21 senior athletes ink college commitments for next fall -

Ten Carondelet seniors signed their National Letters of Intent last month in front of the student body at a noontime ceremony at their school. The signees are, from left, Giovanna “Gigi” Baldacci (Boston College), Carissa Capinpin (San Francisco State), Kelly Kern (Stanford), Samantha “Kiki” Mein (Indiana), Elizabeth “Ellie” Ospeck (Notre Dame), Helena Perez (Colorado State), Isabella Rosa (Baylor), Gabriella “Gabby” Williams (UC San Diego), Carissa Wu (Cal Poly SLO) and Alexus “Lexi” Zandonella (Sonoma State).

Nov. 13 was a special day for 21 local high school athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent, committing to play their sport starting next fall in colleges large and small from coast to coast. Carondelet, Clayton Valley Charter and Concord had student athletes formalize their college choices that day.

De La Salle had a number of baseball players opt to formally commit later this school year.

There were five signees for baseball, four each for soccer and softball, two for water polo and once each for track and field, lacrosse, swimming, volleyball, golf and equestrian. The student athletes are headed to 19 different colleges.

Three four-year members of the Concord High softball team recently made their college commitments together as well. Madelyn Mays (left) is headed for the East Coast to Harvard, Amber Desena (middle) is off to the University of Iowa and Marina Delaluna is headed to Texas at Trinity University.

Concord High won the 2017 North Coast Section softball championship with a number of freshmen playing key roles. Those girls are now seniors and three of them made a their NLI a joint effort at the school.

Madelyn Mays is going to Harvard and will be playing for the Crimson next year. Amber Desena is becoming a University of Iowa Hawkeye and Marina Delaluna will be studying and playing in Texas at Trinity University. They’ll be playing in their fourth varsity season next spring.

Clayton Valley Charter’s eight NLI signees are, front row from left, Jordan Frost (UC Irvine), Darby Dresdow (Biola University); back row, Telly Hill (University of the Pacific), Eddie Curley (St. Mary’s College), Joey Soberon (UC San Diego), Ryan Pierce (Fresno State), Casey Barnes (Merrimack College) and Chase Graves (University of the Pacific).

Five Clayton Valley Charter baseball players signed their NLI. Telly Hill and Chase Graves will be remaining teammates when they matriculate to Stockton and the University of the Pacific in the fall. Diablo Athletic League MVP pitcher Joey Soberon is going to UC San Diego.

Lefthanded pitcher Eddie Curley is staying close to home at St. Mary’s College. Corner infielder Ryan Pierce is going to Fresno State.

Casey Barnes became the second CVCHS lacrosse player in the last two years to commit to a Division 1 program. He’s headed to Merrimack College in Massachusetts.

Goalie Jordan Frost will take her water polo talents to UC Irvine while her classmate Darby Dresdow will play soccer at Biola University.

Carondelet had girls commit for eight different sports with three players coming from the perennial NCS championship contending Cougar soccer teams: Ellie Ospeck (Notre Dame), Carissa Capinpin (San Francisco State) and Lexi Zandonella (Sonoma State).

Record-setting pole vaulter Kelly Kern is going to Stanford. Other Carondelet signees are Carissa Wu (golf, Cal Poly SLO), Gabby Williams (softball, UCSD), Kiki Mein (water polo, Indiana), Isabella Rosa (equestrian, Baylor), Helena Perez (volleyball, Colorado State) and Gigi Baldacci (swimming, Boston College).