LebCo Female Athletes of the Week: Hadley Hoffsmith & Mackenzie Stellmach (Week Ending October 27, 2024)

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Hadley Hoffsmith

In the opening round of the District 3 Field Hockey Playoffs on October 23rd, the Palmyra Lady Cougars defeated Gettysburg by a score of 9-0. In the game, Palmyra was led by senior Hadley Hoffsmith, who scored a hat trick and added an assist. The victory propelled the Lady Cougars to a quarterfinal win over Spring Grove, where they clinched a spot in the PIAA State Championship Playoffs. For her outstanding performance, Hoffsmith was voted as a LebCo Female Athlete of the Week.

About the game, Hoffsmith told LebCoSports.com, “Our team came out really strong from the start, and we executed on a lot of our offensive opportunities.”

Execution is something that Palmyra did a lot of this season on their way to a regular season record of 13-5 and gaining the #4-seed in the District 3 Playoffs. They then went on to lose to the eventual District 3 Champion Warwick Warriors before bouncing back to defeat Hershey this past Saturday to claim third place.

The success of Palmyra Field Hockey, whose motto is “SCIJ – Strength, Courage, Intensity, and Joy,” is something that has been well documented through the years, having appeared in ten State Championship Finals, winning three (2005, 2014, 2020).

This year, the winning has come despite Palmyra featuring a young roster. In terms of how Hoffsmith sees her role, she said, “I think it is important to be a role model and to lead by example, whether that be on or off of the field.”

She went on to point out that the main goal is “to come out with a gold state medal by the end of the season.”

Hoffsmith will begin her final State Tournament on Tuesday when Palmyra travels to take Crestwood, the District 2 Champion. She will enter the game knowing that she has the support of her family, who has supported her every step of the way. She will also have the support and lessons from both her club and varsity coaches, who have pushed her to become a better player by pushing her to new limits.

Once her high school career is finished, Hoffsmith plans to attend Penn State University to pursue a degree in Biology. Beyond her studies, which she takes very seriously, Hoffsmith will continue her playing career for the Nittany Lions.

While school and her playing career take up a lot of time, Hoffsmith uses her free time to coach youth field hockey, mentoring the next generation of players. She also practices playing her violin. Beyond that, you may catch Hoffsmith listening to Taylor Swift, a little-known artist that Hoffsmith lists as her favorite.

When listening to Taylor, Hoffsmith may hear this and be reminded of the challenge ahead: “We’re getting stronger now . . . They might be bigger, but we’re faster and never scared.”

We wish Hoffsmith and all of her teammates all the best as they push their season to new limits fearlessly.

Photo credit: Phil Ayala

Mackenzie Stellmach

At the District 3 Cross Country Championships of October 26th, Annville-Cleona’s Mackenzie Stellmach ran a 19:28.6 to win gold in the AA competition. The junior’s performance helped the Dutchmen to the District 3 Team Championship and reserved them a starting box at the PIAA State Championships. As a result of a gold medal-winning performance, Stellmach was voted as a LebCo Female Athlete of the Week.

When speaking about the experience at Districts, Stellmach said, “It was an unreal experience. I’m so glad I got to run it with my best friends from our team and others. Our whole team’s goal was to kill it at Districts. It was great to see our hard work pay off.”

In terms of hard work, the junior’s success is the result of her putting in the work necessary to optimize her talent. Head Coach Caitlin Heller said of Stellmach, “Mackenzie put in the work over the summer and has found confidence in her racing this season. She is averaging about 45-60 seconds faster on her times this season compared to last season.”

Heller went on to talk about Stellmach’s maturity as a competitor, stating, “Mackenzie has found a race strategy that works for her, and she sticks to her plan race after race. She also has learned to focus on the positives from her race and forget the not-so-great moments.”

As the head coach points out, Stellmach’s growth extends beyond her own training. Heller said, “She has grown as a leader. She has always been known for her work ethic, but this year, she has taken the steps to ensure that her teammates are also working hard and having fun in the process.”

“Kenzie” spoke to her growth, saying, “I’ve definitely had some challenging races in the past, including going the wrong way this year on our home course, but it has been rewarding, and everything led up to last week and states. I think especially last year’s track and cross country season made me pumped for this year.”

Any cross country runner who has been a front runner knows the pain that Stellmach felt going the wrong way, but having the support of her teammates in those moments is something she values the most.

When speaking about her team, Stellmach said, “I’m so proud of all of my teammates. I consider them all sisters, and I love how dedicated and close we’ve all come. I was telling my sister, too, how it’s not a bench sport where people are sitting on the sidelines; everyone on the team matters to succeed.”

Her sister, Lucy, spent her first year racing varsity for Annville-Cleona, with the freshman serving as the team’s #2 runner behind her big sister. The excited big sister said, “I’m so proud of my sister for everything she did her freshman year.”

Lucy embraces Mackenzie following their District race

The running bug is something that Mackenzie and Lucy inherited from their father, an avid runner who competed at both the high school and collegiate levels. He often runs with his daughters, encouraging them every literal step of the way. Along with the support of their mother, teammates, and coaches, the Stellmachs have a lot of support behind them.

When she’s not running, Stellmach has hobbies that make her sound like a self-described 1800s housewife”. Her hobbies include drawing, traveling, baking, sewing, and spending time with family. She also enjoys “doing hilarious stuff and vlogging with my team and cousin Olivia.”

Art is an area where Stellmach excels (see evidence below). If you think her art is great, you are not alone. She has won awards for both her artwork and her sewing.

This past weekend, Stellmach lined up with her team at the PIAA State Championship Meet at Hershey. She finished 14th to earn her first State Medal after improving her time by forty seconds since last season. The team finished 13th overall, moving up a spot from their finish in 2023. Without any seniors on the team, Stellmach will again lead the Dutchmen as they look to finish even higher in 2025.

Stellmach poses with Coach Heller, Oliver Funck, & Landon Hostetter at States

Now that the season is officially over, Stellmach will turn her attention to the Track & Field season, where she will look for a return to the State Championship after appearing in both the 3200m and 4x800m last year.

We wish Mackenzie, her sister, and all of her teammates all the best as they take some much-needed time off before beginning to work toward the next season. We congratulate Mackenzie and all of the Dutchmen on a fantastic season!

Photos provided by Annville-Cleona Cross Country

Read about this week’s LebCo Male Athlete of the Week: Oliver Funck (coming soon)

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: October 21-27

Previous Winners

Alaina Miller (Week of August 19th)

Cameron Blouch (Week of August 26th)

Scarlett Meyer (Week of August 26th)

Avery Lechleitner (Week of September 2nd)

Delaney Miller (Week of September 9th)

Lily Rohrer (Week of September 9th)

Kailen Hibshman (Week of September 16th)

Kenadie Dunsworth (Week of September 23rd)

Chloe Shirk (Week of September 30th)

Susie Hoffman (Week of October 6th)

Kenzie Long (Week of October 13th)