Tyrone senior golfer Cassidy Miksich announced Tuesday that she will attend Alvernia University in Reading this fall, where she will major in psychology and compete on the women’s golf team.

Miksich, a leader for the Tyrone golf team over the past four years, took up golf at age four when she convinced her dad, Steve Miksich, to buy her first set of clubs at a yard sale. She is now a four-time PIAA District 6 champion, three as an individual and one team title.

“Cass has been a staple on the team for four years,” said Tyrone Head Coach Mike Funicelli, “It’s going to be hard losing her scoring ability, leadership ability, and infectious personality. She would always step up and put the team before herself.”

Several schools showed interest in Miksich, including Clarion and Saint Francis, but Miksich decided that Alvernia is the right fit for her academically and athletically.

“The coach is super nice and they have multiple facilities like indoor and outdoor ranges, massive putting greens, and a nice home course. I knew I would be able to put in any work I needed with the resources they have,” said Miksich.

Coached by Alvernia alum Tom O’Connell, Alvernia competes in the NCAA DIII MAC conference.  The team made its first trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2018. Coach O’Connell also earned MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2012 and 2018.

Miksich’s mom, Lindsay, is excited to see her daughter develop academically and athletically at Alvernia.

“Alvernia seems like the perfect fit for Cassidy. She’ll be working with a golf professional and playing some impressive courses across the nation with the hopes of making it to nationals,” said Lindsey Miksich, “She’s always played on the boys’ team and had to overcome adversity, so I’m also looking forward to seeing Cass excel with a female team.”

Her father, Steve Miksich, is also an assistant coach for the golf team, so he has had a front-row seat for all of her high school matches. With Miksich moving on to college, he is excited to see what her future holds.

“First, I am extremely proud of her, not only for all her golf accompaniments but also for her academics. She works harder at her schooling than on the golf courses. Alvernia seemed like the perfect fit for her from the conversation with the coach, and a visit to the school. Although we looked at the school early in the college search, it remained toward the top of the list. I think she chose the best school for her to continue both her academics and golf careers,” said Steve Miksich.

In her high school career, Miksich had multiple state tournament appearances. This past year, she had a goal to finish out her career with a medal, but after heartbreak on the second day, she fell short by just one place.

“Day one was a big struggle for me. It put lots of pressure on me going into day two until I realized I was only in 14th. After a tough last couple of holes, I managed to finish 11th,” said Miksich.