GREENVILLE, Pa. (July 22) -- Thiel College Athletics announced Wednesday morning that Corey Brown, Matt Elko, Jill Harry, Dante McCoy, Kelly Muffley, Nick Rossmiller, Tinnesia (Blood) Snyder and Danielle (Massengill) VanAtta will be inducted into the Thiel Athletics Hall of Fame as the Class of 2026.
The 45th Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 3, prior to the 7 p.m. Thiel Football contest against Allegheny. Additional information regarding schedule of events and tickets will be published at a later date.
Corey Brown '12 (Greenville, Pa. / Reynolds)
One of the most decorated wrestlers in the storied history of Thiel Wrestling, Brown is the only four-time NCAA All-American in program history, earning national honors at 133 pounds in 2009 (sixth), 2010 (eighth), 2011 (eighth) and 2012 (eighth). He also excelled in the classroom, receiving National Wrestliang Coaches Assocation (NWCA) Scholar All-America recognition three times from 2010-12. Dominating the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) throughout his career, he captured four consecutive conference championships from 2009-12.
By the conclusion of his career, Brown amassed 109 victories, the fifth-most in program history. His sustained success on both the conference and national stages established him as one of the greatest wrestlers ever to compete for the Tomcats, combining championship performances, academic excellence and unmatched consistency over four outstanding seasons.
Matt Elko '20 (Middlefield, Ohio / Berkshire)
Elko was one of the top performers in Thiel Baseball history during his four-year career, earning First Team All-PAC honors three times. Following his senior season, he was selected as the 2016 PAC Player of the Year. He also received All-Region recognition from both the American Baseball Coaches Assocation (ABCA)/Rawlings and D3baseball.com in 2015 and 2016, earning First Team ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors and Second Team D3baseball.com All-Region accolades in 2016.
As a pitcher, Elko is Thiel's all-time leader with 243 strikeouts while ranking tied for third in career wins (21) and fourth in innings pitched (233.2). He set single-season marks with 81 strikeouts in 2015 and 10.86 strikeouts per nine innings in 2016. Elko had 72 punch outs in 2016, the second-most in school lore. He also recorded 82.0 innings pitched in 2015, the fourth-highest single-season total in program history, and tied for the fourth-most wins in a season with eight. Offensively, he recorded an 18-game hitting streak in 2016, which is tied for the fourth-longest in program history.
Jill Harry '10 (Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell)
Harry was a four-year goalkeeper for the Thiel Women's Soccer program from 2007-10, earning four All-PAC honors during her career. She was named First Team All-PAC in 2009 after receiving Second Team recognition in 2007 and 2010 and Honorable Mention accolades in 2008. Harry was also selected to the PAC 60th Anniversary Team.
Harry is Thiel's all-time leader with 731 career saves and is second in program history in goals against average (2.47), save percentage (.814) and goalkeeper games played (68). She also concluded her career ranked third in saves per game (10.75) and shutouts (9) while finishing seventh in career wins (5). Her 2009 season remains the best in program history in goals against average (1.41), and she recorded the second-highest single-season save percentage (.904) that same year. Harry also ranks among the program's single-season leaders in saves, saves per game and shutouts, including 225 saves in 2007, the second-most in school history, and a 26-save performance that ranks sixth on the program's single-game list.
Dante McCoy '14 (Reading, Pa. / Holy Name)
McCoy is the first Men's Volleyball player enshrined in the Thiel Athletics Hall of Fame. A three-year starter for the Tomcats, McCoy earned all-conference honors in each of his seasons in Greenville, making the All-Midwest Team in 2011 before being named to the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) East Division All-Conference Team in both 2012 and 2013.
McCoy is the programs career record holder in kills (1,121), kills per set (3.66), attempts (2,673) and attempts per set (8.74). McCoy also ranks fifth in hitting percentage (.253), seventh in digs (541), tied for eighth in total blocks (184) and eighth in solo blocks (47). He also owns several of the top single-season offensive marks in program history as his 426 kills in 2011 remain the school record, while his 410 kills in 2012 rank third. He also holds the program records for kills per set (4.39 in 2011), attack attempts (1,018 in 2012) and attempts per set (9.39 in 2011). His 34 matches played in 2012 are tied for the most in a season, and his 115 sets played that year rank second. McCoy also appears throughout Thiel's single-match record book. He holds the program record with 27 kills against Elmira in 2011 and has the most 20-plus-kill matches in team history (10).
Kelly Muffley '13 (Saltsburg, Pa. / Western Reserve Academy)
Muffley was one of the top guards in Thiel Women's Basketball history during her four-year career, earning All-PAC honors twice, including First Team recognition in 2013 and Honorable Mention Laurels in 2012. A four-year starter, she finished her career as one of just 16 players in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. Muffley is a three-time PAC Player of the Week, which is tied for the most in team history.
Muffley ranks sixth in program history with 1,238 career points while sitting second all-time in 3-point field goals made (180) and 3-point attempts (494). She holds the program record in career free-throw percentage (.857). Muffley ranks eighth in career field goals made (436) and 11th in free throws made (186). She set the school record with a .921 free-throw percentage in 2013 while amassing 433 points, the 10th-most in team history. Muffley's 69 3-pointers made and 187 3-point attempts in 2013 are both third-best in program lore. She is tied for third on the Thiel single-game charts in made 3-pointers (seven) and made free throws (14).
Nick Rossmiller '13 (Butler, Pa. / Butler)
One of the most dominant two-way players in Thiel Baseball history, Rossmiller was the 2013 PAC Player of the Year as he also earned First Team All-PAC honors. His outstanding junior campaign also garnered Third Team All-Region recognition from both the ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com as a utility player. Excelling as both a pitcher and position player, he established himself as one of the premier all-around talents in the conference and region.
On the mound, Rossmiller threw the only perfect game in Thiel baseball history during the 2013 season against Hiram, becoming just the 16th pitcher in NCAA history to accomplish the feat at the time. He also ranks second and third, respectively, in program history for single-season innings pitched with 91.0 innings in 2012 and 90.0 innings in 2013. At the plate, he posted a .436 batting average in 2013, the fifth-highest single-season mark in program history, capping one of the greatest all-around seasons ever by a Tomcat.
Tinnesia (Blood) Snyder '95 (Massilon, Ohio / Jackson)
Snyder was one of the most accomplished and versatile players in Thiel Women's Volleyball history, making an immediate impact by earning PAC Freshman of the Year honors and Second Team All-PAC recognition in 1991. She went on to earn All-PAC honors in each of her four seasons, collecting Second Team accolades in 1992 and 1993 before being named to the First Team in 1994. Her outstanding career was later recognized with selection to the PAC Women's Volleyball 60th Anniversary Team.
A four-year standout, Snyder still holds the program record for matches played with 130 and is tied for the single-season record with 36 matches played in 1994. She ranks eighth in program history in both assists (1,833) and attack attempts (2,901), fifth in service aces (150), 10th in kills (844) and kills per set (2.48). Snyder also produced several of the top single-match performances in school history, including a .643 hitting percentage in 1993 that is tied for sixth all-time, eight service aces in 1991 that are tied for third and seven aces in 1992 that are tied for eighth.
Danielle (Massengill) VanAtta '15 (North Bend, Wash. / Mt. Si)
VanAtta established herself as one of the greatest players in Thiel Softball history during a remarkable four-year career. A four-time First Team All-PAC selection from 2012-15, she also earned three National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors, including Second Team recognition in 2013 and 2014 after receiving Third Team accolades in 2012. Off the field, VanAtta was equally impressive, earning College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America First Team honors in 2015 after being named to the Second Team in 2014 while also collecting Academic All-District First Team recognition in both seasons.
VanAtta rewrote the Thiel record book, finishing in the top 10 of 19 different Thiel career record lists. She is the program's all-time leader in hits (185), total bases (273) and runs scored (103). VanAtta is third in batting average (.428), RBIs (89), OPS (1.112), putouts (603) and baserunners caught stealing (26) while her marks in home runs (9), triples (16), slugging percentage (.632), at bats (432) and stolen bases (34) are fourth-most in team lore. VanAtta is tied for the single-season program record in home runs (six) and stolen bases (24) as her name appears in the Thiel single-season top-10 lists 27 times. VanAtta has 2 of the 12 multi-homer games in team history and is tied for second in Thiel history in single-game total bases (nine).
Due to prior work engagements, VanAtta's formal induction will take place in 2027 during the 46th Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
