College signings: 29 more Seacoast student-athletes choose schools

Twenty-nine more high school student-athletes across the Seacoast have committed to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Here's a look at the most recent standouts, who have made their college choices known, with Exeter, St. Thomas Aquinas, Winnacunnet, and St. Paul's School represented.

If you are a student-athlete who has committed to play a sport at the college level and hasn't been featured, please e-mail sports editor Jay Pinsonnault at jpinsonnault@seacoastonline.com to be included in our next batch of student-athlete college commitment stories.

James Allen, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Plymouth State University men’s basketball

Allen played well and shot the ball with some success at a few ‘big tournaments’ during his summer AAU basketball season going into his junior year.

“That was when in my mind I knew I had the ability to play at the next level,” Allen said. “and After that it was just about getting the right college coach to notice me.”

The right school ended up being Plymouth State University, a Division III program in the Little East Conference.

“This school was perfect because it is just the right size I was looking for, it had a sports management major available, and it will allow me to continue my athletic career for a couple more years,” Allen said.

Allen, a shooting guard, also applied to West Virginia and UNH, but was pretty set on continuing his academic and athletic careers at Plymouth.

“It feels great to know that I will be able to play basketball at the college level, which I have wanted to do since I was a kid,” Allen said. “But I also know I still have to work super hard to be a good player in college.”

Colleen Bartel, Exeter High School: Lasell University women's track and field

Bartel, who competes in the in the triple jump and hurdles, has qualified for the Division I state meet in the past three years, and helped the Blue Hawks to a state outdoor title in 2022.

Now, Bartel will compete for Lasell University, a Division III program in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

“It’s very relieving to be committed and not have to worry about picking a school to go to or worrying about finding friends,” Bartel said. “I’m looking forward to it."

Bartel was also looking at UNH, URI, Emmanuel, and UMass-Amherst

“Their forensics program is one of three accredited programs in New England, and I like that it’s a smaller school and is close to Boston,” Bartel said.

Ethan Bernich, Exeter High School: Rochester Institute of Technology lacrosse

Bernich spent most his childhood in Long Island, New York, and played club lacrosse for the Long Island Sharks.

However, it wasn’t until moving to New Hampshire when Bernich, a goalie, started taking the sport seriously and realized he wanted to play beyond high school.

Bernich visited Rochester Institute of Technology, located in Rochester, New York, last spring, and committed to the school at the end of the summer.

“Coach (Jake) Coon was the main reason I picked RIT,” said Bernich, an Exeter resident. “He was a great mentor throughout the process and made me feel welcome to the staff as well as the school.”

RIT is a Division III program in the Liberty League. Bernic was also considering Middlebury, Bates, Mercer and Merrimack.

“Since committing in August, there has been a huge stress relief since the start of my recruiting journey,” Bernich said.

Caleigh Bronson, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Colby-Sawyer women’s track and field

Bronson was always confident in her abilities to compete in track and field beyond high school. Rather the question was, did she want to?

The answer was yes, and Bronson will be running for Colby-Sawyer College, a Division III program in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

“The location was perfect and I also like the size of the school,” said Bronson.

Bronson, a sprinter, competed in the 100, 200, and 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

“My freshman year was my first year running track, and I was the fastest sprinter on the team,” Bronson said. “This gave me the confidence to go all in and try to be the best athlete I could be.”

Bronson was also considering High Point, and Johnson and Wales.

“I've been going back and forth for months trying to decide if I wanted to continue soccer or track in college,” Bronson said. “The main deciding factor was, 'Would I be able to manage my past injuries that never fully healed?' The Colby-Sawyer athletic department has an amazing staff so that gave me the confidence to decide to run track in college.”

Jacob Brown, Exeter High School: Husson University baseball

Husson was the first school to reach out to Brown, a Kingston resident, after seeing him play at a tournament last summer.

“What really drew me (to Husson) was Coach Morris told me exactly what he thought of me, and I thought it aligned with how I played in the game,” Brown said. “Any person who could say that after only seeing me pitch in two games is someone I would be happy to play for.”

Brown then took a visit to Husson University in Bangor, Maine.

"I immediately knew that Husson was where I wanted to be,” Brown said. “At the end he told me something I won’t forget. He said, ‘Don’t come here if you don’t love it.' The fact that after he told me how much he wanted me as a player that if I didn’t love the school not to go truly showed me that he would not only be my coach, but he would be a mentor and a friend.”

Brown was also looking at Rivier and Fisher.

“It truly feels great to not have to worry about my next step,” Brown said. “Knowing what I’m going to be doing and having a connection with the people I will be with makes it easy from the transition to the next step.”

Ava Burness, Winnacunnet High School: University of New England cross country/track and field

Burness began to fall in love with running in her junior year and did everything she could to continue competing in cross-country and track and field at the collegiate level.

After considering Endicott, UNH and Saint Anselm College, Burness committed to run both cross country and track and field at the University of New England.

“UNE has a great dental hygiene program, and I love the campus,” Burness said.

UNE is a Division III program, located in Biddeford, Maine, which competes in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Edy Crawford, Exeter High School: Rhode Island College softball

The goal of playing college softball has long been a goal for Crawford.

“It really became realistic for me during my freshman year when I decided to train more and take (softball, training) very seriously,” Crawford said.

That dedication and motivation led Crawford to interest from sevreral schools, including WPI, Fairfield University, Providence College, Central Connecticut State University and Rhode Island College.

In the end, Crawford chose Rhode Island College, a Division III program in Providence that plays in the Little East Conference.

“I immediately connected with the coach, and loved her personality and passion for coaching and softball,” Crawford said. “Also, the school has a prestigious and developing bio program that I can see myself being successful in. After stepping on campus for the first time, I instantly felt like a part of a community.”

Crawford played three years of travel softball with Raiders Softball (Concord, Mass.) and one year at Granite State Elite.

“I have felt so much relief after making the decision to play at Rhode Island college,” Crawford said. “As everyone says the recruiting process can be very stressful, but in the end it’s very rewarding. I am definitely looking back and knowing that I made the right decision. But it’s definitely nice to play softball, without having to worry about getting film for a coach and sending out numerous emails.”

Chloe Cunningham, Winnacunnet High School: Oswego State University softball

Cunningham knew when she was in middle school that playing softball beyond Winnacunnet was a goal.

After considering Cobleskill, Johnson and Wales, and the University of New England, Cunningham committed to Oswego State University, a Division III program which plays in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).

“I chose Oswego because they had my major and they have really good athletic facilities, and I loved the softball program,” Cunningham said.

Elizabeth Flynn, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Caldwell University women’s soccer

It was when Flynn started to go to college camps and was playing at or above the level of other recruits when began to realize she could play at the collegiate level.

After looking at small Division II schools like the University of Bridgeport, Franklin Pierce and American International College, Flynn committed to Caldwell University, which is located in New Jersey and competes in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

“I loved the small school feeling and the academic opportunities the school can give me,” Flynn said. “Over the past three years, (the recruiting process) was always in the back of my mind and consumed a lot of my free time. Now it feels like I can focus on other things because I know all my work and time has paid off.”

Tim Gross, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Dickinson College men’s track and field

Gross visited the Dickinson College campus, located in Pennsylvania, and met with the cross country coach last summer.

Shortly thereafter Gross committed to the Division III Centennial Conference program.

“(Dickinson) has a very strong international studies and ROTC program,” Gross said. “It’s a huge stress relief to have this decision and the entire college decision process over with.”

Gross was also looking at UNH, American University and the University of Delaware.

Charlotte Koutalidis, Winnacunnet High School: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute women's cross country, and track and field

Koutalidis has been one of the top runners in Division I in her high school career, now she will continue to run next year at RPI.

Her training took off the summer going into her junior year.

“I definitely wanted to continue running at the collegiate level because it was such an important piece of my life,” Koutalidis said. “I took training really seriously that summer and definitely saw results in the season. My goal was to get to a speed where I could run at whichever school I wanted to attend academically, which I ended up achieving. Another goal was to get to a speed that would help me get into certain schools, and possibly get scholarships too.”

Koutalidis was also considering Division I schools like Virginia Tech, Northeastern, and Carnegie Mellon before choosing RPI, a Division III program.

“I was worried that both school and D1 athletics would be too overwhelming and wouldn't work out,” she said. “But I knew at Rensselaer both architecture and sports definitely worked well together.”

Koutalidis holds the Winnacunnet record in several categories, including the 800, 1,000, 1,600 and 4x800 relay. She also won, while mainly playing basketball, won the state indoor championship in the 1,500. She also was part of Winnacunnet’s 4x800 outdoor state champion relay in her sophomore year.

Derek Leedberg, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy football

What made Leedberg believe he could play football beyond high school?

“My size and blocking ability that I realized I had my junior year really helped me think I could play in college,” Leedberg said.

Leedberg was considering Embry Riddle and the Coast Guard Academy, but committed to United States Merchant Marine Academy, a Division III program in Kings Point, New York and competes in the Skyline Conference.

“I’m blessed to be accepted,” Leedberg said.

Evan Louie, Exeter High School: Gordon College baseball

Louie, a pitcher for the Blue Hawks, has played club baseball for NEB-NH the past three years. Now Louis knows where he will play for the next four years – Gordon College, located in Wenham, Massachusetts.

“A lot of stress is relieved that I’m set up for my future,” said Louie.

Louie said, “the community, the education level and sports,” was the deciding factor he committed to Gordon, a Division III program in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, over Husson University.

MarLie Macek, Exeter High School: Utica University women’s basketball

Mack was unsure if she would be able to keep up with the pace of college basketball but after numerous schools started to reach out and let her sit in on practices, she was much more confident in her abilitiest to play beyond high school.

After also considering Clarkson University, Lasell University and St. Lawrence University, Macek committed to Utica University.

“The welcoming team, coaches, teachers and community as well as their ability to help me achieve my career goals” were the factors Macek chose Utica, a Division III program that competes in the Empire 8 Athletic Conference.

“As soon as I set foot on campus I knew it was where I’d be spending my next four years,” said Macek, a Kensington resident. “(Committing) was a huge stress reliever.”

Liam Mathis, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Massachusetts Maritime Academy football

Mathis will spend the next four years in Cape Cod, playing for Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a Division III program in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC).

Mathis, a defensive end, said the opportunity to prepare him for professional success in the maritime industry and play football at the next level is why he chose Mass. Maritime over Maine Maritime, Western New England University and the University of New England.

“I always knew I had the ability (to play college),” Mathis said. “It was just a matter of putting the work in and grinding in the off-season.”

Will Mollica, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Plymouth State University men’s basketball

Mollica played club basketball for a couple of years, but it wasn’t until the beginning of his senior season that playing college basketball could be in the cards.

Mollica committed to Plymouth State, a Division III program in the Little East Conference.

“It’s close to home, has a good culture and a good business program,” said Mollica on his reasons he chose Plymouth State over Norwich University and St. Anselm College. “(Committing) is a big time weight off my shoulders. It’s good to know where I am going and be able to enjoy the end of high school without unwanted attention or stress coming my way.”

Madi Paige, Exeter High School: University of Rochester softball

Paige started to put in the extra hours of practice at the beginning of her high school career to give her a chance to play at the collegiate level.

The work paid off and Paige will be playing at the University of Rochester, a Division III program in New York.

“It was a good academic school and their softball team was also good,” Paige said. “I found it to be a good balance and it was in a city I could see myself attending college in.”

Paige was also considering Union College, Tufts, and Johnson and Wales.

“It has been a relief that I haven’t had to stress as much during the entire college process,” Paige said. “When I first committed it was comforting to know that I would be attending a highly-ranked college and playing on a nationally-ranked softball team.”

Katie Rocha, Exeter High School: Saint Michael’s College tennis and swimming

Rocha swam and played tennis during her high school career at Exeter, she’ll do the same next year at Saint Michael’s College, a Division II program in Colchester, Vermont.

“During my junior year, I began to seriously consider continuing to play tennis, so I started looking for a program I could join,” Rocha said. “Once I had committed to tennis, I looked into their swimming program and learned I could swim competitively on their team.”

Rocha was also looking at Endicott and Bates.

“The sense of community, location in the mountains, and welcoming attitude of my future teammates all made me sure I made the right decision,” said Rocha, who has competed for Atlantis Aquatics for the past 13 years. “(Committing) was a huge relief once I knew where I was going. I knew very early, so I luckily got to avoid the chaos that comes with applying to many colleges.”

Brady Rogers, Exeter High School: Colby-Sawyer College men’s basketball

Rogers spent his sophomore and junior years at St. Thomas Aquinas before transferring to Exeter for his senior year.

“I’ve always had the vision of playing college basketball, but it didn’t come into reality until I transferred to Exeter for my senior year and started seeing coaches showing up to my games,” said Rogers, a Newfields resident.

After considering New England College, the University of New England, and Endicott, Rogers committed to Colby-Sawyer, a Division III program which plays in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

“(Colby-Sawyer) had everything I was looking for, from my major to a beautiful facility,” Rogers said. “The coach and team was welcoming and super nice.”

Rogers was glad when he committed.

“Making a decision of which college you want to attend is always a hard decision, but when the sport you love is involved makes it even harder,” Rogers said. “But now that I know which school I am going to I feel so much better and a lot of stress has been released.”

Trent Salyards, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Denison University football

Salyards, a running back, will continue his academic and football careers next fall at Denison University, a Division III program in Granville, Ohio which competes in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

“When high school started is when I knew if I put in the work I could make (playing in college) happen,” Salyards said.

Salyards said Denison’s location, football team and academics made the school the right fit for him.

Salyards was also looking at Hobart, John Carrol and Gettysburg.

Taylor Schwalje, Exeter High School: Husson University men’s lacrosse

Schwalje competed in a Division III college showcase in January of his junior year. After playing in three games at the showcase, a handful of coaches reached out to Schwalje.

“It was then that I realized I could definitely find somewhere to play,” Schwalje said.

That school ended up being Husson University, a Division III program in Bangor, Maine and competes in in the North Atlantic Conference.

Schwalje, a Stratham resident, plans to study computer science was impressed by Husson’s department.

“It’s one of the best in Maine,” said Schwalje, who plays attack and midfield. “They have a full range of Extended Reality courses that deal with virtual reality and AI. The school was also three hours away, which was an important factor.”

Schwalje, who was also looking at Suny-Plattsburgh, Hartwick, Kings College, and Thomas College, said it was a “huge relief” for him after he committed.

“Knowing where I will be going next year lifted the pressure that I’ve watched my peers around me go through,” he said.

Owen Simas, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Emerson College men’s soccer

Simas said his progression as a soccer player started as a freshman.

“I learned the hard way that I wasn’t going to be the best, but eventually as I got older and consistently worked hard I knew that I would make it to the next level,” Simas said. “In other words, I knew I had the potential, but I would have to work hard for it.”

That hard work paid off and now Simas will continuing to play the game he loves at Emerson College, a Division III program in the NEWMAC.

“It’s a great school with a large reputation for its communications department, and the team is competitive which is great,” said Simas, a striker and winger. “When I went to (visit the campus) the team was very welcoming and it was a great environment to be in.”

Simas, who played for Seacoast United for “as long as I can remember,’ was also considering Fairfield University and UConn.

“It’s really a great feeling (to commit),” Simas said. “I’m just finishing up school as well, not too much stress anymore for me. I’ll just be trying to enjoy the rest of the time that I am here.”

Michael Skowron, St. Thomas Aquinas High School: Husson University baseball

Skowron has played baseball for the Saints for the past four years, now he will be for Husson, a Division III program in the North Atlantic Conference.

“I loved the campus and their coach was extremely nice and welcoming,” said Skowron, who was also looking at Rivier University and Roger Williams University. “I’m very glad I don’t have to worry about picking a college and I know my plans.”

Garen Steiner, Exeter High School: St. Lawrence University field hockey

Steiner had several connections with St. Lawrence University, hearing nothing but positive things. Now Steiner will find out for herself.

“I immediately felt drawn to this school,” Steiner said. “(People) had such amazing things to say about the school and environment. I knew it would be the right fit for me. The liberal arts program as well as the Environmental Sciences will allow me to explore a variety of interests and the small, close-knit community feels ideal.”

Steiner, who helped Exeter to back-to-back state championships in her sophomore and junior years, also felt a connection with the St. Lawrence coach.

“She reminded me of my high school coach (Deb Grott) whom I adore and respect so much,” Steiner said. “The team was incredibly welcoming as well. I just knew I would feel at home at St. Lawrence.” St. Lawrence is a Division III program in Canton, New York, and plays in the Liberty League. She was also considering Hobart, William Smith, and Connecticut College

“Now that this decision is behind me, I can move forward with pure excitement for the future that is to come,” Steiner said.

Isabelle Steiner, Exeter High School: Connecticut College field hockey

Steiner had a simple answer to when she started thinking about the potential of playing a sport beyond high school.

“I have been involved in athletics ever since I was young and couldn’t imagine stopping after high school,” Steiner said.

Steiner helped Exeter to back-to-back Division I field hockey state championships in her sophomore and junior seasons.

“My love for the sport continued to grow and I started talking with more college coaches,” Steiner said. “I focused on Division III schools for the balance of academics and athletics that they offered.”

After considering Middlebury, Bowdoin, and Hobart WIlliam Smith, Steiner, a Newfields resident, chose Connecticut College, which plays in the NESCAC Conference.

“I knew I wanted a school with strong academics and Connecticut College seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Steiner said. “It has a great atmosphere surrounded by dedicated athletes and strong coaches who foster a positive team culture. It also has a strong Environmental Studies program which I am excited for.”

Steiner, who plays midfield and forward, has played club lacrosse for Seacoast Field Hockey Club, since the sixth grade.

“(Committing) is a huge weight off my shoulders, and I could not be more excited for my next chapter,” Steiner said.

Rayna Thompson, Exeter High School: Worcester Polytechnic Institute women’s track and field

Thompson, a Brentwood resident, was a sophomore when she was introduced to Dan Randlett, a former track and field coach at the University of New Hampshire.

“He specializes in track and field training and through his wisdom has shown me my potential as

an athlete,” Thompson said. “He has helped me immensely with my physical preparation to meet my goals which included running beyond high school.” Those goals will be fulfilled at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Division III program in the NEWMAC Conference.

“The conference is very competitive, and the track and field members seemed very dedicated to the sport while simultaneously being able to have fun, which is the type of atmosphere I was looking for,” Thompson said. “The team has had a very successful run the past few years both in their conference and nationally. The coaching staff at WPI seem to be dedicated leaders that I can learn a lot from. A combination of all of these aspects indicated that WPI was the right school for me.”

Thompson, a sprinter, was also considering St. Lawrence University, Wesleyan University, the Air Force Academy, and the University of New Hampshire.

Thompson committing was “relieving” to the recruiting process.

“The process was very back and forth as I went through the process for military academies as well as colleges,” Thompson said. “I am ultimately very excited about my decision to attend WPI in the fall.”

Jackson Walsh, Exeter High School: University of New England lacrosse

It wasn’t until Walsh’s junior year at Exeter when the thought of playing college lacrosse started to be discussed.

“I really felt like my skill and athleticism had improved to the level of high competition,” said Walsh, a Brentwood resident.

After considering Norwich University, Albertus Magnus College, Tiffin University, and Emmanuel College, Walsh, a goalie, chose the University of New England, a Division III program in the Commonwealth Coast Conference located in Biddeford, Maine.

“The sense of brotherhood of the team and the great campus (attracted me),” said Walsh, who played club lacrosse for Houlagan’s. “UNE had been my top choice since I started the recruiting process. As soon as they offered me, I made my commitment. It was a huge weight off my shoulders

Annabeth Wheeler, Exeter High School: Emmanuel College track and field

Wheeler said she long was skeptical if she had talent to compete in track and field at the collegiate level. That changed last summer when Wheeler, a sprinter, met with the Emmanuel coaching staff.

“When I met with the coach, she made me feel like I belonged at the school and like I was already a part of the team,” Wheeler said. “The school is in (Boston), yet it has the campus and community feel that I was looking for. The coach talked with me for two hours about the team and showed me their facilities, something I had never gotten before. I knew that this was the right school for me when I stepped on campus, and could see myself there.”

Wheeler was also consideringn the University of Rhode Island. Emmanuel is a Division III program and competes in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

“I feel very relieved that this is behind me,” Wheeler said. “I have been stressed since last year about where I was going to end up, but once I knew where I was going it was a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Grant Winter, St. Paul’s School: Syracuse University football

Winter, an Eliot, Maine resident, transferred to St. Paul’s School in Concord as a sophomore. It was while at St. Paul’s and earning a starting spot on the football team is when Winter believed he could play college football.

“I started on a team with great athletes and showed I was able to compete against top-tier Division I talent,” said Winter, who plans to study business.

Winter ended up choosing Syracuse University over Bucknell, Wagner and Bryant.

“(Syracuse) is a great fit both academically and athletically,” Winter said. “The new coaching staff is amazing. They made me feel at home immediately and I’m confident we’ll be competitive in the ACC.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: College signings: 29 more Seacoast student-athletes choose schools