North Allegheny has a historically great athletics program, sending many players to play collegiate sports every year from almost every sport. The National Signing Day passed on Tuesday November 8th, where many of NA’s athletes made their commitments official. NA has a large number of athletes moving on to the NCAA next year, but the spotlight here will be on eight standout athletes continuing their careers in college.
Girls’ Basketball’s Caroline Henderson chose Rochester Institute of Technology to play Division 3 basketball. Henderson’s decision was hard but she stated, “The wonderful campus and great coach really made my decision easier on top of how good the academics are at RIT.” One trait that helped her most in her process was patience. Division 3 sports are different from Division 1 sports. “Division 3 is a different process because there are certain down periods in the process in which the schools cannot talk to you. You also will be in the process much longer because the offers come in a lot later,” Henderson said.
Joining Henderson is Evan Lyon, a standout football player in the fall and also a star lacrosse player. Lyon could have taken the path of either football or lacrosse, but decided to take on lacrosse in college. He will be going to RIT as well next year. Lacrosse is a hard sport to get recruited for due to the lack of schools having Division 1 programs, so Lyon chose to take the D3 route. “D3 is a great path, but it’s a lot different from D1 because there are no real athletic scholarships,” he said. “It’s all based on academics, so you really have to choose a school with a good education and one that is affordable, which is why I chose RIT.” Lyon had success by connecting with as many coaches as he could and branching out and visiting schools. He saw how the team ran and met some of the players on the team and knew RIT was the school for him.
The Boys’ Basketball Team does not see nearly as many recruits as Girls’ Basketball does at North Allegheny, but senior point guard Anthony Sciote plans to play collegiate basketball. Sciote is still deciding on what school is best for him. “It is one of the biggest decisions I am going to make,” he said. “I just need to find the best fit for me and the school that will best set me up for a successful future and the opportunity to play.” Sciote said his recruiting process was hard, dealing with injuries and tons of AAU tournaments. But he added, “My father has helped me so much with my process, helping with emails and helping me train to become the best player possible.” Sciote has always dreamed of playing college basketball and will live out this dream next year.
NA’s baseball program has been sending out top notch talent for years, and one of this year’s stars is JD Costanzo, a left-handed pitcher committed to West Virginia University. When asked why he chose WVU, Costanzo said, “It’s the best opportunity for me to get my name out and be seen playing. I love the campus and coaches and it’s also close to home which is a huge plus for me.” Costanzo has always wanted to play at the next level. “No matter what happened, I always wanted to play big time college baseball,” he said. “From when I was a kid until now, nothing has changed and now with continued hard work maybe the next goal is the MLB.”
North Allegheny’s Girls’ Soccer Team sends out many recruits, too, one of the most notable this year being Abigail Stager, a Kentucky commit. She decided on Kentucky for many reasons. “Kentucky really hit all the key points I wanted,” Stager said. “It is a great school that is really not too far from home, and the coach really values me as a player and a person, so it really feels like another home.” Being recruited in soccer is very dependent on how athletes do during their club seasons. Stager described her process as “a little challenging,” due to the fact that she wasn’t on the top club teams. Instead, she had to showcase and advertise herself at “ID” camps for schools. The process was stressful, but Stager said, “Don’t set your goals too low because you never know what can happen. One great game can change your whole process.”
North Allegheny’s Football Team has sent out mass amounts of top-notch talent over the years. This year, one of the team’s stawarts is senior Daniel Sellers, who plays defensive end and is committed to Richmond University. “I’ve always wanted to play college football,” Sellers said, “and I think Richmond is the best place for me.” Football’s recruiting process is different from other sports and it’s especially difficult. “The uncertainty of recruiting is one of the hardest parts, and schools vary with their interest in you,” Sellers explained. “Football is also a lot different, where players are posting all their offers and pictures of official visits. It can get discouraging when someone gets an offer from a school you want to go to, but thats’ just the kind of stuff you can’t focus on.”
Another one of NA football’s standouts is Cameron Chmura, a Marshall University commit. Chmura decided on Marshall over many other schools. “It was a long process and an easy decision once I saw what Marshall had to offer,” he said. “I love the campus, facilities and coaches and knew right away that I wanted to go there.” Chmura credits NA Head Coach Art Walker for helping him through the process and promoting Chmura’s name with the many connections he has. Chmura also noted that the football recruiting process is unique. “College coaches can show interest in a player who does not even have a varsity highlight. They base it a lot on athletic ability and potential,” Chmura said. “Many scholarships may not be committable either, meaning players cannot sign to that school yet, which is another big factor.” Chmura had many collegiate options but is excited to move on to Marshall in the fall.
For most of the fall, Marin Dunaway, a volleyball standout, was still deciding on what school she wants to play at next year. With many options, she said, “A big school with a competitive program and a great coaching staff who are invested in our success is really what I’m looking for.” Her decision did not come about easily. “The process is tough,” Dunaway said. “You really have to put yourself out there and advertise yourself. You also have to play your best when coaches are watching. It’s stressful, but the reward is worth it.” Just yesterday, Dunaway announced her decision to play D1 volleyball for Bowling Green State University.
