Top Recruits In Cumberland Valley
Isaac Sines and Paddy Hernjak
Staff Writers
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[email protected]

Name - Ashley Pines

Grade - 12

Sport - Track & Field

College - Penn State

Question: “What was your thought process throughout recruiting and what made you pick Penn State University?

Pines Said,” Overall I really enjoyed the recruitment process and it was not as stressful as I thought it would be. I chose PSU because of the phenomenal coaches, facilities, and welcoming teammates. They’re 800 [meter] program is one of the best in the country right now and I know I'll be training with people who will push me to be better.”

Name: Riley Ebersole

Grade: 12

Sport: Track & Field

College: Cornell University 

Question: What was the thought process on choosing Cornell?

Ebersole said, “My journey with Cornell started in January of 2022. The coach had emailed me with interest in my abilities. We emailed for a little, but I was nervous to be talking with a college coach for the first time. Looking up pictures of Cornell did not impress me; it looks desolate and gloomy online. To be honest, I didn't have much interest at the time, and I hadn't chatted with the coach for the rest of my indoor season. With spring track coming up, the coach reached back out to see how I was, and my thoughts hadn't changed much. Spring season came with PRs and state placings that put me on the radar for other colleges. The Cornell coach and I met up after outdoor New Balance Nationals and we talked about their program and life at Cornell. This sparked my interest more, but I still wanted to be hooked. Summer came and I started talking to more schools and filling out recruitment forms for many colleges. Summer was also when I realized I wanted to study Food Science, which is not a common major among many colleges, but it just so happened that Cornell has the best Food Science program among these schools. When fall came, I had official visits planned and didn't know what my top choice was yet. I first had one at Cornell, then Columbia, and I had visits planned for UConn and Penn State. But it was a shock to learn that to play a sport at an Ivy, I was expected to early decide to get a guaranteed spot on the team, which had a deadline of Nov 1st and is legally binding. This put pressure on me. I could choose Cornell or Columbia and not take my other official visits, or I could take the other two and run the risk of not being accepted into Cornell or Columbia. This decision came easier than I would've thought though. On my visit, I learned that Cornell's campus is absolutely gorgeous, filled with waterfalls and trails and diverse architecture. I also enjoyed how lively the campus was and how nice the track team is as well as the coaches. They made me feel very welcome on my visit and I could picture myself very easily fitting right in. The following week, I saw Columbia and was not as impressed. I wasn't in love with the idea of school in New York City, and It just didn't feel like I could call it home. I finally made the decision that I was going to commit to Cornell to run track and field and study Food Science and I was excited. Although I had to give up visiting Penn State and Uconn, I don't have any regrets on my decision, and I am so lucky to be able to run track at such a high level while also getting an amazing education.”

Name: Shaw Masson

Grade: 12

Sport: Boys Soccer

College: West Chester University 

Question: What was the thought process on choosing West Chester?

Masson said, “My process with choosing WCU was pretty easy. I watched a game and went on a visit, I loved the atmosphere and the coaches and the guys were dope. The campus was super nice too and everyone there was very nice as well.”

Name: Taylor Whitehead

Grade: 12

Sport: Field Hockey

College: IUP

Question: “What was your thought process throughout recruiting and what made you pick Indiana University of Pennsylvania?”

Whitehead said, “my thought process throughout recruiting was first finding schools that had what I wanted to study and had good field hockey. I also knew I wanted a school that was bigger than our high school. I knew academically and athletically that IUP was the best fit for me instantly! I chose IUP because of their amazing Pre-Physical Therapy program along with how competitive field hockey is in the PSAC. I also chose IUP because of its location and how nice the campus is! The town around it is so cute and makes it feel more like home!"

Brady Grimes
Baseball
Millersville University

Question: “What was your thought process through the recruiting process and what made you pick Millersville?”

Grimes said, “My thought process throughout my recruiting process was basically to just find a school that best fit me as a player and a student. A big reason I chose Millersville was because of the coaches and how great of a connection I built with them from talking on the phone and visits. The most important reason why I committed there is because of the team and the team chemistry they had and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.”




Rylee Fry
Soccer
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Campus
What was the thought process on choosing Pitt Johnstown?

“I chose Pitt-Johnstown because as soon as I got to campus, I loved it. It's up in the mountains but also close to some city life. Coach Vito is an amazing coach and all of the players were really welcoming and I knew right when I met them it was gonna be the right choice. I really felt like this was the best place for me academically and athletically,” Fry said.