TOWAMENCIN – Early morning practices and late night games, missed lectures and unpredicted injuries, state titles and scholarships.
Student athletes spend much of their high school career dedicated to their respective sports. In addition to the academic demands of North Penn, they also fulfill the responsibilities to their teams and to the NPHS sports program as a whole. It takes perseverance, commitment, passion, and discipline, and for many, playing for their dream college is the ultimate goal.
This past Tuesday, on November 11th, 18 senior student athletes shared the colleges and universities where they would be continuing their athletic careers.
During the ceremony, the commits were asked four questions: What college or university are you attending and what sport are you playing there? Why did you choose that school and what are other schools you considered?
Common themes as to why the seniors picked their respective colleges was the quality of the program of their major, the environment of the campus, and the team dynamic.
“I ended up deciding on Scranton because I really love the campus,” University of Scranton commit Tyler Agriss said. “They also have a great business program, which is what I’m going to be studying, and I really love the coaches and the team.”
Villanova University commit, Felicia Connolly, gave a similar response.
“I chose that school because of its exceptional academic programs and its very competitive softball team. I love that the school is close to home and I’m very excited to see how I grow with every single player,” Connolly explained.
As the ceremony continued, each athlete took pictures with their current teammates and coaches as well as their families (see below). The room was filled with proud faces and bittersweet smiles.
“I sacrificed a lot to get where I am regarding academics and athletics, and it just feels really good to know that all of it has paid off,” NYU commit Alyssa Veal commented.
The lessons learned from high school sports will carry with these athletes as they continue their athletic journeys.
“Playing lacrosse taught me how to go head first into all types of problems when you don’t know where to go,” Jayden Davenport, Catawba University commit, said.
Overall, though, the Student-Athlete Commitment Day event marked a dream come true for seniors in attendance.
“[Softball] means everything. I mean, it’s shaped my whole life and it has brought me to where I am today, so it really is just a big accomplishment to keep going with your sport,” Chestnut Hill College commit Teghann Bowman said.
For the hyper-competitive athletes, moving on a higher level of their sport is the next step towards success.
“College is just a whole different level of competitiveness from high school, so transitioning into that, taking on a new team, and having a team who will all be on my level is what I’m super excited for,” Penn State University commit Justin Landis explained.
And for those who want to go pro, just one more second on the field playing the game they love is the endgame.
“The goal is to die on the field,” Kyley Moister, Commonwealth University – Mansfield commit, said.
This event marked a great accomplishment made by members of North Penn High School athletics program. It is a memory that each athlete should be proud of and should remember for years to come. Their hard work and dedication over the past four years has produced an opportunity for growth and, while bittersweet, reflection on the moments that brought them to this point.
Listed below are the 18 seniors, their respective sports, and their chosen schools.
Congratulations to all the commits as we wish them luck in all their future games, matches, and races.
Tyler Agriss – Baseball – University of Scranton
Christian Barnes – Baseball – La Salle University
Kyle Bonner – Baseball – Elizabethtown College
Teghann Bowman – Softball – Chestnut Hill College
Felicia Connolly – Softball – Villanova University
David Dian – Swimming, Diving – La Salle University
Jayden Davenport – Lacrosse – Catawba College
Jase Hopwood – Baseball – Ursinus College
Gianna Howard – Softball – Elizabethtown College
Justin Landis – Track & Field, Cross Country – Penn State University
Kyley Moister – Field Hockey – Commonwealth University – Mansfield
Jake Nunn – Baseball – Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Morgan Rodoff – Lacrosse – Manhattan University
Quinn Rodoff – Lacrosse – Long Island University
Joey Sharkey – Track & Field, Cross Country – West Chester University
Tallie Smink – Softball – Shippensburg University
Brayden Underwood – Baseball – Gwynedd Mercy University
Alyssa Veal – Softball – New York University
