Hall of Fame – Marshay Ryan

If you were to gather up all of the state gold medals that Marshay Ryan won in her high school career and placed them in the sun, about the only thing brighter than them would be her charismatic smile.

Marshay Ryan

Ryan is perhaps the most decorated athlete in Chambersburg sports history and she was a natural choice to be included in the inaugural class of the Chambersburg Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame celebration will be held Sept. 20-21 and the inductees – 11 individuals and one team – will be celebrated at halftime of the football game on Friday night.

The other members of the first class are Barry Carter, Mitch Stahl, Dave Myers, Bob Thomas, Marcia Brown, Tom Brookens, Ron Etter, Tim Cook, Lowell “Doc” Schlichter and Stephanie (Van Brakle) Prothro, plus the 1977 girls state champion cross country team.

Ryan, under the tutelage of CASHS jumping coach Bob Walker, piled up seven state champion gold medals – 3 PIAA gold in the long jump (2011, ’12, ’13), 2 PIAA gold in the triple jump (’12, ’13) and 2 golds at the Pa. Track & Field Coaches Association indoor states (2013, long and triple jump).

In her senior season, she was named the PA Gatorade Athlete of the Year in track & field and was also the PTFCA Athlete of the Year.

In 2012, Ryan competed in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals and was the national runner-up in both the long and triple jump.

She still holds school records for the long (18-7.75) and triple (40-11.5) jumps, and collected numerous gold medals at the Mid Penn Conference and District 3 championships.

Ryan said she thanks God, for giving her the talent to be used for His glory; her parents, grandparents and godparents, for instilling in her the values, morals, work ethic and love to be the best she could be; and her coaches, especially coach Walker.

Ryan, who also captained the Trojan girls basketball team, said her signing day, when she accepted a scholarship offer from Auburn University, was her favorite moment in high school.

In college, Ryan became a three-time All-American — in both indoor and outdoor track & field — for the Tigers, was a team captain and owns Auburn’s freshman record in the triple jump.

Ryan was a USA Juniors National runner-up in 2014 in the triple jump and represented her country at the Junior Worlds, where she placed seventh. In 2016, she competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials and placed 16^th.

Ryan was inducted into the Pennsylvania Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2019.

— By Ed Gotwals