Seven North Penn athletes who signed letters of intent were recognized at a special press conference on
Zac Nees – Indiana University (Diving)
Final list of colleges: Virginia Tech, Rider, Indiana, University of MassachusettsMajor: Business
Reasons for choosing Indiana: Dr. Jeffrey Huber, the head diving coach at Indiana, served as a coach for the United States in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He has coached student-athletes to 38 Big Ten titles and 16 Big Ten diving championships. “That definitely affected my decision. That was one of the reasons I chose to go there because I knew that was where I could go the furthest with diving and hopefully make the Olympics in 2012. It just kind of clicked after I met the coach and the team. It was the highest competing school I could go to.”
Coach Susan MacDonald says: “I’m just very, very proud. Someone told me the other day he was the top story on a web site, and I said I felt like a proud mother. I’m very proud of him, and I know he’ll do well. He works very, very hard, and he has the physical ability. He is a raw talent. I know that’s what the Indiana coach saw in him. He still has so much to learn – the three-meter, platform. It’s like getting a piece of Play Dough – he (Huber) is going to be able to build anything he wants.”
(See also Brian Daly quote under Nick Ortlieb.)
Nick Ortlieb – Bloomsburg University (Swimming)
Final list of colleges: West Chester, Delaware, Lafayette, BloomsburgMajor: Psychology
Reasons for choosing Bloomsburg: “When I was on my recruiting trip, I had a great time with the team, and I really liked the coach. I enjoyed the campus. Once I visited Bloomsburg and met the coach and the team, it was obviously where I wanted to go.”
Coach Brian Daly says: “It’s great to see all student-athletes going to college, but to see guys you have worked with very closely go on is exciting. Here are two guys that worked very hard and developed. As freshmen, if they were in those chairs, I don’t think their feet would have touched the floor. To see them go to where they’re going off to is just very exciting as a coach.”
Gabrielle Pakhtigian – LaSalle University (Soccer)
Final list of colleges: University of Florida, Maryland, Western Carolina
Major: Nutrition, minor in Spanish
Reasons for choosing LaSalle: “It was a combination of athletics and academics. I really felt being in a small setting was going to be best for me. Athletically, I felt was going to a program where I would have the opportunity to grow and develop as a player over the next four years. The (recruiting) trip away (to Florida) kind of brought me back home. In the beginning, I was looking to get away from the cold and get away from Pennsylvania just to experience a different culture. The trip to Florida and having to go through what I saw as a little bit of a hassle in terms of traveling and distance – I had the opportunity to visit LaSalle, and I thought I would enjoy being closer to home.”Coach Neil Johnson says: “Gabby was a four-year letter winner and was our captain and leader in her junior and senior years. The past three years, she has received SOL all-league first team. As the last line of defense, our goalkeeper, Gabby, has kept our team in several games over her four years with athletic saves that most goalkeepers of her age would never be able to pull off. She’s a dedicated and loyal team player and just a terrific role model for teammates to emulate and look up to. She will be a great asset to any team. LaSalle University is lucky to have picked her up. She will have an immediate impact.”
Brian Quintrell – East Carolina (Track/Cross Country)
Final list of colleges: LaSalle, Shippensburg, East CarolinaMajor: History Education
Reasons for choosing East Carolina: “I wasn’t really even looking to go there, but I decided to take my visit. I really liked the coach, I liked the campus, and I was kind of thinking I wanted to go to the South. I chose it mainly for the school. It wasn’t for the weather. That was just an added bonus.”
Coach Jay Jones says: “Here’s a kid since day one whose approach has been unbelievable. A lot of times as a coach you wait for the toughness to catch up with the talent. Brian was the opposite way. From the first day he stepped on the track, he gave us everything. He worked his way up to being number seven all-time on our 800-meter list, which is pretty impressive.”
Shelby Rinker – Marist (Water Polo)
Final list of colleges: Villanova, MaristMajor: Undecided
Reasons for choosing Marist: “I was looking to play water polo. I looked at Marist first. On my recruiting trip, I really blended with the girls on the team, and I liked the atmosphere. The school was a perfect size for me.”
Coach Bill Bartle says: (See quote below.)
Heather Fellmeth – Marist (Water Polo)
Final list of colleges: Marist (Pitt and Penn State but not for water polo)Major: Undecided
Reasons for choosing Marist: “Marist has a beautiful campus, and the combination of athletics and academics fit me. The team is up and coming, and I felt like I could expand upon that, and I also liked the coach a lot too.”
Coach Bill Bartle says: “I could not find two girls who were more dedicated to the sport of water polo than these two and what they’ve done over the past four years. The word scholar-athlete applies to these two. The way they approach the classroom and the way they work out in the pool – they are fantastic at each. They will surely be missed.
“We kind of seem to do things in pairs and trios around here lately. Their (Marist’s) biggest rivalry is Wagner, and Wagner happened to lose to Marist in the (MAAC) semifinals this year. Marist went on to the NCAA Tournament this year. We had three individuals go to Wagner last year (Lauren French, Molly Robinson and Becca Hannings). Against their biggest rival, they will face three of their ex-teammates from last year for the next three years, so that will be an interesting match.”
Nicole DiBonaventura – West Chester (Swimming)
Final list of colleges: West Chester, ShippensburgMajor: Undecided
Reasons for choosing West Chester: “I just liked the college a lot, and it was also a lot closer to home.”
Coach Matt Weiser says: “Nicole is an excellent freestyler who can swim any freestyle events from sprints to distance. This year she excelled in the 200 free and 500 free, qualifying to swim both events at the PIAA State meet. She also was a key contributor to our free relays where we broke the school record in the 200 free relay. She will be a huge asset to West Chester next year where she will be able to compete for conference titles and swim at the NCAA Division II national swim meet.”
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