After the National Signing Day, 15 LHS athletes from seven different sports have committed to colleges.

            Choosing between Bridgewater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), Messiah, and Salisbury, Laura Hartman made the decision to commit to Salisbury.

            “I chose Salisbury because it was closer to home, more affordable, and the best program for my major (Exercise Science),” said Laura.

            At Salisbury, Laura will most likely be running the steeplechase. This race is a longer distance that includes larger hurdles. At the high school level, this race is offered at few meets.

            “The coach was really nice and I liked his coaching style,” said Laura. “He makes a point of having good communication and really getting to know his athletes.”

            Staying close to home, Amy Madert is attending Hood College in Frederick on a partial scholarship to play soccer. Amy has been playing soccer for over ten years, first starting with LUYAA (now LOUYAA).

            “I had to choose between Hood and Salisbury, and it came down to whether or not I wanted to play soccer. I knew I would be happier choosing a school where I can do something I love and be close enough that my family can see my play,” said Amy.

            While attending Hood College, Amy plans to major in elementary education.

“I enjoy working with younger kids. I’d like to teach gym because I am athletic and prefer that over being in a class room,” said Amy.

            Currently Amy is doing an internship at an elementary school to help give her a head start.

            Being the younger twin, Nick Lucian has always been working hard to outdo his brother Anthony. Nick committed to Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Seton Hill is a Division II Catholic liberal arts college. He received a football scholarship as well as an academic scholarship which gave him close to a full ride. Other colleges Nick was considering include: Charleston, McDaniel, Towson, and Valparaiso.

            “I really liked the campus at Seton Hill,” said Nick. “It looked liked Hogwarts.”

            During his freshman year, Nick intends to start at every game and play as hard as he can.

            “The coach was very welcoming and he is a funny guy,” said Nick.

            Unsure of what he intends to study, Nick is looking into sports management.

            Coming off a strong season, the boys cross country team finished second at the 3A State Championship shortly after winning the 3A West Regional Championship. The team influenced largely by senior Braden Bruning. Throughout the season, Bruning has many successful accomplishments including winning the MVAL Conference Championship, Frederick County Championships, and the Regional and State titles. Adding to his list of accomplishments, Bruning was named Gatorade Maryland Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. The award recognized athletes who perform well both on the course and in the classroom. Braden is attending Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania in the fall to run as a Raider.

            “I’m looking forward to running cross country and track at Shippensburg. I think the competition will be great and it’ll help me push myself,” said Braden.

            “My impression of Shippensburg is that it is a perfect fit for Braden.  Undergraduate enrollment is about 7,000 students (not too big and not too small).  It's not too far from home, the campus is beautiful; the mountains are very close (in fact, the team does some running on the trails),” said Braden’s mother Brenda Bruning. “They have a top-notch math program which is what Braden wants to pursue.”

            Being in the top ten for Division II schools, running at Shippensburg will be very competitive. The coach, Coach Spence was an Olympic runner and graduated from Shippensburg.

            “He [the coach] is wonderful,” said Brenda, “He is a family man; his own daughter, who is a senior there, just signed to become a professional runner and is now in the Olympic trials. We think Braden can go very far with Coach Spence training him.”

Other athletes who signed to schools are:

BASEBALL:                Tyler Beckwith- Richmond

LACROSSE:               RJ Tischler- Swarthmore

BOYS SOCCER:        Teddy Gula, - Vermont

                                    Matt Freibaum, – VCU

FOOTBALL:               Joe Riddle - University of Maryland

                                    Tyler Thompson - University of Monmouth

                                    Keith Kluetz - University of Monmouth

                                    Kyle Jennings - University of Bryant 

                                    Anthony Lucian - Robert Morris

                                    CJ Sanders - Fairmont State University

GIRLS SOCCER:        Maria Pack- Gardner Webb University