National signing day hit Kent State, as well as the nation, Nov. 13.
The day is dedicated to high school students committing to colleges across the nation to further their academic and athletic aspirations.
Many Kent State athletics programs dipped its toes into the pool of high school students on national signing day and later, and these are the players coming to Kent State for the next four years.
This is a developing piece; as more players get signed to play at Kent State, their names will be added to the list.
Football
Who did the football team sign on National Signing Day?
Men’s basketball
The first signings are Landon Vanderwarker and Quinn Woidke.
Vanderwarker is a 6’7”, 200-pound small forward from Delaware, Ohio. For the last two seasons, he’s played at Delaware Hayes High School and helped lead the team to a state semi-final appearance last season.
His offensive skill set has been described as versatile, as he has a unique combination of size, strength and speed.
Vanderwarker received interest from several programs with the most notable being Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Xavier.
“Landon is a versatile forward from a winning program,” coach Rob Senderoff said. “He has shown the ability to score both inside and out along with having a high basketball IQ. He is a tremendous young man from a great family, and I am very excited to coach him here at Kent.”
Woidke is a 6’1”, 170-pound combo guard from Westlake, Ohio. He played high school basketball for Saint Ignatious where he led the program to a state championship a year ago.
He’s been described as tough and hard-nosed with high confidence. He’s also demonstrated the ability to knock down tough and contested shots.
Woidke received interest from several programs as well, with the most notable being Charleston, Duquesne and Miami (OH).
Last season, Woidke averaged 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
“Quinn is a guy that we have prioritized with our recruiting for years, and I am ecstatic that he will be a Golden Flash,” Senderoff said. “He is a high school state champion and a high-level competitor. Quinn has tremendous confidence and has a knack for making winning plays because of his toughness. I can’t wait for Quinn to arrive on campus.”
Women’s basketball
The first addition to the women’s basketball team will be Anna Campanelli. Campanelli plays her basketball at Huntley High School in Huntley, Ill.
The 5’10” shooting guard earned All-State honors as a junior last season, and her team won its third straight Fox Valley Conference title. That season, she averaged 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
The second player signed to the team was Rylee Kalocay.
The 5’9” guard comes to Kent State from Pittsburgh, where she played her high school ball at Upper St. Clair High School.
Last season, Kalocay suffered an injury, but as a sophomore, she averaged over 20 points per game, which helped her team make it to its title game.
The final signing was Caitlyn Holmes, a 5’7” point guard from Ellet High School in Akron.
In her junior year last season, Holmes averaged 17.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game. She played in 24 games and averaged 24.5 minutes per game.
The Flashes are getting an elite scorer, as Holmes was ranked No. 70 in the nation in points per game last season. She was fifth in the state of Ohio in that stat, and her 164 field goals made was 36th in Ohio, as well.
Baseball
The first of six signing day players for the Kent State baseball team was pitcher Parker Lind.
Lind is from Belle Vernon, Penn., and pitches his high school ball at Belle Vernon Area High School.
Last season as a pitcher, Lind went 2-1 with a 2.80 ERA in seven appearances. He also recorded one save last season. In 22 career appearances, Lind has a 5-7 record with a 4.48 ERA.
KSU also signed Ian Cain, an infielder from Avon High School in Avon, Ohio.
In 21 games as a junior last season, Cain hit .206 with 13 hits, 11 RBIs, four doubles and one home run. Last season, Cain only committed four errors and had a 92.9% fielding percentage.
Another pitcher coming to Kent will be Grant Keffaber from Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Ohio. Keffaber throws over 85 miles per hour on his fastball and is a top-500 recruit in the country.
Eli Bryant, an infielder from Beaver Dam, Wisc., will provide an efficient bat for the Flashes.
In his 2022-23 season with Beaver Dam High School, Bryant swatted .409 with 18 hits and five doubles. He does lack on the diamond, however, as Bryant committed 11 errors that season, leaving him with a 76.1% fielding percentage.
The last pitcher signed on signing day was righty Braylon Schneider from Fremont Ross High School from Fremont, Ohio.
While signing on as a pitcher, Schneider excels in batting, as well. Last season, he batted in 69 at bats with a .232 batting average to pair with 16 hits, seven RBIs and three doubles. As a pitcher that same year, Schneider went 1-2 with a 3.29 ERA with one complete game.
Marek Bolson rounded out the baseball team’s signings. The catcher comes to Kent State from Oconomowoc, Wisc., where he played at Oconomowoc High School.
Bolson was a four-time All–Tournament Team member at four different tournaments throughout high school.
Soccer
Out of seven players to sign with the Kent State soccer team the first one to ink the contract was Jojo Mondoux.
Mondoux is a midfielder from Grand Island, N.Y., and played at Rochester NY FC before committing to Kent State.
The midfield got another boost with the signing of Alexa Muth from Strongsville, OhioShe plays her high school soccer at Strongsville High School.
Last season, Muth scored one goal in one game played.
On the attacking side of things, the soccer team signed Ciara Santiago, a forward hailing from Wadsworth, Ohio.
In her three seasons so far with Walsh Jesuit High School, she put together 17 goals and four assists in 12 games played.
Also to help with the attacking, the Flashes signed Mia Cleroux, a forward from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Cleroux is the only international player signed by the soccer team.
Another midfielder signed by the team is Mira Horner from Waukee, Iowa. She is playing her club soccer at Sporting Iowa before committing to Kent State.
The next forward to sign with the team is Isabelle Leofanti from Naperville, Ill. She plays for Metea Valley High School.
In 19 games last season, Leofanti scored five goals and dished out four assists for 0.7 points per game average.
The last signing of the day ensured the Flashes would not bolster the defense or goalkeeper position, as the Flashes turned to an attacker one last time.
Maya Justice signed as a forward from Brownstown, Mich., and plays her high school soccer at Woodhaven High School.
In her 2021-22 season with the team, Justice put up 26 goals and 11 assists for 63 points in 15 games. That year, her 26 goals ranked fifth in the state of Michigan.
Volleyball
The first player to sign with the Kent State volleyball team is Christina Vigil. Vigil is a 5’10” outside hitter out of Houston. She played at Enterprise State CC before committing to Kent State.
According to hudl, Vigil was the ACCC South Division Player of the Year this year. She also was named First-Team All-Region honors for her region while racking up aces and assists. Vigil is also a 2020 state champion, according to her X profile.
She was the ACCC leader in aces per set (0.65) and was ranked sixth in the nation in assists with 1,367 total, which shakes out to 9.98 assists/set in the 2023-24 season.
This season at ESCC, Vigil is putting up 88 kills, 1,230 assists, .283 hitting percentage, 290 digs and 81 aces (0.66 aces/set).
The volleyball team will add another outside hitter to the team in Abbey Debevec. The 5’9” senior is from Massillon, Ohio, and attended Jackson High School.
This season, Debevec has accounted for 267 kills (3.6 kills/set) on .226 hitting percentage, 40 service aces, 21 blocks and 176 digs (2.4 digs/set).
The last national signing day player to commit to Kent State volleyball is yet another outside hitter.
Macie Moreland, who measures up to 6’0”, comes to KSU from Dublin, Ohio, where she played for Bishop Watterson High School.
In her senior season, Moreland has put up 279 kills (three kills/set) on .261 hitting percentage, three service aces, 23 blocks and 78 digs (0.8 digs/set).
Days after national signing day, the volleyball team signed 5’5″ defensive specialist Catie Patterson. The Nov. 18 signing is from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and played high school volleyball at Woodridge High School.
Patterson is a 2024 District III Player of the Year, 2023 District III First-Team member and a three-time All-Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
This season, Patterson put up 19 kills, 64 aces on 92.1% serving percentage, 528 digs and 89 assists. Her 528 digs are 22nd in the state of Ohio this season.
Men’s golf
The only national signing day signing for the Kent State men’s golf team has been Liam Curtis, who is a Kent native, playing his high school golf at Theodore Roosevelt High School.
Curtis comes to KSU a three-time Suburban Player of the Year. He followed up his 2023 Second-Team All-State honors with an improved 2024 First-Team All-State appearance.
In this year’s Ohio State Championship, Curtis showed out with a second place finish, and his 2024 season’s average score was 71.3, leading him to earn seven medals throughout the season.
“We are so excited to add such a talented player to the Kent State program, especially one that grew up here in Kent,” coach Jon Mills said. “He has worked very hard to establish himself as one of the best players in the state of Ohio, and I expect him to bring that same work ethic to the team.”
Women’s golf
Alexa Prettyman joined the Kent State women’s golf team on national signing day, and was the only signing for the team on the day.
Prettyman played her high school golf at Dublin Jerome High School in Dublin, Ohio.
In her high school time, Prettyman played elite golf, earning 2023 state runner-up honors, which led to First-Team All-Ohio honors.
Again in 2023, Prettyman competed in the PGA National High School Championship where she dominated with a one-under-par score over three rounds, which qualified her for the 2024 USGA Four-Ball event.
“We are very excited Alexa has decided to join our program,” coach Casey VanDamme said. “Alexa’s speed and athleticism are her strengths and will transition well to the next level. Throughout the recruiting process, we were impressed with her commitment to being a great teammate, player and student. We look forward to helping her achieve her lofty goals.”
Lacrosse
The Kent State lacrosse team welcomed in six new players on national signing day.
The first commitment was Ella Jones, a defenseman from Sacramento. Jones plays her high school lacrosse at Rio Americano High School.
In her three high school years so far, Ella has produced 85 goals (2.2 goals/game), 29 assists, 114 points and 79 draws controlled.
The team is bolstering its backstop position with the addition of goalie Grace Herbert.
Herbert hails from Avon, Ohio, and plays at Avon High School. So far, Herbert has allowed only 419 goals on 948 shots on goal. Her career save percentage is 55.8%, but last season, Herbert allowed four goals on 163 shots, which is a 97.5%save percentage. She has one shutout in her high school career.
Her 97.5% save percentage last season was second nationally and second in Ohio – her 0.3 goals allowed per game was No. 40 nationally, as well.
In the midfield, KSU lacrosse added Bella White from Dublin, Ohio, where she plays for Worthington Kilbourne High School.
As a two-sport athlete with basketball, White has excelled at lacrosse, scoring 43 goals on 80 shots on goal in her career. She has also dished out 24 assists in her three years.
Potentially playing with White could be Kate Donovan, another midfielder from Towson Maryland. She plays at Notre Dame Preparatory.
Bekah Yoder is joining a stacked midfielder recruitment class. Yoder comes to KSU from Jackson, Ohio, where she attends Jackson High School.
In her four games last season, Yoder put up three goals and six assists on six shots on goal.
The final national signing day signing for KSU lacrosse was Ashlyn Cawood, a midfielder from Middlebury, Indiana.
As a freshman, Cawood was named to the First-Team All-Sectional and First-Team All-Regional teams. She put up 17 goals and 33 draws controlled that season.
Softball
Tayler Likens will join the Kent State softball team after being the first to sign with the program on national signing day.
Likens comes from Keyser, W.V., and plays her college softball at Keyser High School. Last season, Likens slashed a .543 batting average in 116 at bats. She added 63 hits, 77 RBIs, 19 doubles, three triples and 18 home runs last season.
Her 77 RBIs was seventh in the nation last season, her 68 runs scored was 28th in the nation and Likens was 36th nationally with her 18 home runs.
In 2024, Likens’ team was the W.V. AA state runner-up, but she broke the school’s home run record in the process. She was also named the PVC Player of the Year in 2024 while being named to the All-State First Team.
Miley Anderson, from New Castle, Penn., signed alongside Likens. Anderson plays her softball at Neshannock High School, where she hit .466 in 73 at bats. In those at bats, she knocked out 34 hits, 12 RBIs, three doubles, two triples and two home runs.
During her high school career, Anderson was on the 2024 PIAA State Championship team, as well as the District WPIAL Championship Team in 2023 and 2024
Meadow Ferri, a two-sport athlete with volleyball, will join the KSU softball team as a 2025 freshman commit. She hails from McGovern, Penn., and plays at Chartiers Houston High School.
2024 was a big year for the pitcher — she earned honors such as PIAA All-State First Team, WPIAL MVP, Post Gazette Player of the Year, WPIAL First-Team and Pittsburgh Post Gazette All-Area Team.
The softball team will get a big boost on the mound with the addition of Riley Miller, a pitcher from Greensburg, Penn., and Hempfield Area Senior High School.
Last season, Miller was the TribLive Westmoreland Player of the Year. As the pitching ace, Miller helped her team win its eighth WPIAL title and second-place PIAA finish.
She was absolutely lights out from the mound – In 140 innings, she went 19-4 with a 1.25 ERA and 175 strikeouts.
From 2023-24, Miller was the back-to-back Big 56 Pitcher of the Year.
The softball team will be getting a versatile player in Alex Trevena, who commits to Kent State as a shortstop/outfielder.
Trevena plays at Conrad Weiser High School in Robesonia, Penn. With her time in high school, she earned Berks County All-Division First-Team and broke her school’s record in batting average in 2024.
Kent State signed not one, but two players from New Castle, Penn., who also played at Neshannock High School.
Gabby Quinn, a player who can perform anywhere on the infield dirt, hit .371 last season with 26 hits, 30 RBIs, three doubles, one triple and six home runs in 70 at bats.
In 2022 and 2024, Quinn led a two-time PIAA undefeated State Champion team, while having a three-time undefeated district WPIAL Championship team in that extra 2023 year. From 2022-24, she earned back-to-back-to-back PIAA All-State First-Team honors. In that same timeframe, she earned Lawrence County All-Star honors and All-Selection First-Team for each of the three years.
The last player signed on the day was Caleigh Shaulis. The catcher comes from Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
In 2022, Shaulis was named to the All-Crown Conference First Team, and her team was the Crown Conference champions, and the team was also the D1 District champions.
The next season, Shaulis was the Crown Conference MVP, re-earned her All-Conference First-Team honors and was on the D1 All-District Second-Team.
This most recent season, her team was the Conference champion and District champion. She emerged as an elite high school player with D1 First-Team All-Ohio, D1 First-Team All- Northeast Ohio and First-Team All-Conference honors.
After national signing day, the softball team added one more player — Ciara Camacho. Camacho comes to Kent State from Murrysville, Penn., and played high school softball at Franklin Regional Senior High School.
The utility player hit eight home runs and 15 RBIs on .362 batting average from the leadoff spot. She was also a three-time WPIAL All-Selection First-Team member from 2022-2024.
Wrestling
The Kent State got on the board with its first signing of the year Nov. 19 with Mason Higley. Higley commits to Kent State from Monroeton, Penn., and he wrestled at Tawanda High School.
Higley wrestles right around 190 lbs., but he also wrestled one time in the 220 lbs. match.
The 2023-24 season has been huge for Higley, as he went 22- 3 that season. He has winning streaks of seven, five and nine games separately.
Higley also has a 27-5 career record thus far.
The next signing of the day was Silas Stits. Stits has wrestled between weights from 138 lbs. to 160 lbs., and he wrestles at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind.
This season, he is consistently wrestling in the 153-pound weight class, and he has a 5-2 record this season with three decisions (one with sudden victory), one major decision and one tech fall victory. Over his career, Stits touts a 101-35 record.
His best season thus far has been the 2022-23 season, where Stits went 40-12 with separate winning streaks of nine, 12 and six games.
John Hilber is sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].
John Engoglia is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
