TOWAMENCIN- Monday morning, North Penn High School recognized 17 student athletes by holding a ceremony where the athletes signed their letters of intent.  Here are the Knights that will further their athletic and academic careers at the next level.

Carley Adams

Sport: Basketball

College: East Stroudsburg University

Major: Psychology

The 5’6″ Adams is 3-year varsity starter for the Knights playing guard.  Her best skills take place on the defensive side of the court as a lockdown perimeter defender along with being a leader on the offensive side of the court.  She averaged 7 points and 3 rebounds last year on her way to earning an honorable mention in the All-League selections.

“I’ve been playing since I was a little kid and this is always been what I’ve wanted to do so.  To sign the National Letter of Intent is the icing on the cake,” Adams said.

Kolby Barrow

Sport: Baseball

College: Bloomsburg University

Major: Business

Barrow is a three-sport athlete as he plays football, basketball, and baseball for the Knights, but it’s pretty obvious that Barrow excels on the baseball diamond.  He joined the North Penn baseball program as a freshman on the JV team.  Then as a sophomore, he was given a chance to start on the mound at the varsity level against a pretty good team from New Jersey and Barrow dominated.  Barrow was inserted into the starting rotation and had a strong sophomore season.  He didn’t get to pitch last season due to a lat injury but still played as a designated hitter.  Barrow will now join his sister Mikayla, who is a field hockey player, at Bloomsburg.

“It’s just really special to me and everyone here.  All the work we put in and all the dedication finally paid off.  It really means the world,” Barrow said.

Nicole Chiappa

Sport: Swimming

College: University of Delaware

Major: Nursing

Chiappa is a sprinter for the swim team and is one of those swimmers that will do anything it takes to make the team better, and she will do it with a smile.  She was also on the water polo teams that won the state championship the past few years.  Chiappa is a 3-time All-American, 3-time district qualifier, and 2-time state participant.

“I was never really looking to swimming in college.  I just really liked the school and it’s been a dream for a couple years now and I didn’t think it was going to work out so when it finally did, it was extremely exciting,” Chiappa said.

Julia Davis

Sport: Swimming

College: Duquesne University

Major: Nursing

Davis’s best races take place in the breaststroke events and she has provided a critical locker room presence that every successful team needs.  She battled shoulder injuries early in her swimming career but overcame it and will now join the Dukes of Duquesne.

“It’s just a great feeling knowing that everything you put into your sport like blood, sweat, and tears, it’s all paid off.  Being able to sign is just a great feeling,” Davis said.

Caroline Dunigan

Sport: Swimming

College: Ohio University

Major: Exercise Physiology

Dunigan was the starting goalie on the girls water polo team that won the state championship this past fall sports season.  She is a sprinter for the swim team and finished 11th in the 50-meter freestyle her sophomore year at states.  She followed that up with a 2nd place finish in the event her junior year along with a 5th place finish in the 100 free.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to swim in college and since I’ve been committed since May, it’s like finally getting to put my name on that paper means a lot because I get finally to call the team I’ve spent a bunch of time with, family,” Dunigan said.

Sean Faikish

Sport: Swimming

College: Notre Dame University

Major: Political Science

The North Penn aquatic program is without a doubt one of the most successful programs in the state and maybe even nation, and Faikish has been one of the main reasons.  Faikish is the leader for the swim team and has too many records to list.  In June, Faikish will compete in the United States Olympic Trials.  He was the captain of the state champion water polo team as well.

“I’ve been committed for over a year and I’ve been swimming since I was four years old and knowing all my hard work and countless hours and sacrifices I’ve made paid off and I’m able to swim for the next four years, it’s exciting,” Faikish said.

Maddie Freece

Sport: Diving

College: Liberty University

Major: Nursing

Freece just enjoys being on the diving board and flying in midair into the pool as she is full of energy.  She has been on the diving team for three years and has qualified for the district and state competitions each year.  She finished 4th in the state last year.

“Ever since I was a little girl and I was diving, I’ve always knew I wanted to do it in college cause it was just something I really enjoyed, so now knowing that I’ll be able to continue doing it for the next four years, I’m really excited,” Freece said.

Amanda Greaney

Sport: Softball

College: Lehigh University

Major: Engineering

Greaney has played and started every single game since she was a freshman and has helped the Knights to 3 conference championships.  Greaney holds the North Penn record for most career walks and home runs and tied the record for home runs in a season.  The cacher is also 8 RBIs away from the career RBI record at North Penn.

“I’ve been committed for over year so it’s really crazy to think that now is the time that I actually get to sign the paper instead of just having that thought in the back of your head ‘I can’t get hurt, I can’t get hurt,’ Greaney said.

Jake Homan

Sport: Lacrosse

College: Chesnut Hill College

Major: Health Sciences

Homan entered the North Penn Lacrosse scene a little bit undersized but now, has gained over 30 pounds of muscle which is a credit to hard work and dedication.  He has been named the captain of the lacrosse squad for this upcoming season.  Homan is an attacker for the Knights.

“I’ve been playing lacrosse my whole life and it’s been probably the most dominant sport in my family and to be able to continue playing as long as I can for the next four years, it’s going to help guide me through college and keep me focused. I’ll try to do my best with lacrosse but I also want to focus on academics as well,” Homan said.

Carter Houlihan

Sport: Soccer

College: Lafayette College

Major: Undecided

The last few days for Houlihan have been full of accomplishment and honor.  He signed his letter of intent today and this past Friday he led the Knights to their first ever state championship for soccer.  His accomplishments for North Penn are truly extraordinary as he has been a 4-year starter and in that time the Knights have won 4 conference championships, a district championship, and as mentioned before that state championship.  At the beginning of the season, he told Head Coach Paul Duddy, that he would score 30 goals this past season, which at the high school level is unheard of.  In Friday night’s game, the Knights won 2-0 behind Houlihan’s 29th and 30th goals of the season.  There’s no other way to put it besides what Coach Duddy said himself, Houlihan is most likely the best soccer player in North Penn history.

“I’ve put a lot of effort and time into soccer with many different teams.  It’s just very rewarding knowing that all this effort and time paid off,” Houlihan said.

Victoria Juckniewitz

Sport: Softball

College: Jefferson University

Major: Undecided

Like Greaney, Juckniewitz has also started every game since she was a freshman and won three conference championships with the Knights.  She holds the career record for most runs in North Penn history and is 13 hits away from 100 career hits along with 21 hits away from the career record for hits.  Juckniewitz has played third base and shortstop for the Knights.

“It’s awesome like I’ve finally met my goal and I’m excited I get to play softball for the next four years,” Juckniewitz said.

Alexa Juska

Sport: Lacrosse

College: Slippery Rock University

Major: Exercise Science and Physical Therapy

Juska has been starting since her sophomore year as a defender and this year, was named the captain for the 2020 team.  Juska simply loves the sport of lacrosse and has been leading the Knights every year she has been a part of the team.  Last year she forced the second most turnovers on the Knights.

“I’ve also been playing since I was a little kid but this season, most of our teammates won’t ever play this sport again competitively.  We get to keep on playing for the next four years so it’s just a really great feeling to keep on playing the sports that have shaped our lives,” Juska said.

Valerie McGriff

Sport: Basketball

College: Bloomsburg University

Major: Psychology

McGriff came into the Knights basketball program with a lot of potential but still had work to do to be successful at the next level.  Now she will have the opportunity to play college basketball as a Bloomsburg Husky.  The 6’0″ center won the starting job last year and provided a defensive presence in the paint to make sure that every basket was earned.

“It’s very rewarding.  Ever since I was little, I never really felt like I was good enough to be a college basketball player but when I hit that spot, I was like ‘Oh okay, this is something I can actually do for awhile.’  So it’s a good feeling knowing you’re going to school for academics and athletics.  It’s just a good feeling, you have somewhere you want to go and you know you have a future somewhere,” McGriff said.

Luke Schwar

Sport: Swimming

College: Towson University

Major: Exercise Science

Another sprinter on the swim team, Schwar has pushed himself to the limits during his time at North Penn.  Schwar was also a member on the state champion water polo teams.

“I grew up in the pool so it’s cool just going to college for it which is another thing I’m excited for the next four years,” Schwar said.

Cynthia Sheehy

Sport: Soccer

College: Wagner College

Major: Physicians Assistant

The girls soccer team had been struggling in the past few years but this year, they turned things around with a playoff run into the state tournament and Sheehy was key member for the team.  Sheehy played everywhere for the Knights spending time at forward, midfield, and the outside wing.  She will be a forward and outside midfielder for the Seahawks. She earned honorable mention this past season in the All-League selections.

“It’s really rewarding because I’ve been committed for over a year and I’ve been playing soccer since I was five or six years old so it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do and it just shows that all my hard work and dedication has paid off for not only me, but for my parents as well,” Sheehy said.

Starrett Vesper

Sport: Pole Vault

College: East Carolina University

Major: Exercise Physiology

Vesper plays two sports at North Penn as he is a member of the track and field team along with being a member of the state championship soccer team.  Vesper’s best event is the pole vault and in a sport like track and field, where only 12.6 scholarships can be awarded at the Division 1 and 2 level, it is a quite an achievement to continue at the next level.

“Since I was little it’s been a dream of mine to continue playing sports and continue my athletic career at the next level.  I’m just really fortunate and proud that my hard work has paid off,” Vesper said.

Meghan Wenzel

Sport: Diving

College: University of Georgia

Major: Nursing

One of the loneliest places in sports is on the edge of the diving board, but the cool and calm Wenzel has found a place among North Penn’s divers who are among some of the best divers in the state.  She has finished 3rd, 2nd, and even tied for 1st place at the state competition. Wenzel still has her senior season ahead of her but after that, she will be a Georgia Bulldog.

“For me, it really just means that my hard work and all the work and hours that I’ve put in, the sacrifices I’ve made actually paid off,” Wenzel said.