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National Signing Day: Which class of 2024 central Ohio athletes are heading to next level?

Wednesday marked the beginning of the first national signing period for high school athletes in the class of 2024, with dozens across central Ohio finalizing their college commitments in all sports but football.

With signatures inked and sent, the next steps for many area athletes are determined.

Here are details on some of the top athletes heading to the next level, followed by a list of central Ohio signings assembled from school submissions. The early signing period in football starts Dec. 20.

Grove City’s Keegan Holmstrom
Grove City’s Keegan Holmstrom

BASEBALL

Keegan Holmstrom, Grove City/Ohio State

The pitcher and first baseman helped the Greyhounds reach the Division I regional final last spring. He went 8-2 with a 2.02 ERA, 56 strikeouts and 16 walks in 62 1/3 innings and batted .310 with two doubles, two triples, 14 RBIs and 18 runs scored.

Brayden Krenzel, Dublin Jerome/Tennessee

The ace of the Jerome pitching staff, Krenzel was first-team all-OCC-Cardinal and second-team all-district in Division I last spring. He also was a key contributor as an outfielder.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Jesse Burris, Delaware Hayes/Ohio University

A 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard/forward, Burris averaged 18.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists last winter to guide the Pacers to a Division I district final. Burris was OCC-Capital Player of the Year.

Cade Norris, Hilliard Bradley/Illinois State

The 6-5 guard averaged team highs of 19.4 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds as the Jaguars reached a Division I district final. Norris was named first-team all-district and all-state and OCC-Central Player of the Year.

Olentangy Liberty's Gigi Bower
Olentangy Liberty's Gigi Bower

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Gigi Bower, Olentangy Liberty/Ohio University

The 5-9 guard, OCC-Central Player of the Year and second-team all-state honoree averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.8 assists to lead the Patriots to a Division I district final.

Kamryn Grant, Africentric/Dayton

A 5-11 forward, Grant averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds as a sophomore and amassed considerable Division I attention the next spring, but suffered a torn right ACL in the second game of last season and missed the rest of the year.

Africentric's Natiah Nelson
Africentric's Natiah Nelson

Natiah Nelson, Africentric/DePaul

A 5-10 guard/forward, Nelson’s 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game paced the Nubians to the Division III state championship. She was first-team all-City League-South, all-district and all-state.

Pickerington Central's Berry Wallace
Pickerington Central's Berry Wallace

Berry Wallace, Pickerington Central/Illinois

The 6-1 forward, who also saw time at center, paced the Tigers to their eighth consecutive Division I district championship and first state tournament since 2019. Wallace averaged 14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

CROSS COUNTRY

Julia Bockenstette, Olentangy Liberty/Michigan State

Bockenstette led the Patriots to a seventh-place finish in the Division I state meet, finishing 13th (18:27.7). She was sixth at regional and second at district.

Weston Day, Dublin Scioto/Ohio State

Day led the Irish to a 12th-place finish in the Division state meet, finishing 14th (15:37.9). He was fifth at regional and second at district.

Ben Gabelman, Westerville North/Syracuse

Gabelman won the Division I state title at Fortress Obetz in 14:51.66, following up championships at regional (14:51.17) and district (14:55.06). He finished fourth at state last year.

Sam Ricchiuti, Dublin Jerome/Syracuse

Ricchiuti capped his prep cross country career by finishing fourth (15:02.3) in the Division I state meet after placing second last season. He finished first in his district race and second at regional.

DeSales’ Vaughn Harber
DeSales’ Vaughn Harber

BOYS GOLF

Vaughn Harber, DeSales/Ohio State

A year after tying for second in the Division I state tournament, Harber won the individual title this fall with a two-day total of 135. His score was a Division I boys state-tournament record, beating the previous mark by six shots.

New Albany’s Emerson Purcell
New Albany’s Emerson Purcell

GIRLS GOLF

Emerson Purcell, New Albany/Wyoming

Purcell was Division I district champion and tied for eighth at state, usually filling the second spot in the lineup as the Eagles finished second in the state tournament.

Bella Saur, Grove City/Youngstown State

Saur averaged 74 in the OCC-Ohio tournament, finishing second individually, and led the Greyhounds to the league title and a district berth. She tied for 26th at district.

New Albany's Paige Cornelius
New Albany's Paige Cornelius

FIELD HOCKEY

Paige Cornelius, New Albany/Harvard

A forward and first-team all-state honoree, Cornelius led the Eagles to their first state tournament and a runner-up finish. She is New Albany’s all-time leading scorer for a season (75 goals) and career (140).

Sammie Callaghan, Upper Arlington/Bellarmine

Callaghan, a forward, had 19 goals and 19 assists to lead the Golden Bears to a second consecutive regional runner-up finish. She was named first-team all-state.

Upper Arlington's Tommy Janowicz
Upper Arlington's Tommy Janowicz

BOYS LACROSSE

Tommy Janowicz, Upper Arlington/Ohio State

A forward, Janowicz had 52 goals and 40 assists as a junior to pace the Bears to a Division I state semifinal. Also a linebacker and quarterback in football, Janowicz earned first-team all-state honors.

Angelo Lamatrice, Watterson/Ohio State

A midfielder and attacker, Lamatrice was one of the Eagles’ key cogs in their run to the Division II, Region 7 final. Lamatrice earned first-team all-state and all-region.

Dominic Shaw, Pickerington Central/Ohio State

The midfielder racked up 56 goals, 45 assists and 31 caused turnovers a season ago, all of which led the Tigers. Shaw was named first-team all-state and all-region. He needs 35 goals this spring to become Central’s all-time scoring leader.

Upper Arlington's Lilly Boyle (right)
Upper Arlington's Lilly Boyle (right)

GIRLS LACROSSE

Lilly Boyle, Upper Arlington/Louisville

Boyle was a key midfielder for the Bears as they won their first state championship since 2019. She scored 36 goals, assisted on seven more and picked up 36 ground balls.

Marissa Dolciato, Worthington Kilbourne/Cincinnati

Last year’s Division I state Goalkeeper of the Year, Dolciato made 103 saves as the Wolves reached a Region 3 quarterfinal and finished the season ranked ninth statewide. Dolciato also is a three-time OCC-Capital Player of the Year.

Ellie McClelland, New Albany/Notre Dame

A midfielder, McClelland amassed 73 goals, 35 assists, 104 draw controls, 36 ground balls and 34 caused turnovers. She also was on the state runner-up field hockey team this fall.

BOYS SOCCER

Liam McClen, Olentangy/North Carolina-Greensboro

Despite an injury that cost him time at midseason, McClen was a staple in goal as the Braves won their first Division I district championship since 2006 and were ranked as high as fourth in the state this season.

A.J. Piela, Olentangy Liberty/Louisville

A goalie, Piela made 11 saves and recorded 11 shutouts for a Patriots team that reached a Division I district final. Piela earned first-team all-OCC-Central and all-district honors.

SOFTBALL

Brooke Aberle, Olentangy Liberty/Kent State

A first-team all-OCC-Central and all-district outfielder, Aberle batted .630 with 17 stolen bases as a junior. She also had a .741 slugging percentage.

Watkins Memorial's Carsyn Cassady
Watkins Memorial's Carsyn Cassady

Carsyn Cassady, Watkins Memorial/Michigan State

A pitcher, Cassady went 20-1 as a junior, striking out 198 and walking 27 in 106 innings with three no-hitters and a perfect game. Her only loss came in a Division I state semifinal.

Reese Poston, Lancaster/Toledo

Poston has been the Golden Gales’ primary pitcher the past two seasons, leading them to a Division I regional final in 2022. Poston was first-team all-OCC-Buckeye and all-district and honorable mention all-state last year.

Jordyn Wycuff, Watkins Memorial/Ohio University

The catcher batted .560 with 56 hits, 44 RBIs, 13 doubles and six triples — all team highs — and 11 home runs to tie for the team lead. She was named first-team all-district and all-state.

Dublin Coffman’s Emily Brown
Dublin Coffman’s Emily Brown

SWIMMING & DIVING

Emily Brown, Dublin Coffman/Tennessee

Brown will seek her fourth consecutive sweep of the Division I 200- and 500-yard freestyle state titles this winter. Brown set district and state records in both events at those meets a season ago.

Reid Caswell, Upper Arlington/Ohio State

Last season’s 500 free district champion and 200 free district runner-up in Division I, Caswell was fifth and seventh, respectively, in those events at state. UA was second at state as a team.

New Albany's Hamish Patel
New Albany's Hamish Patel

Hamish Patel, New Albany/Ohio State

Patel finished second at state diving in his third appearance at the meet. He was fourth in 2022 and fifth as a freshman. Patel is two-time defending Division I district champion.

Marysville's Sophia Stamm
Marysville's Sophia Stamm

Sophia Stamm, Marysville/Akron

A three-time state qualifier, Stamm was Division I state diving runner-up by 0.9 of a point last winter. She also was district championship.

TRACK & FIELD

Olivia Pace, Westerville Central/Southern California

Pace won the long jump (19-2 ¾) and finished second in the 100 meters (11.54) in the Division I state meet last spring. That was after she won the 100 and 200 and finished second in the long jump at regional and won all three events at district.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Taylor Bahnub, Dublin Jerome/Clemson

The middle blocker helped lead the Celtics to a second consecutive OCC-Cardinal title. She was Player of the Year in the league, first-team all-district and second-team all-state.

Lily Barron, Olentangy Orange/Houston

The outside hitter/defensive specialist has 301 kills, 268 digs, 31 aces, 26 assists and 26 blocks entering Orange's Division I state semifinal Friday against Toledo St. Ursula. Barron was named first-team all-state.

Myriah Massey, Pickerington Central/Florida State

Massey, who will play beach volleyball in college, helped lead the Tigers (22-4) to a Division I district title. She shared district Player of the Year honors with Dublin Scioto’s Alec Rothe and was named OCC-Buckeye Player of the Year and second-team all-state.

Kaylee Musick, Hartley/Florida International

The outside hitter helped lead the Hawks to a berth in the Division II state tournament. Musick, who leads Hartley in kills, was named first-team all-state, all-district and all-CCL.

Dublin Scioto's Alec Rothe
Dublin Scioto's Alec Rothe

Alec Rothe, Dublin Scioto/Florida

A 6-3 middle hitter who is Scioto's career leader in kills and blocks, Rothe led the Irish to a 27-1 record this fall while earning first-team all-state honors. The Irish lost to Orange 25-23, 25-17, 25-23 in the Division I regional final.

BOYS WRESTLING

Omar Ayoub, Dublin Coffman/Nebraska

Ayoub capped a 52-2 junior season by winning the Division I state title at 138 pounds. He won the state title at 120 as a sophomore and finished second at 113 as a freshman.

Ethan Birden, Dublin Coffman/Ohio State

Birden won the Division I state championship at 157 to cap a 48-2 season. He finished second at state at 144 as a sophomore and fifth at 132 as a freshman.

Max Shulaw, DeSales/Virginia

Shulaw went 51-0 as a junior, winning the Division II state title at 215. He was second at state at 195 as a sophomore and fourth at 195 as a freshman.

Ty Wilson, Dublin Scioto/Northwestern

Wilson went 50-4 last season and qualified for his third Division I state tournament, finishing third at 144. He won state titles as a sophomore (132) and freshman (113).

National Signing Day in central Ohio, fall 2023

Africentric

  • Kamryn Grant, women's basketball, Dayton

  • Natiah Nelson, women's basketball, DePaul

Big Walnut

  • Teagan Ng, women's volleyball, West Liberty

  • Hatteras Welker, women's volleyball, Eastern Michigan

Bloom-Carroll

  • Emily Bratton, women’s basketball, Miami University

Buckeye Valley

  • Landon Froehlich, baseball, Mount Union

  • Bek Matlack, women's bowling, Mount Vernon Nazarene

  • Brooklyn Pfeiffer, women's soccer, Bluffton

  • Nate Pierson, baseball, Owens Community College

  • Bryson Shumate, baseball, Ohio Dominican

  • Jaxston Stried, baseball, Ohio Dominican

DeSales

  • Maggie Godfrey, women's lacrosse, Findlay

  • Vaughn Harber, men's golf, Ohio State

  • Aidan Rush, men's wrestling, Kent State

  • Max Shulaw, men's wrestling, Virginia

Delaware Hayes

  • Jesse Burris, men's basketball, Ohio University

  • Natalie Dye, women's soccer, Detroit Mercy

  • Audra Lyon, women's lacrosse, Tampa

  • Colin Milligan, baseball, Eastern Michigan

Dublin Coffman

  • Omar Ayoub, men's wrestling, Nebraska

  • Ethan Birden, men's wrestling, Ohio State

  • Emily Brown, women's swimming, Tennessee

  • Kylie Feeney, women's track, Tennessee

  • Gwen Jenkins, women's basketball, South Carolina Upstate

  • Julian Myers, men's golf, Ashland

  • Caden Ozbun, men's cross country and track, Butler

  • Grace Thomas, women's volleyball, Central Michigan

Dublin Jerome

  • Taylor Bahnaub, women's volleyball, Clemson

  • Julia Belli, women's soccer, Michigan State

  • Izzy Coplan, women's beach volleyball, North Alabama

  • Ella Fuller, women's soccer, Morehead State

  • Xander Johnson, men's lacrosse, Massachusetts

  • Imani Kissi, women's soccer, Howard

  • Brayden Krenzel, baseball, Tennessee

  • Sam Ricchiuti, men's cross country and track, Syracuse

  • Mia Ringger, women's golf, Findlay

  • Kyle White, men's lacrosse, Tampa

Dublin Scioto

  • Weston Day, men's cross country, Ohio State

  • Alec Rothe, women's volleyball, Florida

  • Sophia Schwab, women's lacrosse, Detroit Mercy

  • Ty Wilson, men's wrestling, Northwestern

Gahanna Lincoln

  • Logan Brockman, baseball, Ohio Dominican

  • Katie Combes, women's lacrosse, Davis and Elkins

  • Addy Haines, women's lacrosse, Rider

  • Kaitlynn Hedrick, women's lacrosse, Detroit Mercy

  • Kylie Lewis, women's soccer, Capital

  • Noel Perkins, women's volleyball, Niagara

  • Landon Ringhiser, baseball, Ohio Dominican

  • Carson Samuels, baseball, Dayton

  • Charlie Whitacre, baseball, Ball State

Granville

  • Harper Annarino, women's basketball, University of Charleston

  • Ava Labocki, women's soccer, Belmont

  • Allie Messner, women's soccer, Bloomsburg

  • Maxton Messner, men's lacrosse, Bellarmine

  • Aliyah Moore, women's basketball, Otterbein

  • Bella Rockwell, women's lacrosse, Rider

  • Lyndy Van Horn, women's soccer, Fairmont State

Grove City

  • Kraig Gilbert, men's basketball, Concord

  • Kaylyn Henson, women's golf, Malone

  • Keegan Holmstrom, baseball, Ohio State

  • Bella Saur, women's golf, Youngstown State

Hartley

  • Kaylee Musick, women's volleyball, Florida International

  • Cooper Rathburn, wrestling, Navy

  • Jada Shade, women's volleyball, Tiffin

Hilliard Bradley

  • Andrea Day, softball, Akron

  • Bella De La Cerda, women's lacrosse, Grand Valley State

  • McKenzie Miller, women's golf, Bowling Green

  • Cade Norris, men's basketball, Illinois State

Hilliard Darby

  • Kaitlyn Rogowski, women's soccer, Akron

Jonathan Alder

  • Carmela Dixon, women’s soccer, Tiffin

  • Chase Chopin, baseball, Bowling Green

  • Brady Fox, boys golf, Bowling Green

  • Peyton Heiss, men's basketball, Mount Vernon Nazarene

  • Paige Jestadt, women's volleyball, Lake Erie

  • Greg Kennedy, baseball, Lake Erie

  • Jack Kennedy, men's lacrosse, Otterbein

  • Garrett Roach, baseball, Ohio Dominican

  • Sidney Troesch, women's volleyball, Heidelberg

Lancaster

  • Reese Poston, softball, Toledo

Licking Heights

  • Savanna Cronin, women’s soccer, Indiana Wesleyan

Marysville

  • Camryn Harbold, softball, Robert Morris

  • Jason Moore, men's basketball, Ashland

  • Ella Morris, women's beach volleyball, Southeastern Louisiana

  • Sophia Stamm, women's diving, Akron

New Albany

  • Zach Casey, baseball, Findlay

  • Paige Cornelius, field hockey, Harvard

  • Jack Fischer, men's cross country and track, Davidson

  • Garrett Given, baseball, Findlay

  • Beckam Keating, baseball, Rio Grande

  • Kaden Kist, men's soccer, Denison

  • Ady Lyday, women's lacrosse, Lincoln Memorial

  • Addy McCallister, women's volleyball, Heidelberg

  • Ellie McClelland, women's lacrosse, Notre Dame

  • Sarah McKee, women's rowing, Villanova

  • Allie Metcalf, women's soccer, North Carolina-Charlotte

  • Ashlyn Morr, women's swimming, Auburn

  • Hamish Patel, men's diving, Ohio State

  • Maddy Paz, women's lacrosse, Ohio State

  • Emerson Purcell, women's golf, Wyoming

Olentangy

  • Ben Dorbish, men's lacrosse, Queens

  • Ansley Gulley, women's soccer, Findlay

  • Liam McClen, men's soccer, North Carolina-Greensboro

  • Maria Mead, women's lacrosse, Davenport

  • Melayna Prindle, women's cross country and track, Lake Erie

  • Reagan Ross, women's soccer, Belmont

  • Carter Shomock, men's volleyball, North Greenville

Olentangy Berlin

  • Taylor Bednar, baseball, Akron

  • Olivia Cardi, equestrian, South Carolina

  • Fina Davy, women's soccer, Louisville

  • Kyle Haag, baseball, Lake Erie

  • Ava Kresak, softball, Wheeling

  • Addison Lambert, women's soccer, Akron

  • Parker McDaniels, baseball, Cincinnati

  • Layla Merriweather, basketball, Wheeling

  • Cameron Moreland, men's golf, Tiffin

  • Brenna Mowrey, women's swimming, Stony Brook

  • Maddox Pulliam, baseball, Lake Erie

  • Mia Raines, women's golf, Eastern Michigan

  • Carson Repp, baseball, Lake Erie

  • Jin-Jae Robinson, women's swimming, St. Thomas

  • Kayleigh Schmehl, women's beach volleyball, Tampa

  • Maddie Smolenski, women's soccer, Wofford

  • Lily Thompson, women's lacrosse, Winthrop

Olentangy Liberty

  • Brooke Aberle, softball, Kent State

  • Julia Bockensette, women's cross country, Michigan State

  • Gigi Bower, women's basketball, Ohio University

  • Brenna Heffernan, women's lacrosse, Cincinnati

  • Audrey Kalmar, women's soccer, Ashland

  • Jake Koch, men's volleyball, North Greenville

  • Maddy McKee, women's soccer, Cedarville

  • Luca Minniti, men's lacrosse, Virginia Military Institute

  • Max O'Rourke, baseball, Findlay

  • A.J. Piela, men's soccer, Louisville

  • Isabelle Pohmer, women's lacrosse, Lafayette

  • Brady Quillin, men's wrestling, Cleveland State

  • Dakota Riley, women's golf, Ashland

  • Sophie Sampson, women's track and field, Buffalo

  • Ashley Shirilla, women's lacrosse, Alabama-Huntsville

Olentangy Orange

  • Lily Barron, women's volleyball, Houston

Pickerington Central

  • Landyn Dayton, women's lacrosse, Lock Haven University

  • Myles Etherington, bowling, Southern Nazarene

  • Myriah Massey, women's beach volleyball, Florida State

  • Dominic Shaw, men's lacrosse, Ohio State

  • Ben Thornberry, baseball, Johnson University

  • Berry Wallace, women's basketball, Illinois

Pickerington North

  • DesiRaye Blakely, women's volleyball, Central State

  • Sania Dearing, women's soccer, Ohio University

  • Brett Madison, baseball, Tiffin

  • Andrew Mendoza, baseball, University of Charleston

Reynoldsburg

  • Sabrina Ripple, women's volleyball, Evansville

  • Marley Smith, softball, Cleveland State

  • Annaliess Stith, women's swimming, Ohio University

  • Noah Smith, men's basketball, Tiffin

  • Alexandria Turner, softball, Alcorn State

Thomas Worthington

  • Sarah Forman, women's lacrosse, Longwood

  • Zoey Gottlieb, women's lacrosse, Marquette

  • Ethan Morgan, men's cross country and track, Taylor

  • Alexander Ramos, men's volleyball, Central State

  • Colin Scalise, men's lacrosse, Thomas More

  • Clara Scott, women's lacrosse, Seton Hill

  • Becca Wight, women's volleyball, Virginia

Upper Arlington

  • Josh Ali, men's soccer, Emory

  • Lilly Boyle, women's lacrosse, Louisville

  • Alex Burns, men's lacrosse, Boston

  • Sammie Callaghan, field hockey, Bellarmine

  • Ben Campbell, men's swimming, Denison

  • Reid Caswell, men's swimming, Ohio State

  • Brady Catalano, men's golf, Oklahoma State

  • Quinn Crotty, men's lacrosse, Yale

  • Abbie Dunlap, women's lacrosse, Louisville

  • McCall Freiburger, women's swimming, Kentucky

  • Bella Freiss, women's beach volleyball, Colorado Mesa

  • Tommy Janowicz, men's lacrosse, Ohio State

  • William King, men's soccer, Denver

  • Emmett O'Brien, men's soccer, Denison

  • Lizzie Oliphant, women's swimming, Boston College

  • Sally Patton, women's soccer, Northern Michigan

  • Jared Rabadam, men's swimming, Lehigh

  • Aubrey Steiner, women's soccer, Ashland

  • Ava Stummer, women's lacrosse, Penn State

  • Jack Texter, baseball, Ohio State

Watkins Memorial

  • Carsyn Cassady, softball, Michigan State

  • Gracie James, women's golf, Findlay

  • Ava McKee, softball, Bowling Green

  • Jordyn Wycuff, softball, Ohio University

Watterson

  • Lesley Furuta, women's volleyball, Kent State

  • Mia Gill, women's cross country and track, Dayton

  • Angelo Lamatrice, men's lacrosse, Ohio State

  • Olivia Milburn, women's lacrosse, Mercyhurst

Wellington

  • Eva Dulle, women's cross country, Ohio Dominican

Westerville Central

  • Olivia Pace, women's track and field, Southern California

Westerville North

  • Madelyn Bosler, women's swimming, Akron

  • Ben Gabelman, men's cross country, Syracuse

  • Bryce Goodsite, men's lacrosse, Ohio Northern

  • Chloe Shockley, women's basketball, Edison State

  • Jordan Smith, women's basketball, Edison State

  • Hayley Williamson, women's soccer, Tiffin

  • Ryanne Wilson, softball, Walsh

Worthington Kilbourne

  • Aubrey Bally, women's soccer, Bellarmine

  • Morgan Boone, women's lacrosse, Lock Haven

  • Marissa Dolciato, women's lacrosse, Cincinnati

  • Elyse Faler, women's lacrosse, Central Michigan

  • Luke James, men's lacrosse, St. John Fisher

  • Brady McGlone, women's soccer, Davidson

  • Megan Miller, women's soccer, Xavier

  • Addie Pardi, field hockey, Bellarmine

  • Ryan Smith, men's cross country and track, Furman

  • Ava Todd, women's lacrosse, Kent State

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: National Signing Day 2023: Central Ohio athletes heading to next level