Ellen Banick-Kellar
Ellen (Banick) Kellar was one of the top all-around athletes produced at Sharon High School who went on to a great career at Shippensburg University.
She excelled in basketball, cross country and track from 1986-1990 for the Tigers. In basketball, she was a 3-year letter-winner. In 1989, she helped the team to the District 10 Championship and was the game's high scorer with 15 points. She was honored as 2nd-team All-Mercer County. Her senior year in 1990, she was the team's leading scorer and rebounder. She was named 1st-Team Mercer County and Mercer County All-Stars MVP. She was a 4-year letter winner in cross country and was named the team's most valuable runner in 1988 and '89. She was a top-10 finisher in the Mercer County championships both those years and was a medalist (16th) in the District 10 meet in 1988. In addition, she earned 3 letters in track and was a 3-year district qualifier in the 4X800, 1600 and 3200. Ellen was awarded the Winifred Stephenson Anglin Award (female with most varsity letters - 10) and Sharon Carpo-Russ Koscinski-Phillips Award as Outstanding Female Athlete.
She received a basketball scholarship to Shippensburg University from 1990-94. She scored a total of 1,113 points in her career, only the second player in school history to score more than 1,000 points and pull down 500 rebounds. She is 3rd all-time in 3-point shooting (38.6%), 8th in most 3-pointers made (118) and 10th blocked shots (41). She was inducted into the Shippensburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
Her senior year she scored a career high 31 points against Kutztown and was the leading scorer in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with 19.4 ppg, hitting double figures in 23 of 25 games. She led the team in rebounds (7.4 per game) and had 74 assists, 55 steals and 16 blocked shots.She was team MVP in 1993-1994 and was 2nd-Team All-PSAC and 2nd-Team All-ECAC Division II.
Ellen has competed in Ironman Triathlon competitions as well as similar events. She still competes in the Allegheny Mountain YMCA Masters Swimming Association meets. She coached for 12 years as assistant in Sharpsville High cross country, 5 years as head cross country coach at Commodore Perry, 5 years as assistant girls basketball coach at Sharpsville High and several years at Sharon High.