17 La Jolla students commit to college athletics on National Signing Day

Seventeen La Jolla student-athletes participated in the reconfigured National Signing Day on Nov. 11, committing to colleges as close as UC San Diego and as far away as Harvard University.

They joined more than 200 San Diego County student-athletes who announced where they will be attending college in the fall upon signing their athletic letters of intent. The students celebrated at a drive-in event at Petco Park that was modified this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, 600 people participated.

Each student’s letter of intent commits him or her to play a sport for a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college for at least one academic year. Once a student-athlete signs a letter of intent, it is faxed to the college, and no other college may recruit that student.

From La Jolla High School, Levi Lentin and Rhys Bugelli committed to play water polo at UC Santa Barbara and UCSD, respectively, Tynan Walsh committed to play lacrosse at the University of Pennsylvania, Alexandria Young committed to play beach volleyball at UC Berkeley, and Stella Wineman and Ari Conboy committed to play lacrosse at Ohio State and Salisbury universities, respectively.

La Jolla High School Vikings Levi Lentin, Rhys Bugelli, Tynan Walsh and Alexandria Young participate in National Signing Day.

(Courtesy)

From La Jolla Country Day School, Alanna Butcher committed to play soccer at Yale University, Daniel Rosenberg committed to play football at Claremont McKenna College, Ben Pajak committed to play baseball at UCSD, Lauren Miller and Taylor Wassel committed to swim and dive at the University of Chicago and University of Idaho, respectively, Alex Attanasio committed to play soccer at Northeastern University and Owen Benjamin committed to play football at Claremont McKenna.

“La Jolla Country Day School is proud of the seven members of the Class of 2021 who have committed to compete at the college level next year,” said Jeff Hutzler, LJCDS director of athletics and physical education. “LJCDS students are surrounded by their intellectual peers off the field and their athletic equals on the field and must strive to their limits to maintain their standing in both environments, and these seven outstanding student-athletes have certainly done that. It is still early in the process and we know that we will have more Class of 2021 athletes commit before the end of the school year.”

From The Bishop’s School, Rocky Aguirre committed to play volleyball at Harvard, Tejas Gupta committed to play tennis at Colgate University, and Jack Martin and Sophia Sanders committed to play water polo at Stanford University.

“We are proud of the student-athletes who have committed to playing a sport at the next level, which is a testament not only of their athletic potential but also of their academic preparedness for the rigors of their college education,” said Bishop’s Associate Director of College Counseling A.J. Jezierski.

La Jolla High School did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ◆