Five Warrior athletes have committed to play their sports at the collegiate level.
Senior’s Emily Walker, Niamh Fanning, Danielle Lavery, Ariana Pecunes, and Cara Zapach have proven that hard work and dedication can pay off in the long run in terms of achieving their sports dreams.
National Signing Day has multiple dates, but the initial day for most sports is Nov. 12. It is traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding national letter of intent for a college sport. These letters are with member schools of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Senior Emily Walker will attend York College to play soccer for the Spartans. “I liked the distance from home,” Walker said. “York College is pretty close, but also I have my own space to get away. And then I liked the soccer program, and they were interested in me. I am going for nursing, and they have a really good nursing program there and I like the campus. I am looking forward to having more connections, meeting new people, and also just like growing my skills, and playing at the next level is gonna push me more and push my leadership and my strength. And overall just a good challenge for me.”
Niamh Fanning is slated to go to Bloomsburg University for soccer. “I’m really excited, I really love my new coach and all my teammates,” Fanning said. “So I think it’s gonna be a great experience. Knowing I’m playing at the next level of the sport that I´ve been working hard on since I was able to walk. It is just really cool and exciting. They’re very flexible with my major, which I want to do. I want to do nursing. A lot of the other colleges I talked to didn’t want nurses on their team, because the course is so rigorous, so they´re able to balance both my academic life and then my athletic life, which was a really good plus. And the team is very good. They have a great atmosphere and great chemistry.”
Danielle Lavery will enroll at Liberty University and play field hockey. “I’m really excited for Liberty, not only because of the big step up in play of field hockey at division one level, but I’m very excited because all of the girls that I met, like everyone just loves playing, and everyone just loves hanging out with each other and it’s definitely like, a team environment, and then also they play at a very high level,” Lavery said. “I picked this college because it is a Christian college, and that is definitely something that they prioritize on the team too. Which is something you won’t find anywhere else, and just the team culture is just, you can find that anywhere else.”
Ariana Pecunes plans to play volleyball while attending Penn State Harrisburg. “Something that I am most excited about playing there is definitely the energy that the girls bring, and their talent is absolutely amazing, and I’m super excited just to be a part of that, and also grow and learn off of them,” Pecunes said. “I chose this college because the campus is very open, and I’m very into that, so I can, like, breathe with things around me. Also because again the girls are just super amazing. They’re super welcoming and they make me feel like a kind of sister to them and they are very supportive of me and I’m just looking for all the friendships I can make there as well.”
Cara Zapach will attend Hofstra University and play for the field hockey team. “I am most excited to be part of a growing team,” Zapach said. “I instantly felt connected to the head coach and other players within my recruiting class, so I am excited to build new bonds both on and off the field. I am also excited to grow my skills at a new level, and learn to make the adjustments that will allow me to compete at this elite level. I picked Hofstra University because of the opportunity to be a part of a growing program that is fueled by the trust and passion of both the players and the coaches. I was also persuaded by my ability to pursue any major I desire, without having to worry about their being restrictions athletically.”
