For many childhood athletes, participating in varsity college athletics one day is just another dream.  For some BASH athletes, the dream has now become a reality.

In the past six months, 37 Bears and Lady Bears have signed a National Letter of Intent or made a verbal commitment to further their athletic careers and participate in NCAA Division I, II or III athletics.  A National Letter of Intent, or NLI, is a document used to indicate a student athlete’s commitment to participating in NCAA Division I or II athletics.

The amount of commitments this school year was above average.  This was due in large part to the dedication and commitment of so many BASH student-athletes.

“Girls lacrosse players at Boyertown work very hard to put themselves in a position to make college lacrosse a reality,” girls lacrosse head coach Pam Wernersbach said.  “The players are the ones that truly need to put in the work and they do.”

Of the 37 athletes who committed, nine of them are members of the Lady Bears lacrosse squad, a notoriously successful team here at BASH.

“Our coaching staff does our best to help encourage and guide each of them to be able to reach their goals as individuals, while still focusing on the Boyertown program being successful,” Wernersbach said.

The class of 2017 is the last class to have been part of the Lady Bears perfect 65-0 conference run through the first five seasons of the decade.  Altogether, the class has posted an overall record of 37-22 in their first three seasons.

“This senior class has been playing together for a long time,” Wernersbach stated.  “They were able to push each other consistently to become better players, students and people.”

The Boyertown coaches also play a large role in developing young athletes and preparing them for the next step in their careers.  Throughout the recruitment process, coaches speak to colleges and provide statistics, feedback, and character descriptions to the college coaches.

“All our coaches are dedicated to helping our student-athletes succeed even after their time at Boyertown,” Athletic Director Nick Palladino said.

Moving forward, the large number of signings and commitments will have a positive effect on Boyertown athletics.

“It always helps for students to see that you don’t have to play at a Penn State or Alabama to continue your athletic career,” Palladino stated.  “Plus, money towards college while doing a sport you love doesn’t hurt either.”

All in all, the 37 commits leave a great legacy behind and represent what it means to be a true BASH student-athlete.

“All our student-athletes put 100 percent effort into the classroom and on the field,” Palladino said.  “It represents a well-rounded young adult.”

Signings and Commitments

National Letter of Intent – Division I

Abby Kapp –  Bucknell University –  Women’s Basketball 

Hailey Heimbach – Coastal Carolina University – Women’s Lacrosse 

Hannah Wentzel – University of Delaware – Women’s Lacrosse

Cara Megill – University of Rhode Island – Women’s Swimming 

David Campbell – Bucknell University – Wrestling

Jakob Campbell – Bucknell University – Wrestling

Verbal Commitment – Division I

Ivan Escott – Eastern Illinois University – Men’s Swimming 

Patrick Lance – Cleveland State University – Men’s Swimming

National Letter of Intent – Division II

Patrick Hohlfeld – Philadelphia University – Baseball 

Allison Bardman – Bloomsburg University – Women’s Lacrosse

Tiffany Diachinsky – Bloomsburg University – Women’s Lacrosse

Rachel Neff – East Stroudsburg University – Women’s Lacrosse 

Maddy Siejk – Lock Haven University – Women’s Lacrosse

Verbal Commitment – Division II

Gillian Kasitz –  Queens University of Charlotte – Women’s Cross Country

Kaitlyn Kada – Seton Hill University – Women’s Lacrosse

Emily Bradley – Philadelphia University – Softball

Verbal Commitment – Division III

Nicholas DiCiacco – Penn State Berks – Baseball

Tyler Kreitz – Penn State Berks – Baseball

Michael Raineri – Misericordia University – Baseball

Katie Armstrong – Emmanuel College – Women’s Basketball

Allison Marcus – Albright College – Women’s Basketball

Dylan Johnson – Gwynedd Mercy University – Women’s Basketball

Katlyn Burkhardt – Alvernia University – Field Hockey

Hannah Gallagher – Albright College – Field Hockey

Kyle Kooker – Moravian College – Football

Grayson Hamrick – Haverford College – Men’s Lacrosse

Georgianna Saxon – Gwynedd Mercy University – Women’s Lacrosse

Haydn Hallman – Vassar College – Women’s Lacrosse

Sam Marks – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Men’s Soccer

Nikhil Verma – King’s College – Men’s Soccer

Lauren Haley – Moravian College – Women’s Soccer

Erin Reitmeyer – Gwynedd Mercy University – Women’s Soccer

Alyssa Acker – Alvernia University – Softball

Lauren Gabel – Penn State Berks – Softball

Kody Streeter – Susquehanna University – Softball

Matt Wilde – Ursinus College – Wrestling

All photos courtesy of the Boyertown Bears Athletic Department