Spring signing day has seven Valley athletes going places
By GARY HOUSTEAU
The big reveal locally on signing day took place at Fitch High School when Logan Kusky made his much-anticipated decision about his track and field throwing career in college.
“I will be attending the University of Notre Dame,” Kusky announced to applause in the media room at the high school in front of family and a room full of teammates and friends. “A couple of weeks ago I told myself ‘All right I need to decide,’ and I really thought hard about it and I think Notre Dame is the best opportunity for me to succeed both athletically as well as academically. I think they’re really one of the best in the nation with that, so I think it was the best choice for me.”
Kusky chose Notre Dame over Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Stanford. He’ll primarily be a hammer and weight thrower but he’ll probably do discus and shot put, too.
“I wasn’t always a Notre Dame guy but through the process I think I became one,” Kusky said. “I realized the name isn’t everything, I think it was just the best place for me. But I definitely am a Notre Dame guy now.”
After a strong indoor season, Kusky is aiming to have a really solid spring season, too. He’ll compete in the shot and the discus with an eye on winning a state championship.
“I just want to go out with a bang really in my senior year and hopefully win a state title. That’s my goal right now,” Kusky said. “I’m probably a little better in the discus so that’s probably my main goal right now but I definitely want to go for shot put, too. I’ve never got one yet and I think to go out as a senior and get that as a senior would be awesome.”
His teammate Jake Dorbish will stay local and throw for Youngstown State University. The two seniors give the Falcons a very solid one-two punch in the same field events.
“Every day in practice we’re with each other and we push each other and just try to get each other to do even better than where we’re at right now,” Kusky said. “We’re a really good combination and it’s going to be really fun this year.”
Dorbish was certainly elated to be able to continue his throwing career for the Penguins.
“This is what my goal has been for the last four years since I started throwing so it feels good,” he said. “It’s a really great campus, it’s close to home, [assistant] coach [Tyler] Lippert does a great job, it’s his first year there, and I think it’s just the right choice for me. I’m really excited right now and I’m ready to go.”
Matt Rozic will continue his distance running at Duquesne University, the alma mater of both of his parents.
“My parents, they didn’t force me to go any which way, they told me to go do what you want, go wherever you want. They didn’t push me to go anywhere,” said Rozic who will study pharmacy at Duquesne as both of his parents are pharmacists. “And when I had my official visit at Duquesne I felt that was the right move for me and so I followed in parents’ footsteps.”
And finally at Fitch, Adam Green will wrestle at Berea’s Baldwin Wallace University, where he’ll study computer science.
Over at Mathews High School, Meredith Grimes will take her prowess on the softball diamond to Mercyhurst University.
“I’m very excited and I’m really happy to start this journey and move on to the next step of continuing to play softball and my education,” Grimes said. “I always dreamed of playing softball in college, I’ve been playing softball since I was 4 years old, and it’s really important to me that my team is here today to share this with me because they mean so much to me.”
The Mustangs’ Bryan Oatridge will golf at Lakeland Community College.
“This means so much, I’ve worked so hard,” Oatridge said. “It’s very humbling and I’m very excited to start.”
The lefty seems to have a solid plan for his future already mapped out.
“I’ll probably transfer from Lakeland Community hopefully to D-I, preferably the University of Michigan — Go Blue,” he said. “And then pursue a job in the NBA, hopefully a general manager position.”
South Range cross country and track standout Mollie Pierson signed with the University of Tampa.
Pierson is a four-year letter-winner and a state qualifier in both sports. She is a member of National Honor Society and serves as senior class president.
She is the daughter of Ed and Karen Pierson.