Christian Brothers Academy seniors Aidan Conaghan (St. Bonaventure Soccer), Jonathan Dooling (George Washington Cross Country), Blaise Ferro (Northern Arizona Cross Country), Will Lutkewitte (Cornell Track & Field), Josh Martinez (Manhattan Track & Field) and Nick Trigani (Wake Forest Track & Field) signed their National Letters of Intent last week.Â
Press release from Christian Brothers Academy
During an April 13 ceremony inside the school’s library, six Christian Brothers Academy student-athletes inked their commitments to the Division I collegiate level. These six Colts join the 15 student-athletes who signed in November, and the three who signed in February, bringing CBA’s future Division I athlete count to an impressive 24 students.
Even more impressively, eight athletes from the CBA Cross Country and Track & Field programs have signed with Division I colleges since then. Seniors Brian Dengler (Bucknell), Paul Knepple (Richmond) and Mike Zupko (Princeton) signed their letters in November.
“This is an incredibly special day for these young men and their families,” said Director of Athletics Vito Chiaravalloti of the April 13 signing. “Not only will they be continuing their athletic careers, but they will also be doing so at some of the best universities in the country.”
“To head to a well-rounded program [at Northern Arizona], rather than just a team, is really important to me,” said Ferro, the reigning NJ.com XC Runner of the Year. “I’m excited to carry on a little bit of CBA tradition into a great program.”
Ferro’s fellow teammates echoed the same sentiment about carrying on their CBA pride to the next level.
“If you told me four years ago that I’d be going to an Ivy League school, I’d tell you that you were crazy,” said Lutkewitte, the defending NJSIAA non-public indoor shotput state champion. “I feel truly blessed with this opportunity that I have before me.
“Coming to CBA, I knew that this school would help me achieve my goals, and I’m just really lucky.”
“The coaching staff is so proud of our seniors and their hard work and dedication,” said Track & Field head coach Karl Torchia. “These colleges that the seniors are moving on to will be better for having CBA boys compete for them.”
Before they depart for their next adventure, the Colts have an exciting outdoor Track & Field season to finish, which they hope culminates in yet another National Championship berth come June.
