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Signing Day: YAIAA athletes take next step


A wave of YAIAA student athletes took the next step in their athletic careers Wednesday, signing their National Letter of Intent on the first day of the signing period for football and soccer.

The jump from a verbal commitment to signing on the dotted line marked the end of the recruitment process for some of the York area's top athletes.

Among them was Central York senior Kennedy Little, who was an all-league first teamer on the soccer field. Little signed with Elon on Wednesday morning after verbally committing during her junior season.

"Ever since middle school I've known I wanted to play college soccer," Little said. "It's definitely been a crazy ride, but I am so happy with my choice...When I was signing it felt so good to feel like all my hard work paid off. Verbally committing is awesome, but you just feel so much more comfortable after officially signing."

Little's fellow YAIAA soccer stars Nick Sarver (West York), Matthew Trepanier (Dallastown) and Christopher Brignall (Dallastown) all signed NLIs with Temple University Wednesday. New Oxford's Marcos Garcia, Jr., who recently committed to Robert Morris University, will sign his letter Thursday.

"The recruiting process was stressful but I think it made searching for colleges a little bit easier," Sarver said. "The hardest part was picking one school to go to because I loved all of the colleges and coaches who were recruiting me. I was very excited to sign today and finally be making my decision final."

Spring Grove's Andrew Lawson (Old Dominion) highlighted the YAIAA's football class on Signing Day. The senior lineman committed to Old Dominion two weeks ago.

“This is all new to my mom and dad because they didn’t go to college or anything,” Lawson said after committing. “When I told them Old Dominion offered to pay a full ride, they freaked out. As I’ve been growing up, they’ve heard I have the body and attitude to play at the next level. Now it’s actually real. It’s crazy.”

He was joined Wednesday by a number of football players around the league signing their Letters of Intent including a pair of South Western Mustangs — Noah Staub (Towson) and Skylar Bowman (Maine) — signing to Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools.

A number of others signed to Division II schools, including an overwhelming majority in the Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference, and several more will make their signings official later this week.

Other football signings: Corbin Byers (South Western, Shippensburg University), Tyler Fulmore (South Western, Alderson Broaddus University), Matt Smolko (South Western, Thaddeus Stevens), Ian Slaven (Spring Grove, Lock Haven), Adam Warehime (Spring Grove, East Stroudsburg), Terry Cains (West York, Bloomsburg), Tavian Dorsey (Delone Catholic, Lock Haven), Cade Gold (Dallastown, Washington & Lee), Jake Jansen (Dallastown, Kutztown), Shawn Johnston (Central York, Juniata), Fernando Flores (Northeastern, Lock Haven), David Ankney (Northeastern, Lock Haven), Trevon Brown (New Oxford, Bloomsburg), Joe Bauhof (York Catholic, Mount Union), Matt Farr (Dover, Lock Haven).

Other soccer signings: Cameron Artman (Northeastern, Shippensburg), Bobby Weikert (Gettyburg, Gettysburg College), Jared Hileman (Central York, Ohio Wesleyan), Michael Tolley (Central York, East Stroudsburg), Drew Riggle (Gettysburg, Ohio Wesleyan), Luis Partida (New Oxford, Bloomsburg), Adam Yingling (Gettysburg, Ohio Wesleyan), Darian McCauley (West York, Millersville), Zach Shoemaker (Gettysburg, Arcadia), Brooke Firestone (Dover, Messiah College), Maddison Miller (Dover, West Chester), Payton Miller (Dover, West Chester), Maddy Mummert (Susquehannock, Kutztown), Sierra Austin (Dallastown, Mansfield), Ali Shick (Dallastown, Drexel), Bri Hackos (Central York, New Jersey Institute of Technology), Elle Stine (West York, Clarion), Olivia Sollberger (West York, Bloomsburg), Emily Landis (Susquehannock, Millersville), Liz Johnson (York Catholic, Catholic University), Sawyer Patrick (Northeastern, Seton Hill University — signing Friday).

Additional signings: Sarah Kistner (Dover, Findlay University lacrosse), Koleman Hoffman (Dover, Arcadia University volleyball)