The chances of a high school athlete landing on a college roster are not favorable. Only about one in 13, or seven percent, get to compete at the collegiate level.
That makes the odds of playing two college sports in the same season — like Greencastle-Antrim grad Timothy Ehko did for Geneva College this spring — slim to none.
Ehko took on two technically-challenging sports, dividing his time between the Golden Tornadoes’ golf and track squads, and put his versatility on full display. As a golfer, he was a scoring member of Geneva’s team in the final four meets of the season. As a javelin thrower, Ehko competed in six invitationals, including two postseason meets.
Ehko wasn’t the only former Blue Devil competing at the next level this spring: We’ve counted at least 28 Greencastle-based athletes who were active in the collegiate arena. Players like Sydney Orndorff, who had a monster season for the Saint Peter’s College softball team, and Ethan Miller, a lethal reliever for Shippensburg University’s baseball squad.
In the months to come, College Corner will shift coverage to Chambersburg and then Waynesboro, before rotating back to Greencastle-Antrim. We will continue to wrap up the spring sports season, before turning our attention to fall sports.
Additions for College Corner can be sent to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Below is a sport-by-sport, athlete-by-athlete look at how former Greencastle athletes have performed since our last update:
TRACK & FIELD
Timothy Ehko, Junior, Geneva
When Ehko wasn’t hitting drives for Geneva’s golf squad this spring, he was launching the javelin for the Golden Tornadoes’ track team.
Ehko competed in six invitationals this season, starting with the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge on March 8-9, where he logged an 11th-place finish with a throw of 146-7. One week later, Ehko earned his highest finish of the season at the Bethany Invitational on March 16, placing sixth with a heave of 144-5.
After failing to record a mark at the Stan Romanoski Open on March 22-23, Ehko bounced back with a season-best mark of 149-9 for 11th place at the Westminster Invitational on April 12-13.
Ehko concluded his season with competition in a pair of postseason meets: The PAC Championships on April 25-26 and the NCCAA Championships on May 8-10. Ehko took 15th at PACs with a 136-2, before landing an 11th-place finish at NCCAAs with a 145-0.
Ashton Botzan, Freshman, Indiana (Pa.)
The last time we reported on Botzan, we learned the pole vaulter went off for a college PR of 12-11.5.
Botzan has competed in four invites since then, and although he recorded no heights at two of those meets, he eclipsed his PR in the other two.
After failing to clear the bar at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational on March 29-30, Botzman beat his PR by nearly a foot at the West Virginia Mountaineer Twilight on April 19-20. There, he earned a runner-up finish in the pole vault after clearing 13-9.25.
Another no-height at the Shippensburg Paul Kaiser Classic on April 27, was chased by another solid effort, this time in the postseason. Competing at the PSAC Championships on May 3-5, Botzan cleared 13-1.75 to finish in 13th place.
Seth Stouffer, Freshman, Indiana (Pa.)
Stouffer was an ace in the sprints and a valuable relay member for the Hawks this season, appearing in five meets since our last update.
On March 29-30 at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational, Stouffer guided Indiana’s 4×400 relay to a fifth-place finish in 3:30.01, while also clocking a 23.36 in the 200 to take 19th.
Two weeks later Stouffer turned up the heat at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic on April 12-14. He ran a PR time of 11.15 in the 100 for 70th place, while also breaking 23 seconds (22.93) in the 200 to land in 77th.
Stouffer earned the first victory of his college career at the West Virginia Mountaineer Twilight on April 19-20. He pushed Indiana’s 4×400 squad to a first-place time of 3:30.20, while also landing sixth in the 200 in 23.40.
Stouffer’s last stop before the postseason was Shippensburg University for the Paul Kaiser Classic on April 27. There, he helped power the Hawks’ 4×100 group to a third-place finish in 44.11. Stouffer also competed in the 100 and posted a 21st-place time of 11.46.
The PSAC Championships, held on May 3-5, saw Stouffer and the Indiana 4×100 relay run to a sixth-place finish in 43.55.
Weber Long, Sophomore, Wake Forest
Long has competed in one meet since our last update, running a 14:27.23 in the 5,000 for 52nd place at the Wake Forest Invitational on April 19.
Danny Miller, Senior, Lynchburg
Miller put together a strong end to his final season of collegiate track, with the distance specialist notching fast times in the 800 and 1,500 in his last three meets of the spring.
Miller went to work at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic on April 12-13, taking 10th in the 1,500 (4:10.95) and 31st in the 800 (1:59.64). It set the stage for the fastest 1,500 of Miller’s career at the Wildcat Invitational on April 19-20, a meet that saw post a fifth-place time of 4:03.27.
Miller wrapped up his campaign with a Top 10 finish at the ODAC Championships on April 26-27, taking ninth in the 800 with a time of 1:59.96.
Denver Norcross, Senior, Southern Virginia
Distance specialist Norcross, a Greencastle native who went to James Buchanan, saw action in five invitationals over the final month of the season.
Norcross kicked off his April with a pair of Top 5 finishes at the Wildcat Track Festival on April 5-6, taking second in the 4×400 relay (3:40.62) and fourth in the 800 (2:05.12). One week later, Norcross sharpened his time in the 800 at the Dennis Craddock Classic on April 12-13, taking 42nd with a time of 2:02.34. He also took 32nd in the 1,500 in 4:24.53.
Sticking with the 800 for the remainder of the season, Norcross finished 28th in 2:03.73 at the Wildcat Invitational on April 19-20, before nailing down a sixth-place finish in 2:03.74 at the USA South Championships on April 26-27.
Norcross saved his best effort in the 800 for last, posting a PR time of 2:02.27 for 10th place at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 1.
Taryn Parks, Senior, North Carolina
Parks competed in two April invites this spring.
Taking on the Duke Invitational on April 11-13, Parks finished third in the 800 with a time of 2:02.70. She concluded her season with a 10th-place finish in the 1,500 (4:11.04) at the Wake Forest Invitational on April 19.
Aidan Horan, Freshman, West Liberty
Horan proved to be a versatile thrower for the Hilltoppers, giving West Liberty valuable throws in all four throwing events: The javelin, shot put, discus, and hammer.
Since our last update, Horan has taken on five more invitationals to bring his season total to seven. He began that stretch of competition at the West Liberty Tim Weaver Invitational on March 29-30, taking 10th in the shot put (38-11) and 19th in the javelin (113-10).
Horan moved on to the UC Golden Eagle Invitational on April 5, placing 14th in the shot put (36-11), 17th in the hammer (115-0), and 18th in the discus (116-9). His performance set the stage for an even stronger showing on April 13 for the Cherry Blossom Invitational, where he logged PR efforts in the javelin (7th in 122-6) and hammer (21st in 118-2), while also taking 19th in the shot put (38-11.5).
Horan posted another PR at the Mountaineer Twilight on April 19-20 when he launched the discus for a mark of 118-11 to earn a season-best sixth-place finish. He also placed seventh in the shot put (40-1.25) and ninth in the javelin (109-1).
His season came to an end at the Mountain East Championships on April 28-30, where he fouled out of the javelin.
Kyle Baker, Freshman, Shippensburg
Baker, a distance specialist, has seen action in four invitationals since our last update, culminating with a PR effort at the PSAC Championships on May 3-5.
Baker warmed up for the conference meet by running the 800 in three April invitationals: The Millersville Metrics on April 5-6 (13th in 2:04.84), the Shippensburg Mid-Week PR Bonanza Meet on April 17 (7th in 1:59.73), and the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg on April 27 (26th in 1:59.68).
Baker was ready to at PSACs: He ran the 1,500 in a PR time of 4:07.41 to take 11th place.
Claire Coons, Sophomore, Millersville
Coons spent her season honing her skills in the sprints and mid-distance events, seeing action in five invitationals this spring.
Coons kicked off her season by taking on two events at the Towson Invitational on March 29: The 4×100 (8th in 51.21) and 400 (25th in 1:04.79). One week later, Coons was even faster at the Millersville Metrics on April 5-6, taking 10th in the 400 (1:03.38) and 13th in the 200 (27.12).
Competing at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic on April 12-14, Coons took off for a season-best time of 1:01.90 in the 400 for 83rd place, while also guiding the Marauders’ 4×100 relay squad to a 20th-place finish in 51.20.
Coons was placed on Millersville’s 4×400 squad for the Hopkins Loyola Invitational on April 20, and she assisted her team to a sixth-place finish in 4:09.01. Coons also took 16th in the 400 (1:01.93).
Finally, Coons wrapped up her season at the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg University on April 27, taking 10th in the 400 (1:02.13) and 26th in the 200 (27.58).
Shavari Maharaj, Freshman, Hofstra
Maharaj saw action in five meets for Hofstra this spring, competing in the 800, mile, and 1,500.
She kicked off her outdoor season on March 16 at the Stony Brook Snowflake Classic, running a PR time of 2:51.70 in the 800 to take ninth place. Maharaj was back in competition on March 30 at The Big Hurt in Jamaica, N.Y., running to a sixth-place finish in the 1,500 with a time of 6:00.80.
Maharaj continued to progress the following month, shaving a few seconds off her 1,500 time at the Mets Outdoor Championships on April 6. Her time of 5:58.90 earned her 32nd place.
She concluded her freshman season with PR efforts in each of her final two meets. Maharaj placed sixth in the mile (6:22.27) in Hofstra’s dual meet against LIU on April 19, before posting a 5:44.40 in the 1,500 to take 17th at the Vassar April Twilight on April 26.
Rylee Henson, Freshman, La Salle
Henson was inactive in competition this season for La Salle.
BASEBALL
Ethan Miller, Junior, Shippensburg
It was another winning spring for Shippensburg, and the Raiders couldn’t have done it without the services of Miller, who turned in the best season of his collegiate career.
Miller, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-handed relief pitcher, made 24 appearances, more than any other Shippensburg pitcher, and worked to the tune of a 2-2 record with six saves and a 2.93 ERA. In 27 2/3 innings, Miller allowed nine earned runs on 21 hits and 17 walks, while striking out 27 batters. Miller notched three of his saves over the final five games of the season.
The Raiders wrap up their season with a 27-21 record, which includes a 19-13 mark in the PSAC.
Caiden Smith, Junior, PSU Mont Alto
Smith, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound utility player, concludes a season that saw him appear in 28 of 45 games for the Lions.
Smith batted .278 (15 for 54) with two doubles, one home run, 12 runs, 17 RBI, and two stolen bases, to go along with a perfect fielding percentage. He concluded his season with hits in two of his last three games.
Mont Alto finishes its spring with a 29-16 record, which includes a 14-6 mark in the PSUAC.
Aidan Grudzinski, Freshman, Hagerstown CC
Grudzinski picked up a full season of experience in his first spring on the college diamond, appearing in 45 of 50 games for the Hawks.
Grudzinski, an outfielder, batted .231 (34 for 147) with nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, 23 runs, 29 RBI, and eight stolen bases. Defensively, Grudzinski sported a .956 fielding percentage.
Grudzinki’s two home runs led Hagerstown, and he cracked both in back-to-back games. He was 3 for 5 with a triple, home run, two runs, and four RBI in a 11-6 win over Gettysburg College on April 10. Two days later, Grudzinski went deep again in an 11-3 win over College of Southern Maryland.
The Hawks conclude their season with an 18-32 overall record, and a 7-19 mark in MD JUCO.
Connor Rohm, Sophomore, Juniata
Wins weren’t easy to come by for Juniata this season, but when Rohm was on the mound, the Eagles felt like they had a good chance.
Rohm, a 5-foot-10, right-handed starting pitcher, nailed down a team-high three wins in eight starts for Juniata. In 38 innings of work, Rohm was 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He allowed 25 runs, 19 earned, on 41 hits and 14 walks, while striking out 26 batters.
Rohm collected wins in each of his final two starts, including a 16-9 win over Chatham on May 2 that saw Rohm allow one earned run over five innings.
The Eagles finish their season with a 17-23 overall record, which includes a 7-17 mark in the Landmark.
Carter Reid, Freshman, Messiah
Reid, a 5-foot-7, 160-pound reserve catcher/infielder, had a front-row seat to Messiah’s splendid season, which saw the Falcons post a 35-11 overall record and a 19-2 mark in the MAC Commonwealth.
Reid saw action in nine games, batting .286 (2 for 7) with two runs and three RBI, while sporting a perfect fielding percentage.
Messiah’s season came to an end after falling 2-1 to Alvernia in the best-of-three MAC Commonwealth Championship Series on May 11-12.
Jace Szaflarski, Freshman, Lock Haven
Szaflarski, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound pitcher, has been inactive since our last update.
He finishes his season with appearances in eight games, including two starts, and an 0-1 record with a 5.51 ERA. In 16 1/3 innings of work, he’s allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, on 13 hits and 12 walks, while striking out 20 batters.
Lock Haven wraps up its spring with an 11-34 record, which includes an 8-24 mark in the PSAC.
SOFTBALL
Sydney Orndorff, Freshman, Saint Peter’s
Saint Peter’s couldn’t have asked for a better freshman season than the one they got from Orndorff this spring.
The outfielder/catcher started in all 50 games for the Peacocks and was exceptional both at the plate and in the field. She batted .313 (56 for 179) with eight doubles, two triples, 25 runs, and 14 RBI, while also going a team-best 8 for 8 in stolen base attempts. Defensively, Orndorff sported a .990 fielding percentage.
Orndorff spent a big chunk of this season collecting hits in bunches, as she totaled 18 games with mulitiple hits. Down the final stretch of the season, Orndorff recorded hits in seven of the last 10 games, including a 3 for 4 showing in the season finale, a 17-4 win over Iona on May 4.
Saint Peter’s wraps up its season with an overall record of 16-34, and a 6-18 mark in the MAAC.
Abigail Cunningham, Sophomore, Penn State Mont Alto
Cunningham was one of the key players for a Mont Alto squad that advanced all the way to the USCAA Small College World Series.
Listed as a utility player, Cunningham played in all 38 games for the Lions, batting .268 (22 for 82) with five doubles, 26 runs, 15 RBI, and three stolen bases, to go along with a .943 fielding percentage.
Cunningham had her biggest game of the season when she reached base five times in a 22-0 win over Penn State Greater Allegheny on April 10. In that contest, Cunningham was 3 for 3 with two walks, two doubles, one run, and four RBI.
With Cunningham’s presence in the lineup, the Lions battled to a 28-10 record and a 15-3 mark in the PSUAC. Mont Alto’s season came to an end with a 2-2 showing at the USCAA Small College World Series on May 13-15.
Haley Dawson, Senior, Penn State Mont Alto
Dawson, a relief pitcher, appeared in nine games for the Lions.
She was 3-0 with a 5.25 ERA, working 17 1/3 innings and allowing 14 runs, 13 earned, on 28 hits and two walks, while striking out 11.
Abby Stouffer, Freshman, Grove City
Stouffer made the most of her role as a part-time player for Grove City, showing her potential both at the plate and in the field.
Stouffer, an infielder, appeared in 23 games for the Wolverines, including 12 starts, and batted .333 (5 for 15) with seven runs, three RBI, and one stolen base, while recording a .955 fielding percentage.
She recorded the first hit of her college career — and the second, third, and fourth — in a 13-0 win over Penn State Beaver on April 20. In that game, Stouffer was 4 for 6 from the plate with three runs and two RBI.
Grove City concludes its season with a 25-17 mark, which includes a 12-8 record in the PAC.
Taylor Appenzellar, Junior, Mount Aloysius
Appenzellar, an outfielder, saw action in nine of 35 games for the Mounties.
She was 0 for 4 at the plate with three runs scored this season.
Mount Aloysius played to a 20-15 record this season, including an 11-7 mark in the AMCC.
GOLF
Sydney Barnes, Freshman, Millersville
Barnes closed out her spring season with appearances in three April invitationals, two of which saw Millersville win team titles.
Her highest finish came at the Edwin B. Cottrell Invitational on April 1-2, when she shot a 91 to take 17th. One week later at the Marauder Invitational on April 7-8, Barnes finished in 24th when she carded a 100-97-197.
Finally, Barnes wrapped up her campaign on April 13 at the Millersville Women’s Invitational, shooting a 104 for 27th place.
It was an active first year for Barnes, who took on a combined 12 invites over the course of the fall and spring seasons, recording a 93.4 average.
Timothy Ehko, Junior, Geneva
Ehko closed out a busy season with appearances in Geneva’s final four meets of the season.
Competing at the Geneva Men’s Invite on April 1, Ehko fired a 92 to finish in 26th place, with the Golden Tornadoes taking fifth place as a team.
Geneva was back in action on April 6 for the Thiel Invitational, which saw Ehko post an 83, the third-best score on his team. Two days later at the Peter C. Rossin Memorial Invitational on April 8, Ehko finished with a 30th-place score of 92.
Finally, Ehko closed out his season by carding an 86-89-85-85-345 at the PAC Championships on April 19-20.
HUNT SEAT
Madison Shanholtz, Freshman, Wilson
Shanholtz, a Pre-Novice rider for the Phoenix, was inactive for Wilson’s final competition of the season on April 7.
EQUESTRIAN
Kaylee Papa, Freshman, Emory & Henry College
Papa, a member of Emory & Henry College’s IHSA equestrian team, was inactive for the Wasps this season.
LACROSSE
Delaney Fulfer, Senior, Wilson
Fulfer, a 5-foot-6 attack player, started every game for a Wilson squad that posted a winning record this spring.
In 14 games, Fulfer scooped up seven ground balls and registered one caused turnover.
The Phoenix conclude their season with a 9-5 overall record, which includes a 2-2 mark in the United East.
