Nearly 40 talented high school athletes from northern and central New Jersey saw their college dreams get one step closer on March 5, as they signed their achievement letters during Zoned Sports Academy’s annual Signing Day celebration.
Among them are local students Brianna Jones of Glenwood, a Pope John XXIII Regional High School student headed to Susquehanna University; and Aubrey Carroll of Newton High School, who signed with Pace University.
In front of proud family members, these promising seniors walked the “turf carpet,” signed their letters, received a personalized jersey, and posed for pictures. Come fall, they will represent their chosen colleges on the baseball or softball diamond.
For their dedicated parents, Signing Day is the culmination of countless hours transporting their kids to and from ball fields, cheering them on often on cold, drizzly days, and supporting their athletic endeavors emotionally and financially. Many of these students received athletic scholarships, and some aspire to play professional baseball.
Zoned created Signing Day to give every student-athlete a chance to publicly celebrate their significant accomplishment in front of the ones they love. During this year’s event, Steve Nikorak, a professional baseball player in the Chicago White Sox system, spoke to the student-athletes.
This year’s class attend Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Hillsborough High School, Seton Hall Prep, The Hun School, The Pingry School, Union High School, Newton High School, Montgomery High School, Governor Livingston High School, Middlesex High School, Easton High School and many others. Students are set to attend Kentucky, Tulane, Rutgers University, Montclair State University, Rowan University, Seton Hall, Wake Forest, Iona and more.
“Our greatest satisfaction at Zoned Sports Academy is seeing these student-athletes grow as individuals, succeed in gaining admission to the college of their choice, and set out on the next chapter of their journey,” said Zoned Sports Academy owner Duke Baxter, a former professional baseball player.
BRIANNA JONES
According to Frank Canning Head Softball Coach Pope John XIII High School: “Brianna is a pitcher and infielder for our Pope John XXIII varsity softball team. She is an outstanding defensive player and is a dangerous offensive player with above-average speed and power. As a pitcher, she has been clocked at 62 MPH on her fastball and spent the off-season working on her change of speed and movement on her pitches. Brianna is also a tireless worker, who enjoys the game and is respected by her teammates. She is the first on the field to practice and the last one to leave. She is very coachable, accepting criticism and working to improve in those areas. She was also a key contributor for us last year in crucial situations. No moment is too big for her as she enjoys the pressure of the big situation. Brianna is also tremendous off the field as well. According to her teachers, she is a bright, hard-working student in the classroom. Overall, she is one of the most talented young ladies and players I have had the pleasure to coach in my 25 years at Pope John.”
AUBREY CARROLL
Aubrey, the daughter of Shauna and Kevin Carroll, is a member of the Class of 2022 at Newton High School, where she plays both softball and basketball. Her athletic achievements include First Team All League NJAC, and two-year Varsity starting Centerfielder. She won the Kindness Award, and is a member of the Student Council. Other honors include the Roxbury Rebels Winter Softball Clinic Coach. She is also a member of the North Jersey Avalanche Club. Her coach is Rich Iorio. Her GPA is 3.4. She plans to major in psychology or business. (Source: National Scouting Report: evo.nsr-inc.com)
STUDENT-ATHLETES
Recognized this year were:
Carson Applegate, The Hun School, University of Kentucky
Emma Aridi, Watchung Hills High School, New York University
Dan Bass, Governor Livingston High School, Ursinus College
Luke Bickunas, South Plainfield High School, Rowan University
Ryan Bowman, Easton High School, Rosemont College
Kalea Calugay, Westfield High School, Drexel University
Aubrey Carroll, Newton High School, Pace University
Kevin Dillon, Notre Dame High School, Goldey-Beacom College
Ryan DiMaggio, The Hun School, Boston College
Elvin Espinal, Union High School, Roger Williams University
Victoria Fantozzi, Hillsborough High School, FDU - Florham Park
Angelina Fucci, Parsippany High School, Husson University
Kyle Hart, Oratory Prep High School, Ursinus College
Jacob Hirner, Easton High School, Muhlenberg College
Kayla Holguin, Bridgewater - Raritan High School, Susquehanna University
Erin Howard, Montgomery High School, Seton Hall University
Brianna Jones, Pope John XXIII Regional High School, Susquehanna University
Jackson Kraemer, The Hun School, Wake Forest University
Alivia Macaluso, Westfield High School, Seton Hall University
Christian Mote, Gill St. Bernard’s School, Iona College
Logan Mote, Gill St. Bernard’s School, Iona College
Robert Murphy, Governor Livingston High School, Gettysburg College
Ty Nicolay, Middlesex High School, Misericordia University
Brody Pasieka, The Hun School, Washington & Lee University
Justin Ramirez, Easton High School, East Stroudsburg University
Ethan Reccek, Easton High School, East Stroudsburg University
Simeon Reed, Easton High School, Clark Summit University
Ben Romano, The Hun School, Tulane University
Liam Royster, The Pingry School, Norfolk State University
Charlie Russell, Hackettstown High School, Rowan University
Thomas Santana, The Pingry School, Columbia University
Kaysen Shikar, Watchung Hills High School, Trinity College
Ethan Sodl, Stroudsburg High School, Dickinson College
Ryan Sprock, Seton Hall Prep, Elon University
AJ Thomas, Easton High School, Marist College
Patrick Tullo, Governor Livingston High School, Morris County College
Michael Wansaw, Union Catholic High School, The College of New Jersey
Reese Wilson, Montgomery High School, Marist College
Amy Wood, Hackettstown High School, DeSales University
