Kasey Engle’s Tyrone basketball career was filled with many successes in the form of league championships, school records, and all-star recognition from across the state.

A four-year starter, Engle led the Lady Eagles to four consecutive Mountain League Championships and the District 6 Championship Game in 2017.  Along the way, she set numerous school records including becoming Tyrone’s all-time leading scorer with 1,846 career points.  She holds Tyrone’s single-season record for three-pointers with 90, and the single-game record for three-pointers (eight). She was named the Mountain League MVP for three consecutive seasons and was recognized as an All-State Third Team selection as a senior.

A star in the classroom as well, Engle graduated summa cum laude in June 2017 with a 4.235 GPA.  She was ranked third in her graduating class.

Beginning in her junior year, Engle visited numerous Division II and III colleges, including Saint Vincent, IUP, and Seton Hill, looking to find the perfect fit to continue her basketball career and pursue a degree in biology and pre-med.  

In the spring of that year, Engle received a phone call from a university that she had not yet visited. The person on the other end of the phone was the Shippensburg women’s head coach Kristy Trn.

“I wasn’t expecting that call at all. It was a huge surprise and a huge honor when Coach Trn called me,” said Engle. “I fell in love with the campus as soon as we got there. The campus was beautiful and the gym was bigger than any other schools’ that I had previously visited. It didn’t take me long to figure out where I wanted to go and before I knew it, I was signing my letter of intent to play for Shippensburg,” said Engle.

Just like in high school, where she was a freshman starter, it hasn’t taken Engle long to make her mark.  She is already averaging over 31 minutes per game and has been a starter in 15 of the first 16 games.  Engle is one of nine freshmen on an extremely youthful Raider’s squad, which also features Bishop Guilfoyle guard Lili Benzel and Penn Cambria center Ireland Pelletier.

“Due to the graduation of seven seniors, all of our freshmen have had to step into a more dominant role than is usually expected this early in their career,” said Trn,  “Kasey by far has been one of the hardest workers on our team.  She is a great example of what we expect out of our student-athletes in character, selflessness, integrity and hard work. She certainly is someone we look to handle the ball, run the offense, and play fundamentals. Whether it be a rebound, steal, assist, or her leadership and communication on the floor, she has already made an impact.”

Under the direction of Trn, Shippensburg has had a very decorated history. Trn has an overall head coaching record of 325-205. Her teams have earned two PSAC Championships, having played in three, a Regional Championship and one Final Four appearance.

According to Trn, Engle has managed her transition to college well, both on and off the court.

“Kasey is always on top of her responsibilities and certainly puts academics at the top of her list.  She has a very difficult class schedule, but has handled all of it extremely well,” said Trn. “Kasey is on our Leadership Council as the freshmen class representative.  She attends meetings with the other class representatives, captain, and coaches.  We are certainly looking to groom her into a potential team captain.”

Ever the unselfish player, Trn is encouraging Engle to develop into more of an offensive threat.

“At first Kasey seemed hesitant to be an offensive threat for us on the floor. She would execute the offense, make great passes, handle the ball against pressure, but was a little hesitant to take her open shots.  She is getting more comfortable in her role and has been doing a much better job of capitalizing on those opportunities.  The team certainly needs her to be a little selfish at times, but it isn’t in her nature.  She has made great improvements in her ability to box out and rebound and she continues to grow on the defensive side of the ball as well,” said Trn.

Trn sees a bright future for Engle as a leader on her team and in the conference.

“With Kasey’s desire to improve, and her strong work ethic, I can see her developing into a top guard in the PSAC, with the potential of being a 1,000 point scorer.  She has a strong desire to succeed. I also feel she will develop into one of the best leaders this team will have moving forward.”

But for now, Trn’s young team is off to a rough start. They are currently 3-13 overall and in last place in the PSAC. However, with nine freshmen on the team, the Raiders have a bright future and Tyrone alum Kasey Engle will certainly be a large part of their future success.