Monmouth County Athletes Shine on National Signing Day

By Jay Cook
Many standout high school scholars took up a pen to sign Letters of Intent on National Signing Day to accept offers to play for colleges of their choice next year.
At this time of year, the scholarships being offered pertain to primarily fall sports, such as football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and cross country.
At Mater Dei Prep in Middletown, girls soccer player Katie Viscardi signed with Wagner College. Tyson Stamper, MD’s standout football player, announced he will be attending Kutztown University.
Football players from both Middletown North and South signed agreements to join collegiate squads in the fall. From Middletown North, Kicker Nick Banta will be attending West Virginia Wesleyan College, and his teammate Troy Thompson will be packing his bags for Poughkeepsie, New York to spend his next four years at Marist College. Middletown South’s own James Wilson will be traveling to Youngstown State University to play offensive line, as his teammate Patrick Crowe will also be heading to Marist College along with Thompson, of Middletown North.

Saint John Vianney, which was a Top 10 Shore Conference football team this past season, is sending two of their premier senior talents off on scholarship. Aaron Mora, the starting running back for the Lancers, will be continuing on to Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Lancer Joshua Taylor, a starting cornerback, also signs onto join Marist College, making it a trio of Shore Conference players that will become Red Foxes when next fall rolls around.
At Holmdel High School, five scholar athletes signed Letters. Girls Basketball player Mia Ehling, a three-year starter for the Hornets, hit her 1,000-point mark this year and has accepted an offer from St. Francis College in Brooklyn. Team Captain Morgan Graziano, also a three-year starter, is headed to Manhattan College. Cross country and track star Marin Warner of the Hornets, a 1^st Team All-State runner, will be trekking out to Philadelphia to spend her next four years at the University of Pennsylvania. Girls soccer goalkeeper Helen Burleigh will continue her soccer career at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and boys lacrosse goalkeeper Justin Ruiz will play for Florida Institute of Technology.

Red Bank Catholic also had five signees on National Signing Day. From the State Championship football team, players Ryan Kroeger, Neil Horenburg and Jamie Gordinier all will be playing collegiate football. Kroeger and Horenburg are headed to Fordham University and St. Anselm College, respectively. Gordinier, a highly sought-after prospect, is set to attend the University of Miami to join the Hurricanes. Football players Nick Lubischer, Mike DeMonte and Trevor Cowley have been given official walk-on opportunities to try out for the University of New Hampshire, William & Mary University and Elon University, respectively. Two Casey girls soccer players, Jenna Mucardo and Christina Balacco, both also signed to collegiate programs. Murcado is set to attend Kutztown University and Balacco will join the team at Virginia Commonwealth.

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School had four signees of their own, three of whom were a part of the Bulldog’s 2014-2015 football team. Senior cornerback Grant Rataski is on his way to Bryant University, fellow defender Sam Eisenstadt will be playing college ball at Elon University, and Charlie Volker, who put up huge numbers for the Bulldogs this past season, is staying in-state and will be enrolled at Princeton University. Girls soccer player Meagan McGurl, who put up 10 points this year, will play for Lafayette College.

At Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, Rory Slevin, a Colts standout soccer player, said he will be taking his talents to Virginia Tech.

National Signing Day highlights the hard work and commitment to excellence among high school athletes across the country. Hard work has paid off for these Monmouth student athletes.