Athletic Letter of Intent Signing Ceremony

11/12/2020

On Wednesday, November 11, Loyola Academy Vice President of Athletics and Fitness Genevieve Atwood honored fifteen Rambler student-athletes at the fall National Letter of Intent Signing Day Ceremony.

Congratulations to the following student-athletes and their parents:

Baseball

David “DJ” Morand, Xavier University

“DJ is such a hard-working student-athlete, and I'm so proud that he is headed to such a fine Jesuit university. His individual work-ethic is second to none. In addition to practices and training sessions, DJ has put in hundreds of hours of his own work over the years. He is a great example to younger players of the hard work that it takes to be successful. It's been great to watch DJ grow, and I'm so excited for the incredibly bright future ahead of him! “ —Coach Chris Ackels

Softball

Kaitlyn “KK” Raymond, University of St. Thomas

“KK has been an essential member of the Loyola Academy softball program since she made the varsity team her freshman year. A mainstay in centerfield and at the top of the order, KK is a leader both on and off the field. She is so driven to get better every day, it's not by accident she is the player she is. KK will do great things at the University of St. Thomas.” —Coach Michelle Farrell-Fink

Emily Rivero, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

“Emily has been an indispensable member of the Loyola Academy softball program since she made the varsity team her freshman season. Year after year, Emily has put in the dedication to improve her skill set. Emily shows up for every drill, every rep, every practice and every game. Emily is not only a leader on the field, but in the classroom as well. We as a coaching staff have had the pleasure to be a small part of Emily's big story. Emily will continue to move mountains on the field, in school and in life when she attends the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2021.” —Coach Michelle Farrell-Fink

Crew

Helena Duenkel, Trinity College

“Helena transferred in as a junior and immediately made a positive impact on our team. We have been lucky to have her these two years, and I am certain she will be a successful rower at Trinity College.” —Coach Michael Kelley ’94

Marren Burgess, University of Pennsylvania

“Marren has a real talent for keeping the team upbeat and creating a strong bond among all the rowers on the team. The team will greatly miss her personality and her talent for rowing. We wish her all the best as she continues her rowing career at the University of Pennsylvania.” —Coach Michael Kelley ’94

Ella O’Neil, University of California Los Angeles

“Ella really turned a corner in this sport her junior year to the point where she led the team on erg tests and was strongly recruited by several schools. Tending toward the quiet side, she led by example and showed her teammates the success that comes from hard work. She will do quite well at UCLA I am sure.”—Coach Michael Kelley ’94

Lacrosse

Maley Starr, Georgetown University

“Maley Starr is a four year varsity player who has only improved each year. A complete two-way midfielder, she also excels at the draw. She has been a mainstay in our program for four years and has become one of the top midfielders on a national scale. Georgetown and Coach Ricky Fried are a great fit for her, and she will make an immediate impact there. “ —Coach John Dwyer

Ellie Lazzaretto, Duke University

“Ellie Lazzaretto is a four year varsity player who has become one of the top attackers in the country. She led our fabulous 2019 team in goals and has become quicker and stronger and an even bigger threat to score every time she touches the ball as well as a strong presence on the draw circle and on the redefend. Very excited to see her succeed at Duke and in the ACC conference.” —Coach John Dwyer

Caroline Smith, Butler University

“Caroline Smith is a multiple sport athlete—lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey and crew. She is a very athletic goalie with excellent stick skills. Once she focuses exclusively on lacrosse, she has a huge upside and should be a very good goalie in the Big East conference for Butler.” —Coach John Dwyer

Sloan Trapp, Butler University

“Sloan Trapp has unusual speed and is a threat at attack and midfield, is a precise passer and is relentless on the field. She has worked very hard at her craft and is a big catch for Butler and the Big East.” —Coach John Dwyer

Soccer

Michael Sullivan, Denison University

"I am thrilled for Michael as he earned his opportunity to play collegiate soccer at Denison. As a four year varsity player with the LA boys’ soccer program, his contribution to make our team better has been fantastic. I look forward to watching him take his game to the next level and following his growth in the collegiate game. Congrats to Michael on this fantastic accomplishment!" —Coach Baer Fisher

Tommy Zipprich, Lehigh University

"I'm incredibly proud of Tommy for his commitment to play collegiate soccer at Lehigh. Tommy has been a four-year varsity player with the LA boys’ soccer program, and he's improved each year to earn an opportunity to play collegiate soccer at the Division 1 level. In addition to his success on the soccer field, Tommy's path at Loyola includes excellence in the classroom as well as being a four- year member of the LA basketball program—a true testament to Tommy's dedication to a well-rounded experience at Loyola." —Coach Baer Fisher

Katia Chiampas, Johns Hopkins University

“Katia has always been driven to excellence in all she does. She is a fierce competitor on the field, while remaining committed to outstanding academic achievement. She has also passionately served others through her work with Urban Initiatives, the Lurie's Children's Junior Board, and as aTOPSoccer Buddy. She will no doubt bring these things and so much more to the Johns Hopkins women's soccer program and the entire university community. Congratulations, Katia! “ —Coach Shannon Hartinger

Volleyball

Ryan Merk, The Pennsylvania State University

“Ryan is a tremendously gifted athlete and one of the best volleyball players to come through our storied program. Ryan has been a consistent anchor of our defense and jumpstarts our offense with an unparalleled serve receive game. Ryan is a phenomenal young man who comes from a great family with deep roots at Loyola. I am excited for Ryan to continue his academic and athletic career at Penn State and look forward to all of his future accomplishments!” —Coach Lionel Ebeling

Josie Fronczak, Hofstra University

“Josie is a quiet but strong leader out on the volleyball court. Over the past two years, she has contributed a lot to the Loyola Academy volleyball team's success, and we are so excited for her to continue her volleyball career at Hofstra University next year!” —Coach Mallory Thelander

On behalf of the Loyola Academy administration, the Athletic Department congratulates these seniors. Go Ramblers!

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