TOWAMENCIN – On Tuesday night North Penn High School recognized seven athletes as they signed their letters of intent to enable them to continue to play sports at the collegiate level. News conferences such as this one are held periodically throughout the school year to recognize seniors from all sports as they finalize their commitments and prepare to sign their letters of intent. The November signing is typically the most publicized, as students make early commitments to their selected colleges and univiersities. Seniors Gabby DiDomizio, Ashley Durham, Kaitlin Suzuki, Erin Maher, Vicky Tumasz, Eve Kosten and Noah Melchior were recognized.
“It is always great to be a part of the college signing nights. We are so proud of our athletes here at North Penn and it’s been great watching all of them grow,” said athletic director Doc Ryan.
From the North Penn women’s Lacrosse program, Gabby DiDomizo will be attending Iona College, Ashley Durham will be attending Old Dominion and Kaitlin Suzuki will be attending Temple University.
‘It has been a long journey, as they all came up as ninth graders to play and they all stuck with the program. They are very dedicated athletes who all bring something different to the table. Both Gabby and Ashley are defenders and Kaitlin is a scorer, but the three of them combined are extremely strong players. They all have definitely become role models not just in the classroom but also on the athletic field,” said head coach Jami Wilus Behm.
With the letters officially signed and the college decision process over, DiDomizo, Durham and Suzuki were able to look back and reflect on the journey that brought them to where they are now.
“My coaches helped me get to this point in lacrosse. If it wasn’t for coach Wilus I would not be even close to Division One par; she literally re-taught me how to cradle and throw. My club coaches as well as my mom really helped through the recruiting process. They emailed coaches and encouraged me through the entire process. Lacrosse recruiting starts extremely early now so once I found the perfect fit I was so relieved and happy. Shortly after choosing Temple, I tore my ACL and meniscus so I missed out on half of my junior year season. It was hard watching from the sidelines and going from playing to coaching in a sense, but now I see the game in a whole new light. I’m really looking forward to playing at a higher competitive level at Temple and to be playing with girls that have the similar attitude and love for the game, “said Suzuki.
“My parents helped me a lot; they had my back through everything and are my biggest supporters. I also have a very positive mindset and outlook on life to help me get to where I want to be. It was very challenging having to pick the right [college] out of a million choices and trusting that is will be a good place to live, affordable and can lead you to a promising future. I look forward to playing on a great team next year as well as meeting new people and getting to experience life on my own,” said DiDomizio.
“My mom helped me the most; she has been my number one supporter since day one. For me the biggest challenge I faced was learning how to be patient and finding the right school that had everything I wanted. Next year I am really looking forward to the whole college experience which includes making friends, working hard and improving my game,” said Durham.
From the North Penn women’s basketball program, Erin Maher who will be attending Philadelphia University and Vicky Tumasz who will be attending Shippensburg University signed their letters of intent as well. Maher will play both basketball and softball at the next level.
“It has been such a pleasure to watch them grow in the fact that they both have excelled at both softball and basketball. It really is a major accomplishment because it is not often that you see this and it’s really a tribute to their parents in all the sacrifices they have made as well,” said basketball head coach Maggie DeMarteleire.
“I remember in 9th grade when they came up and the idea of having two great athletes for four years [was great.] They are not only great athletes, they are also good people,” commented softball head coach Rick Torresani.
Entering their fourth varsity year for both basketball and softball, Maher and Tumasz were able to reflect on the factors that guided them along their journey as well as the promising new ventures ahead of them.
“What helped me get to where I am today was all the support my family, friends, coaches and teachers gave me along the way. It was very difficult for me picking between either softball or basketball, but ultimately I chose basketball and I am happy with this decision. I’m really excited to play with new girls under a new coach in a different atmosphere. Also being able to play with North Penn alumni Steph Knauer again is something to look forward to,” said Tumasz.
“ It’s hard to narrow down exactly how I got here because the past few years so many people and things have lead me here but my family and close friends are a huge factor, as well as great coaches in both sports. Along the way they inspired me to excel and get better and they helped make my dream a reality. I know without the love and support from all those people I wouldn’t be where I am today and I appreciate all that they have done for me. The pressure of the recruiting process often got to me. I struggle with deciding what I want for dinner, so deciding on my future for the next four years wasn’t very fun at times. I didn’t know which sport I wanted to play which was one of the biggest challenges but luckily I was given the incredible opportunity to play both basketball and softball. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation,” said Maher.
From the North Penn women’s swimming and diving program, Eve Kosten will be attending University of Buffalo. Using the advice and learning experiences that she acquired from her participation in North Penn Swimming and Diving, Kosten reflected on how much North Penn has prepared her for competing at the next level.
“Taking in and applying all the advice from my coaches has really developed me into the swimmer I am now. Being part of such a supportive and tight-knit team is another major part that helped me as well. During this process I faced challenges with balancing school work and practices as well as meets in the beginning. With proper planning and help from teachers, everything got sorted out pretty quick. I’m looking forward to being part of an amazing team and improving with a dedicated coaching staff. I can’t wait to experience the academics as well at UB and take classes that I am interested in,” said Kosten.
From the 2013 State Champion North Penn baseball program, Noah Melchior will be attending West Chester University
“My coaches and teammates have been there for me and supporting me every step of the way, but my parents have given me love and help throughout the whole process. I’ve had plenty of ups and downs with baseball, but sometimes it’s all about getting lucky and having the right people to help you. I’m truly blessed to be fulfilling my dream next year and I can’t wait to be a part of the whole college atmosphere. The intensity of the game is raised up automatically as you move up to the next leave and I live for that,” said Melchior.
“Noah is an outstanding citizen, student, teammate, and leader. I think these qualities will be his foundation in both college and beyond, and will certainly help him to develop into a productive college student-athlete. Noah has the physical tools that college coaches want to see, and he has a big arm, capable of pitching very successfully at West Chester. We are looking forward to seeing what he brings to the field for us this spring, and certainly what he will do at the next level as well,” said baseball coach Kevin Manero.
With many of these athletes participating in winter and spring sports, it is a relfief for them to enter their final varisty season with the weight of a college commitment of off their shoulders. Certainly they hope to be major contributors in their final season before they continue to play at the next level.