‘A dream come true’: More area high school athletes sign national letters of intent
Several area athletes will take up the pen on Nov. 13, the beginning of the early period for prospective Division I basketball players and also the initial signing date for prospective Division I and II non-football athletes.
Two weeks ago, South Pointe, Clover, Nation Ford, Fort Mill, Great Falls and others hosted signing days. On Friday of last week (Nov. 22), Legion Collegiate and York witnessed athletes sign NLIs, and on Saturday (Nov. 23) a Rock Hill golfer signed as well.
This story was first published on Nov. 13. The Herald has reached out to the area schools’ athletic directors to get the names of the athletes who are signing NLIs. Is an athlete missing? Please email sports@heraldonline.com.
Rock Hill golf champion signs to College of Charleston
Zach Reuland signed a letter of intent to play golf at the College of Charleston on Saturday morning at Waterford Golf Club in Rock Hill. Reuland, a senior who represents Rock Hill High School, selected the College of Charleston over South Carolina, East Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth.
“It was a very tough decision for me,“ Reuland said. “I really liked the Charleston area and everything about the College of Charleston. I liked the coach, the campus, and the people there. It is awesome.”
Reuland has played on the golf team at Rock Hill High School since he was in the seventh grade. Two years ago, the Bearcats finished third in the state, and Reuland was in the top-10 in the individual championship. Last spring the ’Cats claimed the state championship in 5A, and Reuland led the charge by winning the individual championship with rounds of 71 and 67.
Since the Bearcats earned the state championship and he claimed the individual crown last spring, Reuland has won three other titles as he continues to improve his game. He won the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea Tournament with rounds of 66, 65, and 71. He captured the SCJGA Boys 15-18 Tournament with scores of 69 and 74. He also won the Creed Boys Invitational Tournament with two rounds of 69.
Matt Bell has been the golf coach at Rock Hill High School since 2009 and has coached Reuland since the seventh grade.
“He has improved his game on the course,” said Bell. “The speed he generates now is unbelievable. He has really improved in his mental approach to the game, and he has learned how to mange his total game on the course.”
Reuland wants to major in business at The College of Charleston.
“I picked that major because I want a career in golf. That major will help me no matter what I will be doing in the golf field,” said Reuland.
— Sam Copeland
First year school Legion Collegiate has five athletes sign
Legion Collegiate, in its inaugural year, had five athletes sign national letters of intent to play sports at the next level. Although none of the five had represented their schools in their respective sport yet, coaches had plenty of positive to say about their athletes — and the day was still special.
The Lancers had two women’s basketball players sign: Somer Wilson, who committed to South Carolina State, and Jermany Mapp, who will attend to Hampton University.
Logan Craig, who made the All Region 3-4A team in 2019 and who aspires to study and eventually go into medicine, signed to Spartanburg Methodist College to play golf.
And Blake Sherrill and Kolby Crepeau both signed to play baseball — Sherrill to Francis Marion University, and Crepeau to Winthrop.
“It’s just a dream come true to have my family see me play there,” Crepeau said.
York hosts two signees
York Comprehensive High School had four students sign in its media center on Friday.
Aliah Hagy signed to play volleyball at St. Andrews. Hagy said she’ll be majoring in Early Childhood, and she aspires to be a teacher.
“I’ve always loved young kids,” she said with a laugh. “And I always wanted to be a babysitter and that had to turn into something more.”
Lauren Childers signed to run cross country and track at Anderson University, and Dylan Smoak and Peyton Reel — two of the sportiest family names thinkable — committed to playing baseball at Limestone.
“It is a special,” Smoak said after signing. “It’s a day that’ I’ve worked for since the day I began playing baseball and it’s always been a dream to play in college and it’s finally coming true...
“It doesn’t feel like I’m this old.”
Great Falls’s Kelton Talford welcomed into Winthrop family
Earlier this week, Great Falls senior guard Kelton Talford signed to play basketball at Winthrop.
Head coach Pat Kelsey, who scored two recruits in the same day, took to Twitter to congratulate the newest Eagle.
South Pointe hosts two signees
Kayt Houston, a South Pointe softball player, signed her letter of intent to play at Appalachian State at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Houston has been the team’s offensive MVP three years running since 2017 and has a high school career batting average of .577.
“It’s like a second home up there,” Houston said. “We used to travel up there for vacation all the time, and it’s like a second home so there’s nothing scary or new or anything like that.”
Houston said she aspires to be an occupational therapist or a special education teacher, the latter of which is a field of study that App State is known for.
“If I wanted to play softball, they have to have my major,” Houston said. “So we had to figure that out really early.”
South Pointe’s Zoe Kennedy also signed on Wednesday, committing to the University of Bridgeport where she’ll play soccer. In 2019, Kennedy scored 19 goals and assisted six, earning Region 3-4A player of the year honors.
“(Bridgeport) has a really good soccer team; it just won the NCAA Division II championship last year,” Kennedy said of her choice school. “They also have a very rigorous industrial design program, which is what I’m going to be interested in studying.”
She continued with a smile: “I’m so excited. I went to visit them about a month ago, and it just reassured me that it was the right place to go.”
Clover has 10 athletes sign
Clover had 10 athletes sign their national letters of intent on Wednesday.
The athletes include boys’ lacrosse players Luke Zirnsak (who signed to Lander) and Garrett Hawkins (Anderson); girls’ lacrosse player Anna Beth Baker (Lander); swimmers Audrey Hines and Anna Ashley (both Air Force Academy); girls’ soccer players Anni Thomas (Wingate), Angelica Castro (Winthrop) and Kristen Cole (Anderson); and acro and tumblers Amber Garcia and Alyssa Watkins (both at Coker).
The day was a reminder of the quickly-approaching future for the Clover seniors — a future that it includes more than athletics.
When asked what they’re looking forward to most about the next few years, Garcia answered: “Living with each other.”
Watkins added: “And it’s the first year that Coker is having this program, so I think it’ll be cool to be the first people.”
The lacrosse programs that Baker and Zirnsak will become a part of at Lander University, a Division II school in Greenwood, S.C., are also relatively new. They both said they’re excited for the opportunity to shape the program.
Said Baker: “It’ll definitely be interesting to see how the program kind of starts itself, but it’s also kind of cool to be a part of the second generation of the team ever.”
Said Zirnsak: “(The coaches) are great and it has great potential. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
That said, these athletes know they have a season they want to make special.
“I think we can win every game, as long as we play 100 percent,” said Hawkins, a player who scored 59 goals last season, per MaxPreps. “We didn’t lose a lot of talent, and we got some more, so I think we’ll be good this year.”
Nation Ford to host 10 signees, including three volleyball
Nation Ford parents, coaches and students witnessed 10 athletes sign their letters of intent to play a sport at the next level on Wednesday.
Three of the athletes played on the state championship volleyball team: Emily Lammers committed to USC Aiken; Grace Scott signed with St. Andrews University; and Ally Thees committed to Georgia State University.
Three were runners: Morgan Werner signed with Butler University to run cross country and track; Haley Bishop committed to Vanderbilt University to run track and field; Skylar Holmes committed to Towson University.
Two play lacrosse — and they’re both going to Lander University, which is beginning its lacrosse program next year. Those two are Ella Miller and Taryn Samons.
To round out the group: Caroline Chapman committed to Erskine College to play soccer, and Magdiel Cotto committed to the University of South Carolina to play baseball.
“The females of this senior class are a very talented group,” Nation Ford athletic director Jaybe Shackleford said after the event. “We like to see them move onto the next level. This is a special day for them and us as well.”
Fort Mill has 10 athletes sign
Fort Mill High School had its signing day on Thursday afternoon, hosting athletes from across sports, including: Lexi Barrowclough (College of Charleston, soccer); Aubrey Chandler (University of South Carolina, swimming); Anthony Clark (Erskine College, golf); Vanessa DeRado (North Greenville University, soccer); Izzy Giarrizzi (Winthrop, soccer); Peyton Hood (University of Central Florida, rowing); Hannah Miller (Columbia College, soccer); Maddy Reading (College of Charleston, soccer); Brady Stone (Francis Marion University, baseball); Mikey Tepper (Mississippi State University, baseball).
Said Fort Mill High School principal Gales Scroggs: “The students are carrying on their passion and talent at the next level. We realize this doesn’t come easy. We know this is a great thing. We are all so proud of them and how they will represent Fort Mill High School.”
Two Lewisville athletes sign
Lewisville had two athletes commit to playing their sports at the next level last week: baseball player Luke Harris and softball player Riley Coyle.
Mac Banks contributed reporting.
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 1:03 PM with the headline "‘A dream come true’: More area high school athletes sign national letters of intent."
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