Township students commit to colleges during National Signing Day

Members+of+the+Manheim+Township+Dance+Team.+Left+to+right%3A+Eve+Dryden%2C+Graycie+Pectol%2C+Mia+Ribich.+Photo+courtesy+of++Liz+Wardwell

Members of the Manheim Township Dance Team. Left to right: Eve Dryden, Graycie Pectol, Mia Ribich. Photo courtesy of Liz Wardwell

Mia Ribich

Manheim Township’s National Signing Day ceremony was held in the high school arena on Thursday, February 4 2021. 27 students from the Class of 2021 were recognized for committing to colleges to further their athletic and academic careers post-graduation. Despite distancing requirements due to the coronavirus, team coaches and parents were still able to attend and take pictures with students. 

Nine athletes have committed to Division I schools. Hope Boldizar is headed to Lafayette College for swimming, where she plans to major in neuroscience. Hoping to major in general science, Jane Bowen will attend Fordham University to play soccer. Two students have committed to schools to play football: Evan Clark and Luke Kelley. Clark plans to attend Penn State University to major in criminology, and Kelley plans to attend Long Island University with a major in sports management. Colin Fitzgerald, Dylan King, and Kyle Musser will play baseball post-graduation. Fitzgerald will go to the University of Maine and is currently undecided in his major. King plans to go to Charleston Southern University with a major in business, and Musser is headed to Cornell University to major in economics and finance. Two Township students have committed to Division I schools for lacrosse, as well. Owen Hirsch will attend Fairfield University to major in business, and Megan Rice plans to attend the University of Richmond also for a business major. 

Six Township athletes plan to further their education at Division II schools. Both Cade Clancy and Dan Engel will attend Kutztown University to play football. Clancy plans to major in sports management, and Engel will major in business. As a biology major, Campbell Heller plans to attend Wilmington University where she will play lacrosse. Also continuing her lacrosse career is Gail Wilkes, where she will major in entrepreneurship at Lynn University. Alyzah Martinez will attend Shippensburg University for field hockey, and plans to major in criminal justice. Connor Strine will be majoring in physics and engineering at West Chester University, where he plans to continue his golf career.

The majority of athletes recognized at the signing ceremony this year have committed to Division III schools. Four students plan to play soccer post-graduation: Moses Beers, Shawn Larroza, Quinn McCarty, and Kyra Rishell. Beers will attend Cairn University to major in marketing, Larroza plans to attend Widener University for accounting, McCarty will major in turf management at Delaware Valley University, and Rishell plans to attend Lebanon Valley College with a major in physical therapy. For diving, Nico Billoni will head to Case Western Reserve University to major in chemical engineering. At Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Ezequiel Concepcion-Mena plans to major in automotive technology and play football. Three Manheim Township students will play lacrosse in college: Emma Hagg, Mason Lefever, and Charlie Newman. Hagg is going to Messiah College to major in business administration, Lefever plans to major in event management at Widener University, and Newman is going to Juniata College as an undecided major. For swimming, Olivia Pyott plans to attend Gettysburg College; her major is currently undecided. Al’liyah McCloud has committed to Alvernia University for track and field, where she will major in therapy. The final Division III student is Drew Sassaman, who plans to attend Penn State Harrisburg for baseball and a major in accounting. 

Also present at the signing ceremony was both the Manheim Township Dance Team and Cheerleading Squad for support. The girls were lined up at the entrance into the arena for parents to walk through on their way to the ceremony, and cheered on the athletes as each student was recognized.