Jun 7, 2021 11 min read

The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Washington-Greene County Chapter is pleased to announce its Scholar-Athlete award winners for 2021.

Each year, the Chapter presents Scholar-Athletes in Washington and Greene counties with monetary awards and a certificate of accomplishment during its annual banquet.

Because this year’s banquet was moved to the fall and will be held at 4 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, it was determined by the Chapter’s officers and executive committee to acknowledge our Scholar-Athletes this spring.

In addition to being mailed their certificate and monetary award, each individual’s picture and biographical information will be featured on the Chapter website, www.wash-greenesportshall.org, and on our Facebook page.

The process of determining our Scholar-Athletes consists of the Chapter contacting all 19 school districts in the two counties. Officials from the districts then have the opportunity to submit their selections and all requested information to the Chapter, specifically to the Scholar-Athlete Chairwoman, Tricia Alderson.

Those whose information is forwarded by the established deadline become part of that year’s Student-Athlete class.

We are happy to announce that 17 of the 19 eligible school districts participated this year.

In addition, we are announcing that through generous donations from members of the public, our membership and the Chapter’s fundraising efforts, the 17 individuals being honored this year will each receive $300.

The Chapter’s Scholar-Athlete Class of 2021 includes (listed alphabetically):

Abigail Ankrom,

• Jefferson-Morgan – Ankrom served as the volleyball and basketball teams’ captain while also starring for the softball team. A two-time, all-county volleyball selection and member of the National Honor Society, Ankrom received the Challenger Program Award for community service. She is the director of Vacation Bible School for Hewitt Presbyterian Church, Student Council President, Homecoming Queen, and a member of SADD, the Drama Club and Peer Jury. Abigail plans on majoring in nursing at Waynesburg College and was awarded the A.B. Miller Academic Scholarship.

Austin Arnold,

• Chartiers-Houston – Arnold was a multi-sports standout, lettering all four years in soccer, basketball, and track. A two-time all-section player in soccer, he ranked 11th in scoring in the WPIAL his senior season and helped the Bucs make three playoff appearances. The basketball team won its section and reached the WPIAL semifinals his freshman year and he was team captain and all-section his senior season. He medaled in four different track and field events, including a seventh-place WPIAL finish in the 4 x 800 relay. Community-oriented, the honors student is part of the LEO Club and “Bucks for Bucs” camps and races. Austin plans on majoring in industrial engineering while attending Penn State-New Kensington.

Jonathan Baronick,

• Burgettstown – Baronick was a standout in football, basketball and baseball. In football, he was a four-year letter-winner and two-way starting and all-conference lineman each of his last two years. He led the 2019 squad to an undefeated regular season and received the Iron Man Award as a senior. A two-year basketball letter-winner, he averaged seven points and six rebounds while starting every game as a junior before an injury negated his senior season. A four-year starter at four different positions in baseball, he was also a two-year team captain. An honors student, Baronick will attend West Virginia University, and plans on majoring in accounting.

Elizabeth Brudnock,

• West Greene – A nine-time letter-winner, Brudnock competed and served as a team captain in basketball, cross country, track and field, and volleyball. She helped the Lady Pioneers basketball team win four straight section titles while compiling an 86-13 cumulative record, 55 straight section victories, and make four consecutive trips to the WPIAL Class A championship game. She was selected to the Western PA Roundball Classic this past spring and finished with 119 three-point field goals. Brudnock helped the volleyball team achieve its first-ever WPIAL playoff appearance. A member of the National Honor Society who represented her school at the WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit, Brudnock plans on majoring in business at California University.

Asa Charnik,

• Washington – Charnik played four years for both the football and baseball teams and was a three-year starter for both programs, earning all-conference honors in football. He helped the football team win the WPIAL Class AA championship in 2017 and reach the 2019 WPIAL title game. A member of the National Honor Society, he was twice named to the Century Conference All-Academic Team. Charnik received the Dynamet Volunteer Award twice and was a Black History Month essay winner. A four-year high honors student, Charnik will major in electrical engineering or bio-chemistry at West Virginia University.

Danielle DeWitt,

• Mapletown – DeWitt was a two-year starter on the Maples basketball team and a starting outfielder this past season for the softball team. A member of the National Honor Society and Homecoming Queen who ranks first academically in her graduating class, she is also a four-year member of the band and drum major her senior year. DeWitt also is in Envirothon, Academic League, Student Council, and SADD. She plans on joining the Navy and attending West Virginia University, where she will major in aerospace engineering.

Matt Lacek,

• Fort Cherry – A four-year standout on the golf team and team captain his senior year, Lacek led the Rangers to the 2020 WPIAL Class AA Section 4 championship while winning the individual section title. An honors student, he also earned Southwest Pennsylvania Junior Golf Tournament Championship Flight in 2020. He is a member of the National Honor Society, volunteered at Washington City Mission and made a mission trip to El Salvador. Lacek will play golf Washington & Jefferson College.

Remmey Lohr,

• Carmichaels – A four-time all-county selection for the golf team, Lohr placed second at the individual section qualifier her senior year after finishing 13th in the WPIAL her junior year which included a silver medal par-72 at the PIAA western regional. She became the program’s first-ever state qualifier during her sophomore season and finished 14th at the state championships after a third-place WPIAL finish. She is the Mikes’ first female to qualify for states playing individually with the boys. Included among her many other extracurricular activities are National Honor Society, Student Council, Cheerleading Captain, Marching and Concert band, and Senior Standing Committee President. Lohr has received a golf scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she will major in management with a minor in marketing.

Faith Martin,

• Charleroi – Martin was a three-sport star for the Cougars, competing four years on the softball diamond, three years in volleyball, and two years in basketball. She earned all-conference honors her junior and senior seasons in volleyball. Among her numerous activities she is a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council Vice President, organizes various STEM events and is President of the Drafting Club. Some of her volunteer work includes Bottle Camps for Cancer and Interact Holiday Toy Drive. Martin will major in civil engineering at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering.

Dane Matuscin,

• Canon-McMillan – Matuscin was a three-year starting outside linebacker in football and a four-year starter in lacrosse who served as team captain with both. An all-section and all-district selection in football, he was the lacrosse team’s Rookie of the Year. A member of the National Honor Society, Dane is also active in the community, organizing holiday food drives, as well as doing other volunteer work with Meals on Wheels, the Humane Society, and various youth sports clinics. He will continue his academic and lacrosse careers at Mount Union University and major in biology.

Alissa Minerd,

• Bethlehem-Center – A two-time all-section outside hitter and defensive specialist, Minerd helped the volleyball team win the 2017 section title and make three WPIAL playoff appearances. She also played one season on the basketball team. Minerd plans on majoring in accounting at Saint Vincent College. In addition, Minerd is a member of The Future Is Mine, Leo Club, Peer Jury, National Honor Society, STEAM (junior year), first-place mathematics award for PA Junior Academy of Science and Amelia Earhart Award (junior year).

Emma Morgan,

• Trinity – Morgan is a three-time all-section and four-year letter-winner in softball and two-time all-section and three-year letter-winner in volleyball. She helped both teams achieve WPIAL playoff appearances, and the Hillers softball team won the section title in 2019. Morgan has also played for the Canonsburg Lady Knights travel softball team for four years as well three years with the Ohio Lady Lasers Gold and one season with the Ohio Outlaws. An honors student, Morgan will major in business and marketing at the University of Toledo, where she has accepted a softball scholarship.

Nathan O’Savage,

• California – O’Savage was a five-sport standout for the Trojans, competing in basketball, track and field, football, soccer, and baseball. The four-year basketball letter-winner led the team in scoring his senior year as team captain while earning all-section honors. He qualified two years for the WPIAL high jump finals while earning three track letters. In football he had a team record four interceptions in just six games while earning all-section and Tri County South Scholar Athlete honors. He was also all-conference in soccer. An honors student, O’Savage will attend Carlow University and plans on majoring in digital media communications.

Ryan Rose,

• Peters Township – A four-year standout swimmer, Rose is a three-time Allegheny Mountain Swimming Scholastic All American selection. Among his many WPIAL finishes include third-place showings in the 200-medley relay, 50-freestyle (also 5th), and 13th- and 12th-place finishes in the PIAA 200 freestyle relays. An honors student, he also serves as a volunteer swim instructor and organized a mock swim meet with charitable food collections for 130 swimmers to support Washington City Mission. Rose will continue swimming and major in biochemistry with a pre-med track at Swarthmore College.

Clayton Rosensteel,

• Ringgold – Rosensteel was a football standout for the Rams who earned all-conference honors three times as a punter and also for placekicking in 2020. After his stellar senior season, Rosensteel earned PA Football News first-team all-state (PIAA Class AAAA) recognition. He has been a consistent high honors student and will continue his football career as a punter and placekicker and major in history and secondary education at Clarion University.

Alayna Walther,

• Avella – Walther is a member of the National Honors Society and its historian. Alayna is a member of Student Against Destructive Decisions and 4-H president. She was captain of the Avella Area School District’s rifle team and enjoyed a distinguished rifle high school career. She was recipient of the Dave Kramer Award (perfect season, never dropped a point in any match). Alayna was the PIAA Prone rifle champion and 2020 rifle MVP. She will continue her career in rifle at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Evan Wright, McGuffey – Wright was a three-year starter on the football team who earned all-conference and academic all-conference honors and was also elected the team’s class leader four straight years. A high honors student, he is an Extemporaneous Speaking State Qualifier who earned third-place in Creed Speaking. A member and officer of McGuffey’s FFA, Wright does extensive volunteer work with the Dutch Fork Christian Church, where he also is a lead singer. He will attend Grove City College.