On National Letter of Intent Day, State College Area High School celebrated its athletes in style.
One by one, nearly 30 State College athletes were brought into Room 880 of the North Building to sign their Letters of Intent.
The athletes will be competing at the Division I, II and III levels, including six headed to Division I.
Following the Signing Day event, athletes and their families enjoyed a small reception in the State High lobby.
“It’s celebrating the student-athlete … celebrating their hard work and their commitment to their sport,” said Peg Pennepacker, State College athletic director. “They are all academics, too. They are true student-athletes. They wouldn’t be moving on to the next level if they weren’t academically sound. That’s so big for us.”
Baseball and football had the most signees, with a half dozen apiece.
On the gridiron, State College will have six athletes move on to the next level: Lonnie Koudela (Bloomsburg), Barrett McMurtry (Shippensburg), John Weakland (Shippensburg), Charlie Riley (Susquehanna), Matt Harpster (Thiel) and Connor Pighetti (Thiel).
On the diamond, six hardballers will take their game to the next level as well: Oliver Daily (Penn State-Altoona), Kyle Peterson (Millersville), Harrison Walls (Wooster), Caleb Walls (George Mason), Baily Ishler (Air Force) and Brandon Racquet (William and Mary).
The State High girls’ lacrosse team will have three athletes moving on: Kendall Loviscky (IUP), Renee Olivett (LaSalle) and Olivia Stahl (Smith).
The Lady Little Lion volleyball squad will also send three to the next level: Sydney McNulty (Geneva), Tara Neidigh (Juniata) and Makenzie Sullivan (Lock Haven).
Boys’ soccer has two moving on: Mac Schailey (Widener or NYU) and T.D. Hunter (Lock Haven).
Field hockey has a pair of players advancing: Paige Meily (Penn) and Aiko Dzikowski (Smith).
Several sports had just one player sign to play at the next level.
Brady Franks (boys’ lacrosse) will head to Widener. Jessica Henderson will play softball at Misericordia, while Jayln Shelton-Burleigh will head to Lock Haven for women’s basketball.
Meghan Fry, a track and field standout, is headed a few miles away to run track at Penn State.
At the District 6 Class AAA meet last year, Fry finished second in the pole vault. Then, at the PIAA Championships, she finished tied for ninth.
The Little Lions boys’ basketball team will have one player moving on — Mike Caswell, who will play on the hardwood at Penn State-Altoona.
The Lady Little Lions girls’ basketball team has Jalyn Shelton-Burleigh headed to Lock Haven.
In the pool, Kristen Hillsley will swim at Duquesne.
Hillsley has enjoyed great success at State High. At the District 6 Class AAA meet last year, she won the 100 breaststroke and took 17th in the PIAA Championships.
Kashim Buey, a transfer from Williamsport, is headed to Lock Haven for football. Buey played football at St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg in 2013.
Pennepacker liked the fact that there was such a diverse group of athletes represented.
“It’s a credit not just to our student-athletes, but the coaches,” she said. “This is the fifth school district I’ve worked in. Our coaches here are just phenomenal. They’re outstanding. The time they put in is just incredible.”
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