College-bound athletes celebrated at CdM signing day

More than 25 athletes sat up on stage Monday ready to sign with their college programs at the Sea King Theater at Corona del Mar High.

The dress code inside the stage called for hoodies and T-shirts, all signaling the next chapter to come in the playing careers of the honorees.

Corona del Mar athletic director Brian Walsh read off a list of accomplishments by the recognized seniors. Family and friends captured the moments on video, and each athlete received a round of applause at the end of those respective remarks.

Abigail Schalow, Ava Simos and Allison Faggella, from left, gather for group pictures after a signing day event on Monday at Corona del Mar High.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Piper Blackband will be joining the sailing program at Stanford. The Cardinal won a fourth national championship in the sport in April.

“It definitely represents a journey of hard work and dedication to academics, and to sailing, as well,” Blackband said of the arrival of signing day. “I feel like my time at CdM hasn’t just represented me sailing, and I feel like the program I’m going into also, it’s more than just sailing. It’s about being a leader on and off the water, too. … It’s the top women’s sailing in the nation collegiately, so I’m really excited to go sail with some strong and powerful women, too.”

The Sea Kings once again earned their accolades in the water. Taylor Bartell (Tulane) and Dylan Sih (Stanford) also signed for sailing. Sabrina Baker will join the women’s rowing program at UCLA.

Corona del Mar’s Piper Blackband (sailing), Ryan Gant (volleyball) and Dylan Sih (sailing), from left, are all going to Stanford.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Additionally, Chase Campbell (Harvey Mudd), Ava Schoening (Brown), Camren Simoncelli (UC Santa Barbara) and Charles Warmington (Pepperdine) have extended their stays at the pool for water polo.

Eugenio Franco, a state medalist as the third-place finisher at 195 pounds in the CIF State individual wrestling championships as a junior, signed with Cal Poly. Antonio Aramburu and Zion Bowling-Hernandez, both critical to the CIF Duals title over Western, 35-33, in the Division 6 final in 2022, put pen to paper to join the San Francisco State wrestling program.

Looking back, Franco thought about the personal growth that took place when he lost his opening match at the state meet, only to run the table with eight consecutive wins the rest of the way.

More than two dozen students take their seats on the stage inside the Sea King Theater at Corona del Mar High on Monday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“In just that one weekend, I literally learned so much about myself, so much about how far I can go, how much I can push myself,” Franco said. “It was one of the best weekends of my life.”

Nick Salmon signed with UC Santa Barbara, where he plans to pitch for the Gauchos’ baseball team.

“I love competing, so competing at the highest level is everything you can ask for,” Salmon said. “I can’t even say how excited I am to compete. I want to show the coaches there, and anyone, what I’ve got, and I think that I have a lot to show.”

Russell Weir (football), Camren Simoncelli (water polo) and Nick Salmon (baseball), from left, on Monday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Salmon, who also played football and basketball, had quite the senior year. The Sea Kings made the CIF Southern Section Division 4 final in football, and CdM was a Division 2A semifinalist in boys’ basketball.

“I really believe in diversifying your sport,” Salmon said. “I think becoming an athlete is much more important than being good at one sport. I think the athletes are the ones that succeed, and playing multiple sports is how you become an athlete.”

Niels Hoffmann, who won the CIF Southern individuals boys’ tennis singles title as a junior, signed with USC. Standout outside hitter Sterling Foley also signed with the Trojans for men’s volleyball.

Niels Hoffmann (tennis, USC) and Charlie Olson (golf, Gonzaga University) from left, join others in a signing day event on Monday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Distance runner Melisse Djomby Enyawe, who qualified for the CIF State track and field championships in the 800 meters through the Masters Meet on Saturday, will be heading to Cal Poly.

Below is a list of local athletes who have signed with or committed to a college:

CORONA DEL MAR

Kaleb Annett, Boise State football

Antonio Aramburu, San Francisco State wrestling

Sabrina Baker, UCLA rowing

Taylor Bartell, Tulane sailing

Piper Blackband, Stanford sailing

Zion Bowling-Hernandez, San Francisco State wrestling

Chase Campbell, Harvey Mudd University men’s water polo

Jack Cross, Cal Poly men’s tennis

Carter Danz, Northwestern baseball

Melisse Djomby Enyawe, Cal Poly women’s cross-country and track

Sterling Foley, USC men’s volleyball

Eugenio Franco, Cal Poly wrestling

Ryan Gant, Stanford men’s volleyball

Niels Hoffmann, USC boys’ tennis

Charlie Olson, Gonzaga boys’ golf

Abigail Schalow, St. Louis University field hockey

Ava Schoening, Brown University girls’ water polo

Dylan Sih, Stanford sailing

Camren Simoncelli, UC Santa Barbara boys’ water polo

Ava Simos, Cal Poly track and field

Nick Salmon, UC Santa Barbara baseball

Thomas Telesco, Washington University (St. Louis) football

Finnian Tran, Manhattan College men’s lacrosse

Charles Warmington, Pepperdine University men’s water polo

Russell Weir, UCLA football

Costa Mesa’s Jaidyn Soldin, Michael Joyce III, and Bryanna Elias participate in a signing day event on May 15.

(Courtesy of Sandie Soldin)

COSTA MESA

Bryanna Elias, The Masters University women’s soccer

Michael Joyce III, Edgewood College baseball

Jaidyn Soldin, Southwestern College softball

Edison’s Ben Winokur, behind banner, stands with friends and teammates after signing with the Loyola-Chicago men’s volleyball program.

(Courtesy of Huntington Beach Union High School District)

EDISON

Julia Channell, Minnesota rowing

Hailey Clingan, UC Irvine women’s soccer

Riley Crooks, Texas A&M women’s soccer

Eva Emerson, Washington State dance

Kaleb Fiscus, Southern New Hampshire baseball

Morgan Gillinger, Cal State Northridge women’s beach volleyball

Rhiannon Godley, West Virginia Wesleyan softball

Nathan Hunter, Concordia baseball

Sophie Hunter, Cal State San Marcos softball

Chloe Lam, Santa Clara women’s golf

Molly McCluskey, UC San Diego women’s volleyball

Chloe Pajaro, Providence women’s soccer

Elia Reyes, Lewis and Clark women’s lacrosse

Alexa Sheldon, Cal State Fullerton women’s track and field

Emma Rachel Valenzuela, University of Tennessee, Martin women’s soccer

Ben Winokur, Loyola-Chicago men’s volleyball

Summer Witherby, Cal Poly women’s beach volleyball

Sammy Wood, Santa Clara women’s beach volleyball

Mackenzie Yoder, Memphis women’s soccer

Mason York, Weber State football

Estancia’s Jaedon Hose-Shea, Denilson Mendoza, Andrew Mits, Ana Pacheco and John Uchytil participate in a signing day event.

(Courtesy of Chris Anderson)

ESTANCIA

Jaedon Hose-Shea, Whittier College men’s basketball

Denilson Mendoza, Concordia University, Irvine men’s track and field

Andrew Mits, Concordia University, Nebraska baseball

Ana Pacheco, Hope International University women’s soccer

John Uchytil, Sonoma State University baseball

Fountain Valley athletes sign a National Letter of Intent to play their sport for a four-year college or university.

(Courtesy of Huntington Beach Union High School District)

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

Isabella Abrahams, Oregon women’s track and field

Jenna Bixler, Western Oregon softball

Makenzie Butt, Boise State softball

Samantha Estrada, Wagner University softball

Jessica Jang, Cal Baptist women’s water polo

Kayla Knoob, Cal State San Marcos women’s soccer

Anthony Lucio, Cal Poly wrestling

Nathan Marquez, University of the Cumberlands wrestling

Kylie Phi, San Diego State women’s golf

Taylor Reynolds, Wagner University softball

Ryland Whitworth, Army West Point wrestling

Hercules Windrath, Cal Poly wrestling

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Nathan Aceves, UC Santa Barbara baseball

Jaiden Anderson, USC women’s soccer

Saige Anderson, UC Santa Barbara softball

Ben Bray, Grand Canyon men’s volleyball

Charlotte Dosier, University of Pennsylvania rowing

Marley Garwick, Fresno State women’s water polo

Lola Fernsten, UC Davis women’s beach volleyball

Meghan Freck, UC Davis women’s beach volleyball

Macy Fuller, Cal State San Marcos softball

Christian Hammonds, UC San Diego men’s water polo

Matt Hansen, BYU baseball

Lyndsay Harris, Alabama State women’s volleyball

Sydney Harris, Tennessee rowing

Erin Kelley, Eastern Oregon women’s soccer

Haylee LaFontaine, Cal Poly women’s beach volleyball

Kylie Leopard, Cal Poly Pomona women’s volleyball

Ashley Long, University of Nebraska, Omaha softball

Liah Lummus, Loyola Marymount University softball

Sean Marella, Air Force football

Tony Martinez, San Francisco State baseball

Colin McNiven, Claremont McKenna College baseball

Makenzie McRae, Northern Arizona women’s cross-country and track

Charli Nguyen, Albion College women’s swimming

Jake Pazanti, Long Beach State men’s volleyball

Zoe Prystajko, Stanford softball

Jay Pyle, Air Force men’s water polo

Dani Sparks, Cal Poly women’s beach volleyball

Ethan Spoon, UC Irvine men’s water polo

Justin Tauanuu, USC football

LAGUNA BEACH

Carrie Anoua, Rensselaer Polytechnic University women’s track and field

Jaxson Hutcheon, Loyola Marymount University men’s soccer

Yolo Javier, San Francisco University women’s cross-country and track and field

Sara Johnson, Nevada women’s volleyball

Noah Neufeld, Colorado Mesa baseball

Sydney Sydney, Vanguard cross-country and track and field

LOS AMIGOS

JP Gutierrez, Knox College baseball

Marina’s Ashley Morris, left, and Izzie Krysinski are all smiles during a signing day ceremony on May 10.

(Courtesy of Huntington Beach Union High School District)

MARINA

Payton Ekstedt, University of Redlands football

Rylee Gonzalez, Colorado State University softball

Zack Hanna, Atlantis University football

Quinn Hartman, California Institute of Technology, baseball and men’s soccer

Izzie Krysinski, Cal State San Marcos women’s soccer

Keagan Luzadder, Azusa Pacific University men’s soccer

Alex Marumoto, Chapman University women’s swimming

Ashley Morris, Iowa dance

Dylan Nguyen, Springfield University men’s volleyball

Coral Piramo, Slippery Rock University field hockey

Joseph Ramirez, Simpson University baseball

Micah Rhoads, Kansas Wesleyan University football

Caiden Rodriguez, Benedictine University men’s volleyball

Olivia Streifel, DePauw University field hockey

Tyler Veal, LSU bass fishing

Lyndsey Wessel, Washington College women’s volleyball

Newport Harbor’s Sofia Del Villar, Kaitlyn Leibe, Skyler Gassel, Duda Rodrigues and McKay Ketchum, from left, take part in a signing day ceremony on April 17.

(Courtesy of Jerry Murray)

NEWPORT HARBOR

Sofia Del Villar, Harvard University women’s water polo

Josiah Lamarque, Cal Poly football

Kaitlyn Leibe, SUNY, Old Westbury women’s basketball

Skyler Gassel, Lehigh University wrestling

Duda Rodrigues, McKendree University wrestling

Carlos Maradiaga, Cal State Fullerton men’s cross-country and track

McKay Ketchum, Chapman University men’s lacrosse

Ocean View’s Ashley Capelouto, left, and Isis Salazar pose for a picture during a signing day ceremony on May 15.

(Courtesy of Huntington Beach Union High School District)

OCEAN VIEW

Jade Auger, University of Dallas women’s volleyball

Ashley Capelouto, Tennessee Tech softball

Sienna Erskine, Cal Poly softball

Annelies Kluvers, Hope International University stunt

Kadence Moody, Hope International University cheer

Isis Salazar, Cal State Bakersfield women’s soccer

Kaylynn Trujillo, Hope International University cheer

PACIFICA CHRISTIAN

Maggie Contreras, Providence College women’s soccer

Sam Davidson, Calvin College women’s golf

Payten Dobrick, Providence Christian women’s soccer

Kiana Giunta, Wheaton girls’ tennis

Lauryn Ham, Wheaton women’s basketball

Bella Phelps, Providence College women’s soccer

Alex Stewart, Vanguard men’s basketball

Sage Hill’s Danyel Khan, Brandon Lee, Ryann Langdale, Emily Eadie, Kat Righeimer, Annabelle Spotts, Aurora Elder, Nicholas Aghaian and Johnny Mayhew, from left, on April 16.

(Courtesy of Megan Cid)

SAGE HILL

Nicholas Aghaian, UC San Diego men’s soccer

Ennika Carlson, Harvard women’s diving

Emily Eadie, Princeton women’s basketball

Aurora Elder, Idaho State women’s basketball

Danyel Khan, Washington University, St. Louis football

Ryann Langdale, Marion Military Institute women’s cross-country and track and field

Brandon Lee, Dartmouth men’s swimming

Johnny Mayhew, Lake Forest College men’s basketball

Kat Righeimer, Northwestern women’s basketball

Annabelle Spotts, University of Chicago women’s basketball