Sep 25, 2025 By Chris Dugan 5 min read

Marissa Kalsey Thomas has soared to new heights in her athletic career and skyrocketed over many obstacles while along the way. Such is life as a pole vaulter.

Kalsey Thomas, a Waynesburg native, reached one more height when she was chosen for induction to Westminster College’s Titan Sports Hall of Fame.

Kalsey Thomas is one of seven individuals who will be inducted as the Class of 2025 during an Oct. 3 ceremony.

An eight-time All-American, Kalsey Thomas won the national title at the 2017 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships after clearing 4.22 meters (13-10), which remains a meet record. After receiving a medical hardship waiver for a season-ending knee injury in 2016, Kalsey Thomas cleared 13-7 1/4 to win the 2017 Division III title before attempting the meet record.

Only the second Division III pole vaulter to earn four-straight All-America citations at the indoor and outdoor championships, Kalsey Thomas was the second female from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference to win a national track and field championship.

She was the runner-up at the outdoor championships in 2015 (13-3 1/2) after finishing third in 2014 (13-3 1/2), fifth in 2013 (12-3 1/2) and third in 2012 (12-11 1/2).

Kalsey Thomas was a two-time runner-up in the indoor championships, earning U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Mideast Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year honors. She was third at the indoor meet in 2016, clearing 12-9 1/2 on her third and final attempt at the height, and third in 2013.

In 2024, Kalsey Thomas qualified for the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. She qualified by clearing 14-8¼ at a meet in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. She registered a personal-best height during the qualifying round at the Olympic Trials, clearing 14-9 to secure one of the 13 spots in the finals.

Kalsey Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education in 2016. She completed a master’s degree in school counselor education in May and resides in Washington with her husband Dylan, also a 2016 Westminster graduate.

In football

Former Peters Township standout Corban Hondru had one of his best games as a linebacker for Miami (Ohio) last Saturday in a loss to UNLV.

Hondru intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and made nine tackles in a 41-38 loss.

Hondru’s first interception was returned 30 yards and set up a touchdown that gave Miami a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.

In the third quarter, Hondru intercepted another pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown that gave the Red Hawks a 38-24 lead.

Hondru gave credit for his second interception to teammate Adam Trick, who tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage. “(He) got his hands up, jumped up, tipped it up to me, and that was honestly one of the easiest interceptions I’ve had in my career here,” Hondru explained.

The two-interception game was the second of Hondru’s career, matching his performance in a game last year against Toledo.

Hondru, who was the Observer-Reporter Football Player of the Year in 2020, is Miami’s second-leading tackler with 21 stops through three games.

Charley Rossi, a senior wide receiver for Princeton and a South Fayette graduate, was the Tigers’ leading pass catcher in their season-opening game last Saturday against San Diego.

Rossi hauled in two passes for 79 yards, including a 55-yarder.

In soccer

Emma Sawich, a senior goalkeeper for St. Francis (Pa.), was named the Northeast Conference’s Prime Performer of the Week on Sept. 8.

A McMurray native and Peters Township graduate, Sawich was outstanding in goal for the Red Flash, turning in a career performance against Bucknell. She racked up a personal-best 16 saves in the match. It was her second double-digit save game of the season and the third of her college career.

Sawich has been a steady force in goal. In six of the last eight games, Sawich has recorded at least eight saves.

For the season, Sawich has a 3.02 goal-against average.

Ruby Morgan, a sophomore goalkeeper from Washington and a Trinity graduate, has started three games for Eastern Kentucky.

Morgan has a 2-1 record while in the net and a 2.88 goal-against average. She backstopped the Colonels to wins over South Carolina-Upstate and Morehead State. In a 2-1 win over Upstate, Morgan made a save on a penalty kick.

In golf

Bradley’s Caroline McConnell, a South Fayette graduate, was the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week for the second time this season after placing tied for third at Wisconsin’s Badger Invitational over Sept. 14-16.

McConnell recorded her second third-place finish of the season. She began the tournament strong, firing a career-low 68. She followed with a second-round score of 69 and a third-round 72. McConnell’s 54-hole total (209) surpassed her prior career low (215) and is the second-best individual tournament score in program history.

McConnell received MVC Golfer of the Week honors two times prior to this selection, doing so on Sept. 5, 2024 and Sept. 4, 2025.

Washington & Jefferson freshman Brooke Vowcheck, a freshman from Peters Township, has twice been named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Week.

Vowcheck second honor came Sept. 16 after helping the Presidents finish fifth out of 16 teams at the Heidelberg Invitational by scoring back-to-back rounds of 86 for a final score of 172.