UHS, Fitch athletes choose colleges to continue careers

Area track and basketball stars plan to keep playing.

YOUNGSTOWN — Liz Emanuel and Lauren Ignazio, both senior members of the Ursuline High girls track and field team, have signed letters of intent to attend Walsh University in North Canton.

Last season as juniors, Emanuel and Ignazio were members of relay teams that won and placed third, respectively, at the state meet.

Emanuel helped the 4x200-meter relay team win the state championship in 1:44.30, while Ignazio was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that placed third.

That 4x100 relay team set the school record on the first day of last year’s state meet in 49.51.

Emanuel also made Academic All-Ohio as a sophomore .

Joining Emanuel on that state-title team were Tim’Aira Gandy, Michaela Write and Jasmine Brown.

Teaming with Ignazio on the third-place state 4x100 relay team were Nichele Scott, who graduated in 2007, Gandy and Brown.

In addition, Emanuel and Ignazio as sophomores were members of the 4x100 relay team that placed fifth in the state in 50.23. With them on that team were Gandy and Scott.

Emanuel and Ignazio are three-year letter-winners.

Meanwhile, in Ursuline boys’ track, senior hurdler Wes Washington has signed a letter of intent to attend Ashland University.

Washington, who runs both the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, qualified for the state meet last year in the 300 event.

George Stroia has been coaching the Ursuline girls track team since 1978, and the boys team since 1985.

Fitch’s Rouan to Geneva

AUSTINTOWN — Rachel Rouan, a senior at Austintown Fitch and the Falcons’ top girls basketball player the past two seasons, will attend Geneva College where she will resume her basketball career.

Rouan, the daughter of Andrea and Robert Rouan, received the Geneva Scholar and Gold and White scholarships. She plans to study education.

Rouan was named the Fitch girls basketball team’s most valuable player as a junior and senior.

She also was selected to the to the All-Federal League second team as a senior, and was chosen to play in the Al Beach Classic all-star game.

In addition, Rouan was a contestant in the 3-point shootout at the Frank Bubba Classic her junior and senior years, earning runner-up as a junior.