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YAIAA athletes sign with college programs


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York Catholic running back Jakkar Kinard will play football next season at Mercyhurst University.

On the field, Kinard led the league in rushing last year with 2,063 yards (on 7.3 yards per carry). He also scored 23 touchdowns in 2016 and was held under 90 yards just once — when he was pulled from a game because of precautionary reasons.

He was named First Team All-State, YAIAA Division III Player of the Year and Quarterback Club Player of the Year. He also was a two-time YAIAA All-Star.

Off the field, Kinard is involved with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the ping pong club.

READ MORE: York Catholic brings home District 3 gold

He plans to study business and industrial psychology at Mercyhurst.

“It’s not just football. Academics is first, before football,” Kinard said. “I have to focus on academics before working out, before playing the game. Mercyhurst is a really hard academic school, so it’s probably going to be the same situation as York Catholic.”

Mercyhurst is a Division II PSAC school that went 3-8 last year.

“I’m just looking to make the team the best that it can be,” Kinard said. “I want to do the same kind of things I did in high school have the same type of goals and the same impact on their team.”

Andrew Forjan, York Catholic golf

Forjan will play Division I golf at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, next year.

Forjan was a two-sport athlete in golf and boys’ basketball at York Catholic. During his golf career, he helped lead the Irish to a district gold medal. He also earned a silver medal competing in the individual ranks.

"First off, basketball, the competitiveness and who I am helps me a ton in golf," Forjan said. "They're two completely different sports and I benefited so much from playing each. It's weird how it works, but it helped me a lot.".

Forjan said he's loved playing golf from a young age.

"My dad would drop me off at the course at 10 in the morning and would pick me back up when the sun went down," he said. "It's nice. I've always really enjoyed it."

Forjan was a two-time GameTimePA Athlete of the Week and GameTimePA All-Star. In basketball, he was a GameTimePA All-Star Honorable Mention.

He plans to study global supply chain management at Rider.

DeAireus Brown, York Country Day boys’ basketball

The YCD standout will take the court next year at Montclair State University.

Brown led the Greyhounds to two District 3 championships and was a two-time Class A All-State player at the school.

After beginning his career at Northeastern High School, Brown transferred to YCD for his junior and senior seasons. He scored over 1,000 points in his high school career.

He’s going to major in justice studies at Montclair.

Tessa Engles, Red Lion soccer

A four-year starter at Red Lion, she also played for Penn Legacy. The senior will play at Shippensburg University next fall.

She helped Red Lion compete for one of the top spots in YAIAA Division I this season, finishing tied for third place.

Shippensburg is coming off a winning season, going 10-7-1 with a 6-3 mark at home.

Cam Gipe, Red Lion baseball

The senior catcher is going to take the field next year at Mt. Aloysius College.

Head coach Kevin Lawrence said recently that Gipe is the team's "glue guy" in the lineup.

Lawrence added that Gipe has appeared in 34 of Red Lion's 35 games the past two seasons and has just five passed balls during that time.

MaCayla Welsh, York Catholic girls’ soccer

A three-sport athlete at York Catholic High School, Welsh has committed to continue her education and play women’s soccer at Division III York College of Pennsylvania.

Welsh was a fierce competitor for the Irish, and was a key member of the Irish girls’ soccer program that won three divisional championships and two district silver medals. Welsh scored 19 goals last season and added four assists. She was a GameTimePA second-team All-Star.

Along with soccer, Welsh was an All-American cheerleader, and was named Most Outstanding Female Track & Field Athlete.

She plans to study sports management.

Eden Jahn, York Catholic girls’ soccer

A defensive midfielder for the Irish girls’ soccer team, Jahn has committed to continue her education and play women’s soccer at Division III Alvernia University in Reading.

During her tenure with the Irish, the team won three division championships and two District 3 silver medals. She also competed at the Senior All-Star Game.

Jahn plans to study athletic training at Alvernia.

Paul Dick, York Catholic boys’ lacrosse

A key piece to York Catholic’s defense, Dick has committed to play college lacrosse next year at Division III Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

The senior has just returned to the Irish lineup after recovering from an ACL injury, and is looking to contribute to the team’s push towards the postseason.

Dick played on the York Catholic boys’ lacrosse team that won the YAIAA championship in 2016. He also played on the York Catholic football team that won the District 3 Championship in 2016.

He plans to study marketing at Saint Vincent.

Eli Doyle, York Catholic boys’ lacrosse

One of the top attackers in the YAIAA, Doyle will continue his lacrosse career at Harford Community College in Belair, Maryland.

Doyle recorded 47 goals last year while adding 19 assists for a team that won the YAIAA championship. He’s back at it again this season, with 70 goals and 18 assists to his name, as York Catholic is in the top-half of the YAIAA standings once again.

Off the field, Doyle is an honor roll student and involved with the varsity club.

Ben Warner, Red Lion boys’ soccer

Warner will continue his soccer career at Shippensburg University.

He was a quick-strike goal scorer for the Lions last season, tallying 16 goals and four assists.

Warner will be the second student-athlete in his family – his brother, Jared, is a men’s volleyball player at Kean College.

Mason Gauntt, Red Lion boys’ lacrosse

One of the premier faceoff men in the YAIAA, Gaunt will play college lacrosse at Bridgewater College.

According to MaxPreps.com, Gaunt has scored 24 goals on the season and has won faceoffs at over an 80 percent clip.

Joshua Stewart, York Catholic

Stewart has committed to continue his education and play volleyball at Alvernia University in Reading.

If York Catholic offered boys’ volleyball, Stewart undoubtedly would have been a YAIAA standout. Instead, he took the court for Yorktowne Volleyball Club and was also a member of the Irish golf team that won a YAIAA championship. He also qualified to compete in the District 3 golf tournament.

Amanda Tufano, York Catholic girls’ lacrosse

Tufano has committed to continue her education and play women’s lacrosse at Division III York College.

Tufano, a four-year starter, is the captain of York Catholic’s girls’ lacrosse team and earned the team’s Unsung Hero Award in her junior year. That season she was somewhat overshadowed, as the Irish had plenty of senior firepower to carry the load.

This year, however, Tufano has come to the forefront, and head coach Rob Linthicum said she is top-three on the Irish in ground balls and points.

She also played on the Irish soccer team last fall.

Tufano plans to study business at York College.