By: Bill Morgal, sports information director
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's indoor track & field team starts the 2025-26 season this weekend at Bucknell with competition in the Bison Opener.
The Raiders have been training since September and hope to produce strong results in this weekend's competition, which begins Friday with a multi.
Schedule
Shippensburg competes only once before the holiday break. After this weekend, its next meet will be Jan. 17 at Alvernia.
SU will compete at Bucknell's Gerhard Fieldhouse three times season, with key meets on Jan. 24 (Art Gulden Invitational, a scored meet) and Jan. 30-31 (Bison Open & Multi). The team will once again visit Liberty's Indoor Track Complex for the Valentine's Day weekend to compete in the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational.
One new wrinkle this year is a Sunday, Feb. 1 visit to Penn for the Widener Showcase.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships will be hosted for the third straight year by Lehigh University at Rauch Fieldhouse and will be held Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 1.
Roster
Shippensburg returns 36 members from last year's team and has 17 newcomers.
Eight of last year's scorers at the PSAC Indoor Championships are back this season. Among the Raider returners include six women who posted a Top 5 finish at last year's conference meet –
Riyah Whigham (second in the long jump, fifth in the triple jump),
Madison Malcolm (third in the 60-meter hurdles),
Ashley Laukus (third in the high jump),
Lauren Bellows (fourth in the weight throw),
Alyssa Wert (fourth in the 400) and
Carissa Bender (tied for fourth in the pole vault).
Among those SU has graduated include
Sasha Lee, the 2025 PSAC Indoor Championships Most Valuable Athlete, pentathlete
Nicola Puggé;, thrower
ShanAnn Simmons, distance runners
Kelsey Hull and
Victoria Mattioli. Sprinter
Aliyah Serrano has exhausted her indoor eligibility but will return in March for her final season outdoors).
Coaching Staff
The Raider staff remains intact and includes three members of the SU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Head Coach
Dave Osanitsch, a 50-time PSAC Coach of the Year and 28-time regional coach of the year, enters his 21st season directing the program. In addition to his oversight of each event group, Osanitsch works specifically with the team's multis.
Cross Country Coach
Steve Spence becomes the team's primary assistant and directs the mid-distance and distance runners. Hall of Fame assistant coach
Doug Knol returns for his 33rd season instructing the sprints and hurdles group.
For throws,
Alison Freas is in her 16th season as a coach specializing in the weight.
Tyler Hewitt is in his seventh season as an assistant, including his sixth season as the primary instructor for the shot put.
Sarah Hewitt enters her fifth season as the primary instructor to the long and triple jumpers.
Kyle Grove is back for his third season assisting the pole vaulters.
Position Breakdown
(some individuals are listed more than once as they compete in multiple event groups)
Sprints (7): Melanie Barger,
Emily Calamia,
Greta Dwyer,
Madison Malcolm,
Izzy Slezak,
Abby Urban,
Alyssa Wert
Mid-Distance/Distance (21): Victoria Bartholomew,
Sophie Baylis,
Natalie DiCriscio,
Lilah Drager,
Abby Gehris,
Ella Hartel,
Morgan Hess,
Lexi Kapschull,
Ashlyn Krajewski,
Shaela Kruskie,
Kira Logiovine,
Brooke Miller,
Grace Nesko,
Livi Rieck,
Anna Schaeffer,
Helene Shevick,
Mary Stoltz,
Mya Trotty,
Caleigh Vincent,
Emrie Watts,
Ava Whysong
Jumps (15): Carissa Bender,
Kendra Depew,
Layla Duggan,
Anne Gardner,
Hana Hussein,
Linda Hussein,
Ashley Laukus,
Ellie Manyara,
Katie McNesby,
Elliot Oliphant,
Allyson Richwine,
Sara Shaffer,
Hannah Stonesifer,
Riyah Whigham,
Tamara Williams
Hurdles (6): Melanie Barger,
Layla Duggan,
Linda Hussein,
Madison Malcolm,
Camryn Pyle,
Hannah Stonesifer
Throws (8): Payton Bauer,
Lauren Bellows,
Carly Bennett,
Makayla Decker,
Kyra Love,
Allessandra Luffy,
Caroline Mercer,
Aubrey Orsinger
Multis (1): Kaitlin Calvello
Hometown Breakdown
Pennsylvania (47)
Victoria Bartholomew (Danville, Pa./Danville)
Payton Bauer (St. Mary's, Pa./St. Mary's Area)
Sophie Baylis (State College, Pa./State College Area)
Lauren Bellows (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley)
Carissa Bender (Newmanstown, Pa./Eastern Lebanon County)
Emily Calamia (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East)
Kaitlin Calvello (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown Community)
Makayla Decker (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York)
Kendra Depew (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land)
Natalie DiCriscio (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem)
Lilah Drager (Mount Joy, Pa./Elizabethtown Area)
Layla Duggan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield)
Greta Dwyer (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley)
Anne Gardner (Hershey, Pa./Hershey)
Abby Gehris (Reading, Pa./Tulpehocken)
Ella Hartel (Lititz, Pa./Warwick)
Morgan Hess (Huntingdon, Pa./Juniata Valley)
Hana Hussein (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey)
Linda Hussein (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey)
Lexi Kapschull (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area)
Shaela Kruskie (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area)
Ashley Laukus (Irwin, Pa./Norwin)
Kira Logiovine (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn)
Kyra Love (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley)
Allessandra Luffy (Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg Area)
Madison Malcolm (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg (Temple))
Ellie Manyara (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley)
Brooke Miller (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus)
Grace Nesko (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell)
Elliot Oliphant (South Park, Pa./South Park)
Aubrey Orsinger (Boiling Springs, Pa./Cumberland Valley)
Camryn Pyle (Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa./Midd-West)
Allyson Richwine (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle Area)
Livi Rieck (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg Area Career Magnet)
Anna Schaeffer (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Schuylkill Haven Area)
Sara Shaffer (Clearville, Pa./Everett Area)
Helene Shevick (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township)
Izzy Slezak (Davidsville, Pa./Conemaugh Township)
Mary Stoltz (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area)
Hannah Stonesifer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey)
Mya Trotty (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara Area)
Abby Urban (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area)
Caleigh Vincent (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley)
Emrie Watts (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone)
Alyssa Wert (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley)
Ava Whysong (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge)
Tamara Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic)
Maryland (5)
Melanie Barger (New Market, Md./Linganore)
Carly Bennett (Oldtown, Md./Fort Hill)
Ashlyn Krajewski (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville)
Katie McNesby (Churchville, Md./C. Milton Wright)
Caroline Mercer (North East, Md./Rising Sun)
New York (1)
Riyah Whigham (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lebanon (Pa.))
