Many students in the class of 2022 have committed to colleges and universities for sports they have been playing their whole lives.

Eight of these student athletes have verbally committed for lacrosse, golf, soccer, baseball and volleyball. 

These commits range from NCAA Division 1, 2, and 3 universities from coast to coast of America, the farthest being California Polytechnic at San Luis Obispo. 

Both Lily Valentini and Luke Pisani will be playing Division 1 lacrosse at the United States Military Academy, West Point, in New York an hour and small change outside of Manhattan. 

“Verbally committing to West Point was the quickest, let alone biggest, decision I have ever made in my life. It’s cliche to say, but when they showed me the breathtaking campus via zoom and told me all about West Point, I knew at that moment that it was the school for me. I remember turning to my mom and our jaws were just dropped to the floor and I said, “this is where I want to be,” said Valentini

Jack Regnery is going to play Division 3 lacrosse for Tufts University located right outside the city of Boston in Massachusetts. 

As a great addition to the senior class, student athlete Addie Bounds from Bethesda, Maryland committed to California Polytechnic at San Luis Obispo in Southern California earlier in the year to play Division 1 volleyball. 

Another new student, Andie Smith will be playing D1 Duke University’s Women’s Golf. Coming from the Pine School, Andie said “my brother made the move to Benjamin last year and I really wanted to spend my senior year with him. Also, economics is something that I’ve always had an interest in, and since Benjamin offered specific economics related classes that my past school did not, the move made total sense for my future academic career at Duke”

Reagan Rodriguez has committed to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, on the west side of Florida to play D2 soccer. 

Rodriguez says, “After narrowing down my college search I knew that I wanted to stay in Florida. Visiting Eckerd I instantly knew that was where I wanted to be. They have their own beach and it’s a huge open campus, full of so many things to do. Eckerd has a very good pre-health and biology program which is what I want to study as well as a 100% enrollment into med school. Hearing this I knew that Eckerd was for me with the rigorous academic aspect as well as having such a strong women’s soccer program, and I am so excited to go. Go Tritons!”

Kiley Malmberg, who has been playing golf on the Varsity team for the past four years, recently committed to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia to play D3 women’s golf. 

Lastly, baseball player Jake Haggard committed to University of Louisiana Monroe for D1 baseball. “I wanted a small school that was D1 and a different type of scenery than Palm Beach Gardens”, said Haggard. He will have his official visit to Louisiana in late October. 

With all of these commits comes great success for the Benjamin School athletics department.