GREENVILLE, Pa. – Assistant Athletic Director of Internal Operations and Interim Sports Information Director
Devin Weisbarth '22 announced the hiring of
Abby Katrinak and
Dante Parente to the Thiel College Sports Information Office on Friday.
"I am excited to add two motivated people to the Sports Information Department", Weisbarth said. "Both Dante and Abby will bring fresh ideas and voices to help enhance the student-athlete experience here at Thiel."
Parente will serve as the Senior Assistant Director of Sports Information.
Prior to Thiel, Parente served as the Interim Sports Information Director (SID) for three months and was the Sports Information Graduate Assistant at fellow Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) member Waynesburg University.
"I am certainly thrilled to remain in the PAC and work at such a close-knit institution like Thiel," Parente said.
During his time as Interim SID from January-March 2024, he increased interactions on the Waynesburg Athletics X account by more than 50% and modernized Waynesburg's sports information operation with live social media updates, feature pieces and postgame interviews. Additionally, Parente oversaw all website content, served as the primary contact for all 22 varsity teams, developed enhanced game notes templates for men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball and promoted the men's basketball teams first PAC Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
"There is great potential for this operation to be the best in the conference," Parente added. "I am certain that by partnering with Devin and Abby, we will be able to provide a Division-I feel and atmosphere for our student athletes."
Prior to Waynesburg, Parente graduated magna cum laude from Duquesne University with a degree in sports information and media along with a minor in political science. While on the Bluff, he worked in the Dukes' athletic department in the gameday operations office and assisted with the operations for the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championships and 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds. Parente also served as the color commentator for the 2021 Atlantic 10 Women's Volleyball Championship semifinals and finals. Parente is from Pittsburgh, where he graduated from Baldwin High School in 2018. He earned his MBA from Waynesburg in 2024.
Katrinak will serve as the Assistant Director of Sports Information.
A native of Strongsville, Ohio, Abby most recently graduated from Lock Haven University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her bachelor's and master's in May of 2024, both degrees being in sport management. She was also consistently placed on the dean's list during her time at Lock Haven.
"I am grateful for the opportunity and excited to gain valuable experience in college athletics," Katrinak said. "I look forward to working with Devin and Dante to enhance the student-athlete experience."
Katrinak completed an internship and a graduate assistantship with the Lock Haven Athletic Communications and Marketing department in her junior and senior year. Her duties included photography, creating schedules, rosters and programs, producing events, videography, and graphic editing.
She was a four-year member of the women's lacrosse team where she earned the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar Athlete award all four years. Her junior and senior year she was placed on the IWLCA All-Academic Honor Roll and the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Division II Academic All-District team. Katrinak also competed in the IWLCA Senior All Star game at the end of her lacrosse career.
Katrinak was a member of Lock Haven's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Student Veterans Alliance (SVA), Social Justice Task Force, Morgan's Message club, and Sports Management club where she served as the social media manager and vice president her senior year.
