Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Norwin’s Casey Rose Colcombe

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Sunday, June 9, 2024 | 8:34 PM

Some sports teams put a lot of their focus into competing on the field, ice, or court.

For hurdler Casey Rose Colcombe and the Norwin track and field team, the attention is turned towards fostering a culture that makes them feel like one giant family.

When Norwin won the section title this year, that idea was even further emphasized.

“The family dynamic, 100 percent,” Colcombe said about what drove the team’s success. “At our meet against Hempfield, I will never forget that feeling, running that 4×400 at the last event. It came down to that, and I was a very important leg in it. I had to keep us in a good position. The way that (the team) was cheering me on and pushing each and every single one of us running a lap, it altered the way we performed.”

Colcombe came in seeded sixth and finished third in the 300 hurdles at the WPIAL championships.

That showing propelled Colcombe to the PIAA championships in the 300 hurdles for the second consecutive year.

She was one of several Knights to qualify, on both the boys and girls teams.

“Honestly the word ‘honored’ is just a perfect word to use for this because like I mentioned, the competition this year was crazy,” Colcombe said. “I was honored to even be able to say that I could compete against them and I had a chance to make it to states against those girls because they’re awesome, and they’re great, amazing athletes.”

In her senior season, Colcombe jumped into the top five all time at Norwin in both hurdling events (fifth in the 100, fourth in the 300).

Away from the track, she also participates in the choir and school musicals.

Colcombe will continue to have her hands full, with plans to participate in track at Point Park and double major in dance and early education.

Following the end of her season, Colcombe took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with track and hurdles?

I started in middle school with track and cross country, mainly just because my older brother did it. I’m the youngest of four. Being the youngest of four, I kind of always watched what my older siblings did, and I picked and chose what I wanted to take on. I saw how much my brother loved track and field and cross county, and I thought it seemed like something I would really enjoy. I just started it and took my own path and met my own friends, and I saw how welcoming of an environment it was. It was crazy to me, just the way everybody was so close. The second you joined the team it felt like family, and it was such an enjoyable aspect I loved. That’s why I stuck with it all my years in high school.

What can you say about putting yourself into the record books at Norwin?

Sophomore year, when I started hurdling, I looked up to hurdlers on this team. Last year, Bella Brozeski was on this team, and we constantly pushed each other. I was always right behind her, she was always a little bit in front of me, and then sometimes I’d get her and sometimes I wouldn’t. We’d just always push each other and go back and forth. With that, it was always in my brain that I wanted to push myself to my fullest potential, no matter what that may be in high school. I wanted to unlock whatever I had. This year, I really tried to train. I focused. I was really ready to leave it all out here in the high school season, my last high school season. Seeing that I’m now in some of these records, it’s rewarding for me as an athlete to know that only happened because I pushed myself, and I had coaches that supported me through the way and teammates who also pushed me through the way.

What sparked your interest in singing?

My dad likes to say that I’m a composite of all of my siblings. My second-oldest sister, Selena, she was in musicals. She was in the choir. We would always sing in our kitchen together unloading the dishwasher growing up. Music has always been a part of my life, with going to church and singing the different hymns. I’ve always loved singing, and music pairs so well with dancing. So, in high school, I auditioned for the select choir. It’s called the Chamber Singers, and I got in. Honestly that choir has kind of fostered the way I look at music and my appreciation for music and how it’s so complex but also so beautiful, and so simple at the same time. Being in the choir, it helps me understand so fully my voice as a singer but also the types of music I like. Ever since then, I chose to be part of the musical, and that also has fostered that singing and the musical side of me. The choir and the musicals are honestly what is my big musical fix, you could say.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

One thing that people may not know about me is that no matter how difficult something may seem, I’m always going to work for it.

Tags: Norwin