College signings: 9 Seacoast student-athletes choose their schools for 2024

Nine more high school student-athletes across from Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine 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 choices known, with Portsmouth, Dover, Winnacunnet and Oyster River high schools represented, along with Governor's Academy, Derryfield School and Holderness School.

This is the second batch of student-athletes featured in our 2023-24 college signings reports. The first one was published in mid-November.

Previous college signings story: 27 Seacoast student-athletes choose their schools for 2024

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

Audrey Carter, Dover High School, field hockey, University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Carter helped the Green Wave to the Division I field hockey championship this fall, the program’s second state title and first since 1975.

Next, Carter will take her academic/athletic skills to UMass-Lowell, a Division I program which plays in the America East.

Carter, who had 24 goals and 22 assists this season, said the team atmosphere and the school’s science programs led to her decision.

“It was nice to be able to focus on my school work, and field hockey season during the college application period,” said Carter, a two-year captain. “It also is a relief to think that all my hard work has paid off and I can continue playing field hockey at a higher level.”

Carter, who played club field hockey for Seacoast United, was also considering Merrimack College, the University of Albany, Northeastern, Tufts and Boston College.

“When I joined Seacoast United (in 2020) the coaching staff both encouraged and showed me that I had the potential to play at a higher level,” said Carter, a midfielder.

Erin Carty, Oyster River High School, University of Vermont women’s track and field

Carty began to think that her athletic skills in track and field may be good enough to compete at the collegiate level when she was a freshman at Oyster River.

Carty had numerous accomplishments in her four years at high school to earn her an athletic scholarship at the University of Vermont, a Division I program in the America East Conference.

Carty is a two-time Division II state champion in the 300-meter hurdles with a school record time of 44.18 seconds. She also placed in the top six in the 300-meter hurdles in New England.

Carty, who was drawn to Vermont due to its “location, academics and team atmosphere” also is part of Oyster River’s school record 4x800-meter relay team.

Carty was also looking at Ithaca College, Connecticut College and Lafayette College.

Dean Driscoll, Holderness School, men’s lacrosse, University of Vermont

When Driscoll, a Stratham resident, saw many of his Holderness teammates commit to play collegiate lacrosse, he was inspired to follow in their footsteps.

“These players pushed me,” said Driscoll.

Driscoll will now push his younger teammates to follow him, recently committing to play men’s lacrosse at the University of Vermont, a Division I program in the America East conference.

Driscoll plans to study engineering, another reason he decided to attend the Burlington, Vermont, school.

“UVM has created a rigorous engineering school and Coach Feifs has built a very strong lacrosse program, which will continue to be successful for many seasons to come,” said Driscoll, a midfielder. “UVM will challenge me academically and athletically, which makes me very excited to be a Catamount.”

Driscoll, who was named a Under Armour All-American, played club lacrosse for both Houlagan’s from 4Leaf growing up.

Maddie Eaton, Winnacunnet High School, Saint Michael’s College softball

Eaton said her desire to play college softball goes back as far as she can remember.

That desire has been realized as she recently committed to Saint Michael’s College of Colchester, Vermont, a Division II program which competes in the Northeast-10 Conference.

“I knew that my love for the game wouldn't be satisfied after high school,” said Eaton, who led Winnacunnet to last year’s Division I championship game. “I always told myself to never settle for less and find a college where I can call home and the team my family, and receive my degree in education.”

Eaton, who will receive both merit and athletic scholarships, was also consideringLesley, New England College, Iona University.

“I chose Saint Michael’s because of the level of competition the softball team shows and has within the team,” Eaton said. “It’s education department is one of the top undergraduate and graduate programs they offer. The school's atmosphere was absolutely incredible and felt extremely comfortable and at home the moment I stepped on campus. The softball team's culture was inspiring and truly a family which was exactly what I was looking for.”

Max Fowler, Derryfield School, men’s lacrosse, Saint Anselm College

Fowler, a Hampton Falls resident, spent his high school career playing in Manchester at The Derryfield School.

Now, he’ll spend his collegiate years in Manchester as well, recently committing to play men’s lacrosse at Saint Anselm College, a Division II program in the Northeast-10 Conference.

“I knew Saint Anselm was where I belonged about halfway through my tour with Coach Sciamanna,” Fowler said. “I loved the campus feel, the facilities were amazing, and the coaches were so welcoming, and I just felt like Saint Anselm was where I belonged. When I got the offer, I told my parents I didn’t want to wait anymore because Saint Anselm was my perfect fit academically and athletically.”

Fowler, who has played for the New Hampshire Tomahawks for nine years, spent his freshman year at Winnacunnet before transferring to Derryfield.

Fowler, a long stick midfielder, enters his senior season at Derryfield holding school records for single season ground balls (206) and career ground balls (378).

Fowler also met with coaches and toured Drexel, Le Moyne, Mount St. Mary’s and Ursinus College before committing to Saint Anselm.

“Now that the recruiting process is over, I feel like I can play lacrosse without this huge pressure on my shoulders,” Fowler said. “I can focus on my academics and enjoy the rest of my senior year.”

Lily Jenkins, Portsmouth High School, women’s track and field, Lafayette College

Jenkins first joined a running club when she was in fourth grade and quickly realized how much she “loved the sport and the environment affiliated with it.”

“Knowing my best is my own and I have a whole team cheering me on made me want to keep my running journey going,” Jenkins said. “Everyone is always so nice and uplifting and I knew with a tough transition to college running on a team would make the hard time easier.”

That passion led Jenkins, a sprinter, to a stellar career at Portsmouth High School, and she will continue that career next year Lafayette College of Easton, Pennsylvania, a Division I program in the Patriot League.

Jenkins was also considering Loyola-Maryland, Holy Cross, and Elon.

“After making my decision, the stress relief is extremely rewarding,” said Jenkins, who competes in the 55, 100, 200, 300 and 400. “I had been e-mailing coaches, visiting schools for almost a year now. Knowing I have one school to apply to and only one person to communicate with makes the application process a lot less stressful.”

Jackson Larck, Winnacunnet High School, baseball, Husson University

Larck, a North Hampton resident, had a goal to know where he would be spending his college years before his senior season at Winnacunnet began.

Larck, a Division I all-state second selection last year as a junior, had the answer – and he chose Husson University over Thomas College.

“Husson University offered the opportunity to pursue a degree in accounting and the opportunity to play baseball at the college level,” Larck said. “Coach Morris and staff made me feel like part of the program from the first conversation. That relationship continued throughout the summer and after my commitment. Aside from the baseball program, some other deciding factors were a new School of Business building, campus size and a small city that offers off-campus activities.”

Husson University, a Division III program in Bangor, Maine, plays in the North Atlantic Conference.

“I started my high school career with the idea of wanting to play college baseball, but it wasn’t until the end of my sophomore year when I realized the amount of work that would be required to make it to that level,” said Larck, who played club baseball with NEB-NH. “That was when I committed myself to making that a reality.”

Lauren Muldoon, Winnacunnet High School, Franklin Pierce University women’s cross country/track and field

Muldoon said she was on the fence about continuing her athletic career beyond her days at Winnacunnet as a four-year college commitment seemed like a lot for “an average athlete like me.”

Then her senior year arrived.

“I fell in love with my sport again,” Muldoon said. “I did better as my season went on, and doing well at the Division 1 state meet. I never thought I would have college coaches reaching out to me, wanting me to be on their team and here I am.”

Muldoon chose Franklin Pierce University of Rindge, a Division II program in the Northeast-10 Conference over schools like Anna Maria, Saint Micheals, and Lakes Region Community College. Muldoon, who plans to study biology/exercise science, received both a merit and athletic scholarship to attend Franklin Pierce.

“I chose (Franklin Pierce) for the small, tight-knit community which supports their athletes and looks over a beautiful lake,” Muldoon said.

Riley Thurston, Governor’s Academy, field hockey, Lehigh University

Thurston, a Hampton resident who graduated from Hampton Academy, was a freshman at Governor’s Academy when became inspired by a senior teammate Ashley Hart who was committed to play at Wake Forest University.

“I became driven to play in college,” Thurston said. “(Hart’s) speed, high field hockey IQ, and incredible stick skills inspired me to become an impactful and skillful player just like her.”

Thurston was a senior captain at Governor’s Academy this fall, was named to the All-Independent School League team, and helped lead her team to the conference semifinals. She has now committed to Lehigh University of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a Division I school in the Patriot League.

“Lehigh is an academically challenging school which is something I knew I wanted from the start,” Thurston said. “It has a great business school which offers many majors and flexibility. I loved the coaching staff and how welcoming they were on all the calls and my visit. Once I stepped foot on campus and saw the classrooms and field hockey field, I knew that was where I wanted to be.”

Thurston was also considering Dartmouth College, Babson and Amherst.

Just like Hart, Thurston, who played for Seacoast United for seven years, will play collegiately at the Division I level. She plans to major in business.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: College signings: 9 Seacoast student-athletes choose schools