Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Penn St.-Mont Alto

The Official Site of Penn State Mont Alto Athletics

2020 Freshman Spotlight - Owen McCleaf

2020 Freshman Spotlight - Owen McCleaf
Posted: Apr 23, 2020

By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director

MONT ALTO, Pa. - Freshman Spotlight: This Q&A will serve as a get to know you series for our Penn State Mont Alto spring freshman student-athletes.

  1. Why did you choose to attend Mont Alto?
  • I chose to attend Mont Alto because I've been a Penn State fan for most of my life and it granted me the best opportunity to study what I wanted to as well as play baseball at the collegiate level.
  1. If you could change one thing from your first year, what would it be and why?
  • I would change the times of the classes I chose to better fit around my personal schedule. I had an 8 a.m. class, 4 days a week during the first semester and it really ended up messing up my sleep schedule and taking a toll on my body.
  1. What is your major and why?
  • I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering because designing different machines interests me and I have always been pretty good at math.
  1. What has been your favorite course at Mont Alto and why?
  • My favorite course has been PSU008 with Kendra Wolgast. The reason being is because she is super cool, laid back and the class is about useful skills you need in college and life.
  1. What is your favorite inspirational quote and who said it?
  • "There may be people who have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do." -Derek Jeter
  1. What is the hardest part of your sport?
  • Hitting is the hardest part of baseball without a doubt. You have to hit a spherical ball with a round bat, which is a task that many experts consider the hardest thing to do in sports.
  1. Name one obstacle or form of adversity you have had to overcome.
  • Since I'm a catcher, I've always been kind of underestimated since the ideal build for a catcher is someone who is stocky, and I have a more tall and skinny build. This forced me to work even harder on my skills so I would get noticed.
  1. What advice do you have for a prospective Mont Alto student-athlete?
  • Respect the upperclassmen on your team. They have been around the block and have more experience than you. I get that you want to stand out as a freshman, but it's best to just let your play speak for itself.

Stay up to date on all your Penn State Mont Alto news, scores, and awards by following @PSUMAathletics on Twitter and by liking the "Penn State Mont Alto Athletics" Facebook page.