From the halls of our academic buildings to the world’s biggest stages, Millersville alumni have proven that greatness can come from anywhere. From the Olympics to the NFL, many former Marauders have worked their way to the big leagues. Though this list is not exhaustive, here are some alumni who have done just that.
Samuel Bigler
Samuel Bigler graduated from Millersville in 1973 with a degree in elementary education. A Columbia, Pa. native, Bigler began lifting weights at 15 years old. According to the Millersville University Athletic Hall of Fame, “Bigler was a four-time NCAA weightlifting champion and All-American (181-lb. class, 1970; 198-lb. class, 1971-72; and 242-lb. class, 1973).” Bigler was twice named as an outstanding collegiate lifter (1972 and 1973), holding four national records in three weight classes.
In 1973, Bigler represented the U.S.A. in several international competitions. He won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Brazil, secured a third-place finish at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships in Mexico City, and competed in the World Weightlifting Championships in Havana, Cuba.
In 1976, Bigler finished first in his weight class at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia and earned a spot on the U.S. team. That day, he became the first – and only – Millersville student-athlete to qualify for and participate in the Olympics. At the games, he finished in tenth place, lifting 307.5 kilograms (676.5 pounds) in the 182-lb. snatch, clean and jerk.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1973, he pursued a master’s degree in elementary education with a reading specialist certification, which he completed in 1976. Bigler served as a strength and conditioning adviser at Millersville from 1976 to 1980 and held membership on the athletes’ advisory board for the United States Olympic Committee.
Bigler was the first athlete to be inducted into the Millersville University Athletic Hall of Fame in the inaugural ceremony on Oct. 27, 1995. The following day, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Robbert Riddick
Robbert Riddick attended Millersville from 1977 to 1980. During his time as a running back for the Millersville football team, he was a three-time All-PSAC Performer and Kodak All-America First Team selection. He ranks first in Millersville history in career yards per game.
Riddick was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the ninth round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played in six seasons for the Bills, retiring in 1990. He sat out during the 1982 and 1985 seasons due to injuries during training camp.
In February 2021, Millersville announced plans for the Millersville University Football Wall of Honor, for which Riddick was named to the first class.
Danyelle Wolf
Danyelle Wolf graduated from Millersville in 2007, where she was a three-sport athlete in basketball, track and field, and field hockey.
After graduating college, she became a professional life coach, which she remained until she decided to follow her dreams of being a professional athlete. She began training in boxing in 2009 and started amateur fighting in 2010. She went on to win three consecutive U.S. National Boxing Championships (2013-2015).
According to Wolf’s website, “Two years after picking up her first boxing glove, Wolf began fighting with team USA and traveling around the world, competing in South Korea, Guadalajara and Venezuela. Wolf has won ring-side world championships, Jiu Jitsu World League championships, national Golden Gloves and had opportunities to be in ESPN’s 2014 Body Issue and go to the ESPY Awards, walking the red carpet with The Rock.”
As of 2018, Wolf is working as a real estate investor in San Diego, Calif.
Ashley Moyer-Gleich
Ashley Moyer-Gleich graduated from Millersville in 2010 with a major in biology and a minor in coaching. During her time at Millersville, she played for the women’s basketball team. Moyer-Gleich finished her playing career ranked second all-time in three-pointers made and third in three-point field goal percentage. In 2009, she was voted the team’s Defensive Player of the Year. She also competed in the Division II Sweet Sixteen Tournament in 2010.
“The gym was so loud my ears were ringing,” she shared, recounting the memorable experience. “The floor was trembling and you couldn’t even hear the whistle. What an incredible game to end my collegiate career.”
After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a PIAA basketball official. She returned to Millersville to work towards a master’s of education degree in sport management. Moyer-Gleich was a graduate assistant for head coach Mary Fleig’s staff during the 2013-14 season.
“Hall of Fame Coach Mary Fleig had a vital impact on my development as a young woman,” Moyer-Gleich shared. “She became my mom away from home, and I owe a lot of my success to her ability to help guide, encourage, and support me over nearly two decades.”
Moyer-Gleich spent three seasons officiating in the NBA G League, including working in the 2018 playoffs. That same year, she also served as a referee in the WNBA.
In October 2018, Moyer-Gleich made her NBA official debut. She was promoted to a full-time NBA official in November 2018. In 2023, Moyer-Gleich received several votes for “best ref” in the league in an anonymous survey of NBA players conducted by The Athletic.
In 2024, she became the second woman selected to officiate the NBA playoffs. She was the first woman in over a decade to be selected, succeeding Violet Palmer, who was featured in nine games from 2006 to 2012.
“When I was hired by the NBA seven years ago, there was only one other female official. Now there are seven,” Moyer-Gleich said. “The challenges per se have normalized and seeing a woman officiating a men’s game is common. I’m proud of how far we’ve come in a relatively short time period.”
Tim Mayza
Tim Mayza was a star pitcher for the Millersville baseball team. He played on the team from 2011 to 2013, until the Blue Jays drafted him.
In 2012, he spent the summer playing collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League, becoming the first Millersville participant. In 2013, Mayza led the PSAC with a 1.55 ERA, ranked seventh nationally with 11 wins, recorded the second-most innings pitched in Millersville history, and threw three shutouts. He was voted All-PSAC East First Team, was named to the All-Atlantic Region First Team by three different organizations, and received Daktronics All-America Third Team recognition.
“Being part of a good program like what Millersville baseball has and being able to pitch and have to perform in pressure and playoff situations helps prepare for what it feels like right now,” Mayza shared. “Obviously, things have changed from pitching at [Cooper Park] to now pitching at PNC Park… but I feel like the first step was pitching in those pressure situations and for those big games to prepare for what I’d be feeling along the way in the minor leagues and climbing through the ranks.”
The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Mayza in the twelfth round of the 2013 MLB draft. He was then assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays to begin his professional career. He spent the next four seasons progressing through the Blue Jays organization in various minor leagues.
On Aug. 14, 2017, Mayza was promoted to the major leagues. He made his major league debut on August 15, pitching a scoreless ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was credited with his first major league win on Sept. 12 when he pitched the bottom half of the ninth inning before the Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2.
While playing in the major leagues, Mayza continued to pursue a bachelor’s degree in sports business from Millersville, which he earned in December 2018.
In September 2019, Mayza tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery. He was outrighted from the Blue Jays roster in November 2019 and spent all of the 2020 season recovering from the surgery. On April 1, 2021, Mayza was selected to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster.
He was released by the Blue Jays organization in July 2024. Just five days later, Mayza signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He played in nine games for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders before being added to the Yankees’ active roster. He appeared in 15 games with the Yankees before the Yankees non-tendered his contract, making him a free agent.
Mayza was inducted into the Millersville Univerisity Athletics Hall of Fame in September 2024.
On Feb. 5, 2025, Mayza signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he plays now.
“It’s new, so it’s exciting,” Mayza shared. “There’s the fear of the unknown. Is the grass always greener on the other side? But at the same time, I went in with a positive mindset and I was excited to see what each team had to offer and how they can help me improve my game and continue to pitch at a high level.”
Moving throughout the minor and major leagues has provided Mayza with a unique opportunity to experience and live in many new places. He also shared that getting to experience this with his family has been rewarding.
“I’m living out a dream, so that’s my favorite part…I’ve experienced small-town America through the minor leagues, and now the cities get bigger as you move up,” admitted Mayza. “It’s really cool to have my two boys be with me on this wild journey, and my wife’s with me too. It’s cool right now to see it through their eyes. Having them be able to experience what it’s like to be on the field and run the bases and that kind of stuff has been really rewarding.”
Chas McCormick
Chas McCormick played baseball at Millersville, where he had a standout four-year career. He set school records in hits, runs, RBIs, and triples. He became the PSAC’s all-time hits leader, was named an All-PSAC East player four times, was named PSAC East Athlete of the Year, and was named All-American.
McCormick graduated from Millersville in 2017, the same year he was drafted by the Houston Astros. After being drafted, he played in the minor leagues and was named an MiLB.com Houston All Star in 2019.
On April 1, 2021, McCormick made his MLB debut in a game against the Oakland Athletics. He hit his first home run on April 4.
In game one of the 2022 ALCS versus the New York Yankees, McCormick hit a home run, the first postseason home run of his career. The Astros went to the World Series that year. During game five, McCormick caught a fly ball from J.T. Realmuto at the wall of Citizens Bank Park, helping to preserve a 3-2 lead for an eventual Astros win. The Astros also defeated the Phillies in the following game, their fourth win in the best-of-seven series, giving McCormick his first career World Series title.
The journeys of these athletes from college students to Olympians, professionals, and pioneers serve as a reminder that greatness doesn’t happen overnight – it’s built through hard work and an unshakable belief in what’s possible. As they continue to break barriers and carve their legacy, their stories stand as proof that success can begin in the halls and fields of a place like Millersville.
