Sports have a way of teaching invaluable life lessons — building character, fostering teamwork and strengthening the bonds within a community. In the Hellertown-Lower Saucon area, these values have shaped some truly remarkable athletes from different eras, whose accomplishments continue to inspire.
Patch has teamed up with T-Mobile to spotlight five standout athletes whose achievements have left a lasting mark on our community. While this list is just a snapshot, there are countless others who have helped shape the rich sports culture in our area.
Amy Thomson, a 1996 graduate of Saucon Valley High School, Amy Thomson was a three-sport athlete, excelling in basketball, field hockey and track. She was a four-time team MVP, three-time Colonial League All-Star, and the 1994 Colonial League Girls Basketball Scoring Champion. Thomson holds Saucon Valley’s all-time scoring record (1,755 points) and career rebounding record (1,233 rebounds). She continued her basketball career at Lehigh University, where she was a member of the 1996–97 Patriot League Championship team and 1997 NCAA Tournament team.
2014 Saucon Valley High School grad Elizabeth Chikotas won the PIAA Class AA state cross-country championship as a senior. She went on to compete for Penn State University, earning All-American honors in cross country and competing in the NCAA Championships multiple times. Chikotas was part of two Big Ten cross-country championship teams and was named the Big Ten Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year in 2014. She also excelled in track, qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 5,000m.
During his time at Saucon Valley High School, John Killar (Class of 1991) was a multi-sport athlete who excelled in football, wrestling, track and baseball. As a running back, he broke multiple school records, including single-season (1,339 yards) and career rushing records (2,779 yards). Killar was a two-time Colonial League First-Team selection (offense), two-time All-City selection, and a 1991 Pennsylvania Big 33 nominee. He continued his football and wrestling career at Johns Hopkins University.
Saucon Valley High School alum Talitha Diggs is a world-class sprinter and Adidas professional athlete. She is a 2022 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 400m Champion, the American indoor record holder in the 400m and a multi-time SEC Champion and NCAA Academic Athlete of the Year while competing for the University of Florida. In 2022, she won the USA Outdoor Championship in the 400m, qualifying for the World Athletics Championships. Diggs, the daughter of Olympian Joetta Clark, graduated summa cum laude in International Studies and Political Science in December 2024.
Thea Ackerman, a 1979 Saucon Valley High School graduate, was a dominant high jumper and hurdler, winning two PIAA state championships. She set the PIAA state record in the high jump (5’10”) in 1979, a mark that still stands. Ackerman continued her career at Mount St. Mary’s University, where she became a four-time NCAA Division II All-American and won the 1981 NCAA Division II high jump championship. She was inducted into Mount St. Mary’s Hall of Fame, as well as Saucon Valley’s own Hall of Fame in 2012.
This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.