Class of 2016 N&O area athlete commitments
Below is a list of area class of 2016 athletes who have committed to play a sport in college.
We appreciate updates emailed to J. Mike Blake at mblake@newsobserver.com.
Unless athletes sign a National Letter of Intent, neither the school or the athlete is obligated to the other. The vast majority of athletes who sign national letters do not receive full scholarships, but instead receive some financial assistance. Some schools, including schools in the Ivy League, do not give athletic scholarships, but do give financial aid to students.
We will update this blog with more names as they are reported to us. * - denotes invited walk-on.
Last update: Feb. 3, 2016
Apex
Will Bender, boys lacrosse, Tusculum (Tenn.); Ian Boyd, boys basketball, George Mason; Ashlyn Butkowski, girls swimming, Massachusetts; Tommy DeLuca, boys lacrosse, Cabrini (Pa.); Danielle Fiorito, girls soccer, Wingate; Katie Godlewski, girls swimming, St. Bonaventure; Jack Hayden, boys lacrosse, Hampden-Sydney; Brian Legarth, boys swimming, Washington & Lee (Va.); Carrie Studdard, girls lacrosse, Gardner-Webb; Abigail Veit, volleyball, Western Carolina; Hunter Wright, boys swimming, Towson
Athens Drive
Rebecca Berg, girls lacrosse, Benedictine (Kan.); Drew Martin, boys lacrosse, Wingate; David Parker, boys lacrosse, Wingate; Tyler Silver, boys swimming, Florida; Peyton Smith, boys lacrosse, Marist
Broughton
Tiana Butler, volleyball, Missouri Western; Jeremy Brown, boys cross country, North Carolina; Ike Drooz, boys soccer, UNC-Asheville; Katja Ehlers, volleyball, College of Charleston; Katie Ann Evans, girls soccer, Campbell; Lily Schneider, girls soccer, Wake Forest; Kati Smith, volleyball, UNC-Wilmington; Mitchell Snyder, boys lacrosse, High Point; Walden Thomas, baseball, Catawba Valley CC; Elvis Wiredu, boys soccer, UNC-Asheville
Bunn
Spencer Brickhouse, baseball, East Carolina; Ian Land, football, UNC-Pembroke
Cardinal Gibbons
Haley Allen, girls swimming, Missouri State; Sydney Anderson, girls lacrosse, Notre Dame; Kevin Barry, boys lacrosse, Rutgers; Briley Brind’Amour, volleyball, James Madison; Tori Dozier, volleyball, N.C. State; Emily Dykstra, girls swimming, Georgia Tech; Sophie Ebihara, girls cross country, Florida; Emma Longley, Appalachian State; Makenzie Morrison, volleyball, Boston College; Thomas Ruocchio*, football, N.C. State; Mark Schachte, boys lacrosse, Rutgers; Stephen Shank, football, Davidson; Erica Skowron, girls lacrosse, American; Wesley Wagner, boys lacrosse, Wooster
Carrboro
Ted Bilden, football, Rhodes College (Tenn.); Simon Deshusses, boys swimming, Washington (Mo.); Magnus Herweyer, boys track and field, Williams College (Mass.); William Macmillan, boys swimming, Stanford; Mia Morrell, girls swimming, Emory (Ga.)
Cary
Noah Bagherpour, boys soccer, Methodist; Katie Carter, girls soccer, Meredith; Keenen Evans, football, UNC-Pembroke; Cory Gensler, boys basketball, Campbell; Erica Hayes, softball, Western Carolina; Rod Perry, football, South Carolina State; Matt Thornton, boys cross country, North Carolina
Cary Academy
Abby Staker, girls soccer, North Carolina
Chapel Hill
Max Blackburn, boys cross country, Colorado College; Morgan Brandewie, girls soccer, Emory (Ga.); C.J. Eron, boys swimming, Tampa; Katharine Esterley, volleyball, North Carolina; Paige Haskins, girls lacrosse, Mary Washington (Va.); Anna Passannante, girls cross country, Williams College (Mass.); Connor Stough, football, UNC-Pembroke
Clayton
Klein Evans, boys tennis, Richmond; Lauren Daniels, girls soccer, UNC-Greensboro; Dominique Quintero, girls swimming, Navy
Cleveland
Ryan Flores, baseball, Lander (S.C.)
Corinth Holders
Kelly Ammons, volleyball, Guilford; Courtney Atkinson, volleyball, William Peace; Connor Blandford, boys swimming, Kentucky; Tyler Brown, baseball, Mars Hill; Chris Carter, boys swimming, Davis and Elkins College (W.V.); Katelynn Leach, volleyball, UNC-Pembroke; Stephanie Grandin, girls swimming, Wyoming; Will Jones, baseball, Lenoir-Rhyne; Kayla Ste. Marie, girls cross country, Western Carolina; Nick Routhier, boys golf, Belmont Abbey; Cameron Rutherford, girls cross country, UNC-Asheville; Rachel Strickland, girls cross country, Mars Hill
Durham Academy
Leander Perun, girls lacrosse, Denison
East Chapel Hill
James Brady, diving, N.C. State; Christopher Cox, boys lacrosse, Tampa; Brynn Donnelly, girls soccer, UNC Wilmington
East Wake
Haley Glover, softball, Appalachian State; Annabeth Watkins, softball, Belmont Abbey; Ryan Worley, swimming, South Dakota State; Tripp Harrington, football, Norfolk State; Angel Rizor, girls basketball, Cincinnati; Chase Brantley, baseball, Bluefield; Ashton Cannon, girls soccer, Western Carolina; Jacob Ellington, football, Army; Hayden Leach, football, Fort Scott
Fuquay-Varina
Caleb Bissette, baseball, Gardner-Webb; Ryan Fealey, football, Averett (Va.); Zach James, football, Ferrum (Va.); Ashlyn Long, softball, Western Carolina; Austin Pluckhorn, football, Campbell; Justin Robbins, football, St. Francis (Pa.); Kelley Suggs, girls soccer, Charlotte
Garner
Alisha Josey, softball, Appalachian State
Grace Christian Raleigh
Carol-Anne Obusek, girls basketball High Point
Green Hope
Chris Daniels, boys swimming, Towson; Bryce Dixon, football, N.C. State; Elly Henes, girls cross country, N.C. State; Henry Hollinshead, boys swimming, Georgetown; Chris Joyner, baseball, UNC-Wilmington; Jack McAulay, boys lacrosse, VMI; Jenny Nusbaum, girls swimming, Kansas; Brooke Rubendall, girls swimming, N.C. State; Mitch Spence, baseball, USC-Aiken; Karena Zhang, girls tennis, Carnegie Mellon
Harnett Central
Lauren Grodi, volleyball, Meredith
Heritage
Jack Doyle, football, East Carolina; Jordan Gontram, softball, UNC-Greensboro; Caroline Knowles, girls swimming, UNC-Wilmington; Laura Sales, softball, Appalachian State
Hillside
Abdul Adams, football, Oklahoma; Dontae Edwards, football, East Carolina; Daeshawn Stephens, football, N.C. State
Holly Springs
Jason Gerber, football, Greensboro College; Yavel Morris, football, UNC-Pembroke
Jordan
Sam Collie, boys lacrosse, Ferrum (Va.); Jazmine Daye, volleyball, N.C. Central; Drew Grantham, gymnastics, N.C. State
Knightdale
Dondre Griffin, boys basketball, Murray State; Mikaya Wilson, girls basketball, Appalachian State; Andre Willis, football, St. Augustine’s; Corey Wiggins, football, St. Andrews; Jaelen Williams, football, Elizabeth City State; LeChonda Council, softball, Wake Tech
Leesville Road
Graham Holmes, boys lacrosse, Hampden-Sydney; Harrison Freeman, football, South Carolina*; Griffin McNamara, boys lacrosse, Hampden-Sydney; Davis Sampere, boys lacrosse, Salisbury; Jacalyn Schoening, girls swimming, Towson
Millbrook
Anthony Bowman, football, N.C. Central; Joe Cooper, boys lacrosse, Wingate; Jason Graham, football, Guilford; Cameron Greene, football, Northwest Oklahoma State; Reid Herring, football, East Carolina; Ikenna Ilaobachie, football, Guilford; Trejon Jacob, basketball, Seminole State College; Garrett Patnesky, boys lacrosse and football, Hampden-Sydney; Will Stahmer, football, Hampden-Sydney; Andrew Strickland, football, Wingate; Justin Sauer, football, Wingate
Middle Creek
Connor Baroniunas, football, Wingate; Maddie Boudreau, girls lacrosse, North Greenville (S.C); Sammy Chapman, baseball, Richmond; Ally Elliott, girls soccer, Belmont-Abbey; Colin Frie, boys soccer, Lees-McRae; Sarah Giamber, girls swimming, Pitt; Grace Kennedy, girls soccer, UNC-Greensboro; Isaiah Herring, football, Lenoir-Rhyne; Jordan Mintz, boys swimming, Gardner-Webb; Zach Moore, baseball, East Carolina; Ryan Robley, boys lacrosse, Wagner; Nick Stachowiak, boys tennis, Duke; Sam Smith, volleyball, Meredith; Devin Wallace, softball, Coastal Carolina; Haley Whitfield, girls lacrosse, Meredith
North Johnston
Olivia Narron, softball, East Carolina
North Raleigh Christian
Christa Wilson, volleyball, North Carolina A&T
Northern Durham
Griffin Baker, baseball, Belmont Abbey; Akhenaten Martin, football, UNC-Pembroke; Jessica Spicer, girls golf, Virginia Tech; Sarah Spicer, girls golf; Pete Vurnakes, baseball, Belmont Abbey; Michael Wicker, boys golf, UNC-Greensboro
Orange
Chandler Compton, boys soccer, Wofford; Montana Davidson, softball, Mississippi State; Brad Debo, baseball, South Carolina; Andi McKinnon, volleyball, Emory (Ga.); Lionel Reid-Shaw, boys soccer, Dickinson College (Pa.); Bryse Wilson, baseball, North Carolina
Panther Creek
Sarah Barnes, girls soccer, Lynchburg (Va.); Maggie Basile, girls golf, Tusculum (Tenn.); Connor Callahan, boys diving, California; Jaime Calcagno, girls soccer, Chowan; Hollie Cartwright, girls soccer, Howard; Devin D’Agostin, girls soccer, Greensboro College; Caitlyn Della, volleyball, Wake Forest; Parker Fernstrum, baseball, William Peace; Elizabeth Kelly, girls soccer, Queens; Kristen Hayden, girls diving, Michigan; Miles Kent, wrestling, Alberta (Canada); Isaiah Laster, football, William & Mary; Clarece Krause, boys cross country, St. Andrews; Greg Lombana, boys swimming, Fordham; Reece Long, boys rowing, St. Joseph’s; Brittany Matsinger, girls soccer, UNC-Wilmington; Juan Munoz, boys basketball, Longwood; Dom Samson, football, UNC-Pembroke; Spencer Saunders, boys soccer, UNC-Wilmington; Sammi Smith, girls tennis, Penn State; Ryan Spaulding, boys soccer, Charlotte; Jordan Strickland, girls tennis, Western Carolina; Michael Thomas, boys soccer, Elon; Andrew Zuber, baseball, Wheaton (Ohio)
Person
Casey Goodwin, volleyball, Liberty
Princeton
Matt Daughtry, baseball, Barton College; Kelsey Peedin, softball, North Carolina A&T; Hailey Wood, softball, Appalachian State
Ravenscroft
Henry Atkeson, football, Amherst (Mass.); Anna Collawn, girls lacrosse, Colorado; Drew Davis, boys lacrosse, Jacksonville; Kobina Johnson, boys track & field, Brown; Johnny McNeill, boys soccer, Sewanee (Tenn.); Chloe Mikles, girls swimming, Cornell; Jack Newall, boys lacrosse, Furman; Megan Ragusa, field hockey, North Carolina; Maddy Ringenbach, girls cross country, Western Carolina; Sydnie Schwarz, girls lacrosse, Swarthmore (Penn.); Zoe Stafford-Price, rowing, North Carolina
Riverside
Sophie McNeill, girls swimming, East Carolina; Marcus Willoughby, football, Elon
Saint Mary’s
Tori Hester, girls swimming, Washington & Lee (Va.); Andy Smithey, girls basketball, Washington & Lee (Va.)
Sanderson
Catherine Allen, girls swimming, UNC-Asheville; Noah Almond, baseball, Barton College; Sydney Gunter, volleyball, Winthrop; Sydney Hardee, girls lacrosse, Meredith; Ray Stocum, baseball, Lenoir-Rhyne; Jon Suits, boys swimming, UNC-Wilmington; Cory Wood, baseball, Coastal Carolina
South Granville
Hunter Mundy, softball, Radford
South Johnston
Joe Johnson, baseball, High Point; Anna Webster, girls basketball, Charleston Southern
Southeast Raleigh
Asya Macon, girls track and field, North Carolina A&T; Dylan Parham, football, N.C. State; Jayon Woodard, boys track and field, Charlotte
Southern Durham
Kaleb Barfield, football, Campbell; Jordon Brown, football, North Carolina; Jaleel Scroggins, football, Jireh Prep
Southern Lee
Quinton Locklear, football, Eastern Kentucky
Southern Vance
Brittany West, softball, North Carolina
St. David’s
Preston Ball, boys golf, Loyola (Md.); Tiffany Bartholomew, softball, Pfeiffer; Melvin Briggs, football, Oberlin (OH) College
Voyager Academy
Jay Huff, boys basketball, Virginia
Wake Christian
Brandon Stephens, baseball, UNC-Greensboro
Wake Forest
Dexter Lawrence, football, Clemson
Wakefield
Marius Cooper, football, Campbell; Julie Anne Pretty, girls lacrosse, Meredith; Amanda Dacunto, softball, Salem College
West Johnston
DeAndrew Blevins, football, Winston-Salem State; Cameron Meyers, baseball, Hampden-Sydney; Megan Mills, softball, East Carolina; Robin Pollard, girls soccer, UNLV
This story was originally published March 20, 2016 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Class of 2016 N&O area athlete commitments."