Five Windber athletes to play sports in college

WINDBER ? Five Windber standout athletes announced their intentions to play sports at various higher education facilities across the state Tuesday.

Kayla Kormanik, Leah Brutz, Shane Fleegle, Cheyenne Feathers and Brooke Schreyer all chose their respective colleges or universities for the education first and then the chance to continue playing their respective sport.

Kormanik and Schreyer will both play softball. Kormanik will pitch for Westminster College while Schreyer will play infield at Waynesburg University. Brutz will be dishing out assists for the Penn State-Altoona volleyball team. Fleegle will tackle the gridiron at St. Francis University while Feathers will be hitting forehand winners for Mount Aloysius College's tennis team.

All five athletes credited their coaches at Windber for the success they have had on the field/court.

"Our coaches all pushed us to give 110 percent every day at practice and in games," Brutz said. "They really helped us get to this level."

Fleegle added, "It wasn't just about pushing us, it was about being our second family. We have such a bond. I go out to eat with coach Grohal."

Schreyer concluded, "They are always there for us. They were serious about the sport, but they also made sure we were having fun."

Kormanik, who intends to become a lawyer, said focusing on just one sport instead of multiple sports will help her with her college workload.

"I've always been involved with numerous groups and multiple sports, so I don't think I will have any problems making the transition to college," she said.

Fleegle and Schreyer both are required to spend a specific amount of hours at a sports study hall and have to maintain a certain GPA to play on their respective teams.

Feathers, who is going to be a physical therapist said, "I don't think it will be hard to balance both. I'm used to playing sports year-round. Plus it's close to home and small which I really like."

Schreyer, who proclaims herself to be "a science girl," will be studying forensic science while Fleegle intends to become a cardiologist after studying to be a physicians assistant.

"My brother had a heart transplant when he was a kid and that really made me want to help other people," he said.

All of their coaches agreed that each of these five athletes will help their respective collegiate programs due to their work ethic and dedication to their sport.

"Leah is the only player in Windber history to have more than 1,000 assists (1,330)," head coach Don Byer said. "She would have had more but after running the offense for three years, she had to assume a different responsibility on the team her senior year. Leah is well-disciplined and really responded well to the weight she carried on her shoulders. She is a very good fit for Penn State Altoona."

Coach Joe Podrebarac said Feathers is the first player to play in college in his 10 years coaching tennis. "This is extra special because we have tight bond. She is the best leader I have had in my time. She's so eager to learn and she is always looking to help out the team. Coach Mike Kush worked with her during her freshman year and he recruited her heavily to be in the starting lineup at Mount Aloysius. I believe she will be able to portray her work ethic and positive attitude up there for that program."

Coach Cory Pavlosky couldn't say enough about Kormanik and Schreyer.

"Brooke is a perfectionist," he said. "She will call and ask if we can work on hitting when not playing travel ball. Kayla was timid as a freshman but after pitching clinics she has really come on as our trusted pitcher the last three years. Being a lefty has helped her become a great slap hitter as well."

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