College notebook

Marissa Kalsey, a freshman pole vaulter at Westminster, became a two-time NCAA Division III All-American in by placing fifth last month at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in La Crosse, Wisc.

Kalsey, a former PIAA champion at Waynesburg High School, cleared 13 feet, 1/4 inch to become the first two-time All-American in Westminster track and field history.

“I was surprised when I heard that,” Kalsey said. “I didn’t realize that if I earned another All-America honor, I would accomplish that, so that’s cool and exciting.”

Kalsey was an All-American in the indoor season when she broke the school’s indoor record by clearing 12-11½.

“I think (pole vault coach) Bradi Rhoades has done an awesome job and has made me better since I got here,” Kalsey said. “Overall, it was an awesome year, and I’m glad I came to Westminster because I have improved a lot. Hopefully, I place first at nationals in the future.”

In tennis
Julie Stroyne, a junior at Otterbein, was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Women’s Player of the Year for the third time.

A former PIAA champion at Peters Township, Stroyne had a 22-0 record as the Cardinals’ No. 1 singles player. She posted seven shutouts and lost just one set the entire season. The Venetia resident was named the OAC Player of the Week three times and was an alternate for the NCAA Division III Championships.

Stroyne has a 54-4 career record in singles play.

A nursing major, Stroyne also was named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team.

In track & field

Marshall University senior Amanda Kennedy placed third in the javelin at the Conference USA Championships last month and earned all-conference status.

A Bentworth graduate, Kennedy had a throw of 150-7 at the conference meet in Houston and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminaries in Greensboro, N.C.

* Hans Lubich, a junior from Jefferson, was a member of Slippery Rock’s 400-meter relay team that won the PSAC championship and broke the school record, set in 1979, with a time of 40.92. It was the third-best time in the region this spring and 16^th nationally in NCAA Division II. The team’s performance earned Lubich, a graduate of Jefferson-Morgan, All-Atlantic Region status.

In baseball

John Hlavinka of Venetia, a freshman outfielder at Penn State Behrend, was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Newcomer of the Year.

A three-year letterman in high school at Peters Township, Hlavinka had a .341 batting average with 17 RBI,  nine doubles and a triple in 41 games for Behrend.

Hlavinka helped Behrend win its fifth AMCC championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in Terre Haute, Ind.

* Behrend’s Evan Bukowski, a senior catcher from Washington, was named first team All-AMCC. Bukowski was third on Behrend’s team with 25 RBI. The Trinity graduate batted .309 and threw out an impressive 41 percent (12 of 29) of basestealers.

In softball

Point Park’s Ashley Morran, a junior second baseman from Washington, was named the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

A Trinity graduate, Morran batted .388 with 16 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 56 RBI in 44 games. Morran batted in the cleanup spot for the Pioneers, who had a 31-13 record including a 22-6 mark in the KIAC.

Morran set career highs in every major statistical category except batting average. In 123 career games as a three-year starter, Morran has a .363 batting average with 29 home runs and 127 RBI. She batted .402 as a sophomore.

Morran was the KIAC Player of the Week for April 15-21 when she batted .550 (11 for 20) with three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBI in helping Point Park to five wins in six games.

* Washington & Jefferson junior shortstop Kelsey Cunningham had a big season for the Presidents that resulted in several postseason honors.

A McMurray native and Peters Township graduate, Cunningham was named to the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference first team, ECAC Division III South first team and NFCA Division III All-Central Region second team.

Cunningham set the W&J school record with 62 hits. She led the PAC in hits, runs (47), total bases (90) and doubles (16) while finishing second in on-base percentage (.534). Her .463 batting average ranked third in the conference.

In swimming

Angela Palumbo, a senior from Washington, became the first female athlete to be named Grove City College’s Sportswoman of the Year for the second time.

Last year, Palumbo became the first junior to receive the award.

A Trinity graduate, Palumbo concluded her career as a 21-time NCAA Division III All-American. She earned All-America status in the 100 and 200 freestyles, 400 medley relay and all three freestyle relays in March at the NCAA Division III Championships. Her performance helped Grove City finish ninth in the team standings.

Palumbo holds the Grove City school record in the 100 and 200 freestyles and all five relay events. She also swam on four Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship teams and was the PAC’s Most Valuable Performer in 2012 and 2013.

In gymnastics

Washington native Kaylyn Millick received the Linda Burdette-Good Award, given annually to West Virginia University’s Most Valuable Gymnast. The award is voted on by team.

A senior, Millick earned 459.1 points, a personal-best mark, in 12 meets, 11 of which she competed as an all-arounder. An All-Big 12 Championship team member, Millick matched or set a career high in each event this season and reached the podium a team-best 23 times, including 12 first-place finishes.

“Kaylyn epitomized what I expect of all our senior gymnasts, and she is very deserving of this award,” WVU coach Jason Butts said. “She set a goal to compete her best gymnastics in her final season, and she most definitely hit that goal. Kaylyn led by example all throughout 2013, and she has left an important legacy within this program. Her hard work and perseverance is the standard each of our gymnasts should strive to attain.”

Millick finished the year ranked No. 27 nationally in the all-around. After earning a career-best score of 39.4 in a third-place performance against then-No. 2 Oklahoma Feb. 1, Millick scored 39.0 or better in all but one meet, finishing the season with eight marks of at least 39.0. Millick also matched her career high of 9.9 in the uneven bars and set career highs on floor (9.95), balance beam (9.875) and vault (9.85). Millick’s 9.95 career-high floor score ranks No. 17 in the Mountaineers record book, and she was the first WVU gymnast to earn the mark since 2009.