On Friday, March 8, 2019, Neshaminy seniors Bella Collins, Olivia Fee and Maria Leedom were recognized for committing to play softball at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please click on the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p33206066
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Bella Collins – Drexel University (Softball)
Major: Health Sciences
Final list of colleges: Drexel, NYU, Temple
Reasons for choosing Drexel: “I was looking at other schools in the city because that’s a total seller for me – that environment. Grades are also really important to me, and Drexel is such a great school. They have 
the co-op program, and it sets you up for a good future, and I think that was more important than softball at that point. Softball was also a very big piece. I actually didn’t consider Drexel until the coach reached out to me for recruiting purposes.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I started playing travel when I was around 13 years old, and once I started playing travel, it’s getting serious. I knew at an early age I wanted to play in college. I’ve always been in an environment where it was preparing me for college, and it just got me so excited for it.”
Coach Dave Chichilitti says: “Bella is one of our captains, and she provides a lot of spirit for the team. The way she plays the game, the way she goes about things and the way she supports her teammates embodies the spirit of Neshaminy perfectly. If you ever see pictures of us in the background after games, you always see her yelling and jumping. Bella is incredibly fast, she has a great arm, and she’s tremendously strong. She’s just a wonderful athlete and a great player.”
About Bella:
Favorite food: Panera Mac ‘N Cheese
Favorite movie: The Parent Trap
Favorite music: Hip Hop
Olivia Fee – Bryant University (Softball)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Bryant, Kutztown
Reasons for choosing Bryant: “I loved the area and the coaches, and the school is amazing.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I was probably in ninth grade, and I didn’t know if I wanted to play D1. I just kept playing and decided I wanted to play. Bryant came to watch me play a few times, and I had gone to camps there.”
Coach Dave Chichilitti says: “Olivia is a starting outfielder, and she’s heading to Bryant University. She’s a left-handed slapper and a speed specialist. She provides a different look to our lineup. Neshaminy isn’t known for having many slappers, so for her to be able to do that for us, it gave a different dimension to our offense. It allows us to attack using speed with our power. She’s a tremendous athlete, she’s a great outfielder who covers a lot of ground. She has a really good arm, and we expect good things from her this year.”
About Olivia:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV show: One Tree Hill
Favorite music: Rap
Maria Leedom – Shippensburg University (Softball)
Major: Accounting or Actuarial Science
Final list of colleges: Shippensburg, Bloomsburg, Mount St. Mary’s
Reasons for choosing Shippensburg: “Shippensburg was my favorite choice because the coach there was super nice to me. She made me feel welcome, and she also was a player on my coach’s team in travel when she was younger. All the players on the team currently are super nice.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I thought about college my whole life and playing softball. I didn’t think it would be an option for me until sophomore year of high school. That was when I moved to another team for travel ball, and my coach was really helpful.”
Coach Dave Chichilitti says: “Maria is a senior infielder who’s heading to Shippensburg University. Maria plays the game the way it’s meant to be played. She’s very smart, she’s very coachable, and she’s an elite defender. Last year when different people were hurt in different positions, we never hesitated to plug her in defensively somewhere and know that you would never have a letdown from the starter.”
About Maria:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: Star Wars movies
Favorite music: Country
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