise to the...
Plum graduate Kennedie Montue flashes potential with D-I Oakland

When Kennedie Montue finally got her shot this season with the Oakland University basketball team, she made it count. That should come as no surprise since making shots is what the Plum graduate does best. Montue, a freshman guard, played five total minutes in the Golden Grizzlies’ first 11 games,...
Penn-Trafford grad Mackenzie Powell makes impact in 2 sports at Westminster

Penn-Trafford graduate Mackenzie Powell didn’t want to choose between basketball and soccer when she was looking at colleges. So she found a school where she could play both, and Powell is making an impact as a two-sport athlete during her freshman year at Division III Westminster. “I love it,” she...
Kiski Area graduate Jalen Cloud a triple threat for Cal (Pa.)

Not too many kids grow up wanting to be triple jumpers. But when Kiski Area graduate Jalen Cloud got a taste of the event as an eighth grader, he was hooked. “I like the fact that a lot of people can’t do it, that it’s an unorthodox movement,” said Cloud,...

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