Of the nine local standouts announcing their college decisions this week, six have opted to continue their athletic careers close to home.
Two of the competitors hail from Moline, and both are heading to local NCAA Division III school Augustana.
Garrett Miner (football) and Tiana McCormick (basketball) are the newest Vikings.
Both are All-Western Big 6 Conference performers.
Miner quarterbacked the Maroons to a league title and playoff berth last fall. McCormick's team reached a Class 4A "Sweet 16'' sectional final for the fifth straight season in February.
A trio of Wethersfield student-athletes also sign their National Letters of Intent today with the track & field and cross-coutry programs locally at NAIA school St. Ambrose.
A signing ceremony is 2:30 p.m. at Wethersfield for Nick and Nicole Wager and Andrew Esser.
Nicole Wager was the Lincoln Trail Conference cross-country champion last fall, as well as a regional titlist and state qualifier. She also earned all-state honors in the 4x800 in track last season.
Esser also reached state last season in the high jump while Nick Wager qualified for the Illinois Prep Top Times meet in the pole vault this spring.
Rockridge's Pat Southwell also has announced plans to attend local D-3 Monmouth and play football.
Southwell will slot at wide receiver for a program that has qualified for the NCAA playoffs five times since 2005.
Also inking this week from Moline are David Carius (swimming at D-3 Luther), Jake Frost (baseball at D-3 St. Mary's of Minnesota) and Michael Schwarz (football at D-3 McMurray).
-- Know of a local athlete committing to play sports in college? Share the good news with us at sports@qconline.com and/or tappa@qconline.com.
Where they're going
-- Athletes from area schools and conferences signing with colleges this school term:
Baseball: Tyler Arzola, Kewanee, Carl Sandburg (JUCO) Vinny Cannavo, Dav. West, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Bret Chappel, Rock Falls, Northern Illinois & Drew Cole, Monmouth-Roseville, Aurora (D-3) John Dokolas, United Township, Black Hawk (JUCO) Jake Frost, Moline, St. Mary's, Minn. (D-3) Bryce Frenell, Sherrard, Black Hawk (JUCO) Trace Gingerich, Sherrard, Augustana (D-3) Brady Hanna, Pleasant Valley, Black Hawk (JUCO) Chad Johnson, Galesburg, Illinois State *Trevor Kenyon, Dav. Central, Iowa Ryan Nagle, Streator, Illinois Ryan Olsen, Sterling Newman, Northern Illinois * Keelan Prince, Alleman, Western Illinois Alex Riessen, Dav. West, Black Hawk (JUCO) Jake Scott, Kewanee, Carl Sandburg (JUCO) Timmy Wages, Moline, Southeastern, Iowa (JUCO) ** Mike Wieland, Rock Island, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Basketball: Jamaree Atwater, Moline, Kirkwood (JUCO) Marquel Beasley, Rock Island, Quakerdale Promise Academy, Iowa (prep) Jasmine Binion, Assumption, Iowa Central (JUCO) Lexis Lozano-Blanks, Kewanee, Black Hawk East (JUCO) Wes DeClercq, Riverdale, Monmouth (D-3) *Jamere Dismukes, Black Hawk, Chicago State MiKayla Fallon, United Township, Kirkwood (JUCO) Devan Griffin, Geneseo, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Sarita Goldsmith, Rock Island, Ashford (NAIA) Austin Ingels, Galva, Black Hawk East (JUCO) Aimee Iverson, Sherrard, Parkland (JUCO) Tayvian Johnson, United Township, Augustana (D-3) Brady Landis, Galva, Black Hawk East (JUCO) Denzel McCauley, Rock Island, Kankakee (JUCO) Tiana McCormick, Moline, Augustana (D-3) Marcus McCreight, Sherrard, Black Hawk (JUCO) Evan McGaughey, Carthage Illini West, Quincy (D-2) Mitchell Morrisey, Alleman, Dubuque (D-3) Kile Mott, Galva, Black Hawk East (JUCO) Damon Overton, United Township, Ashford (NAIA) Kelcie Rombach, Ottawa, St. Bonaventure Kylie Romeo, Moline, Luther (D-3) Joe Scott, Dav. West, Southeastern, Iowa (JUCO) Darren Stringfellow, Dav. West, Monmouth (D-3) Cole Tatge, Dav. West, Monmouth (D-3) Tanner Williams, Orion, Brewster Academy, N.H. (Prep) Tyler Yeocum, Alleman, Ashford (NAIA)
Football: Tanner Bohling, Muscatine, Wayne State, Neb. (D-2) Jacob Boraas, Sherrard, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Cal Breedlove, Kewanee, Air Force Logan Carney, Pleasant Valley, Truman State (D-2) Brandon Cox, United Township, St. Ambrose J.P. Flynn, Bettendorf, Montana State (D-1 FCS) Griffin Gaeta, Muscatine, Nothern Iowa (D-1 FCS) DeShawn Johnson, Moline, Iowa Central (JUCO) Mitchell Keppy, Riverdale, Iowa Tim Kilfoy, Assumption, Nothern Iowa (D-1 FCS) Daltin Klavon, Riverdale, St. Ambrose (NAIA) DeAdrian King, Bettendorf, Iowa Western (JUCO) Eric Lammers, Assumption, Wayne State, Neb. (D-2) Colton McConnaha, Muscatine, Wayne State, Neb. (D-2) Cole McGinnis, Rock Island, William Penn (NAIA) Garrett Miner, Moline, Augustana (D-3) Trae Nichols, Rock Island, William Penn (NAIA) Ben Pocivasek, Moline, DuPage (JUCO) Alejandro Rivera, Sterling, Illinois State (D-1 FCS, walk-on) Chuck Rocker, Riverdale, Cornell, Iowa (D3) Payton Nimrick, Riverdale, Wisconsin-Platteville (D-3) Colton Schulenberg, Orion, Augustana (D-3) Michael Schwarz, Moline, McMurray (D-3) Nate Shaw, Bettendorf, Nothern Iowa (D-1 FCS) Austin Sink, Muscatine, William Penn (NAIA) Pat Southwell, Rockridge, Monmouth (D-3) Brad Steger, Rock Island, Nothern Illinois (walk-on) Ben Trewyn, Pleasant Valley, Northwest Missouri State (D-2) Justin Van Houtan, Bettendorf, Iowa Western (JUCO) Gilbert Venegas, United Township, William Penn
Golf: Allison Farrell, Geneseo, Western Illinois Kelby Rescinito, Galesburg, Black Hawk (JUCO) Katie Thompson, Rock Island, Ashford (NAIA) Kyle Workman, Fulton, Black Hawk (JUCO)
Hockey: Matt Truninger, Clinton/QC Jr. Flames, Navy
Soccer: Talye Anderson, Sherrard, Scott (JUCO) Kiana Brady, United Township, Scott (JUCO) Alberto Garcia, Moline, Illinois Central (JUCO) Kwakuvi ``Daniel'' Koffi, United Township, Scott (JUCO) Bri Nevarez, United Township, Scott (JUCO) Eddie Ramirez, Moline, Lincoln (JUCO) Neiko Summers, United Township, Scott (JUCO) Erika Torres, Moline, St. Mary's, Minn. (D-3) Abby VanDeventer, United Township, Illinois State
Softball: Ashley Anderson, Sherrard, Augustana (D-3) Sami Belz, Dav. West, Kirkwood (JUCO) Erika Bowers, Sherrard, Illinois-Springfield (D-2) Sara Dorton, Dav. West, Muscatine (JUCO) Brittny Drish, Moline, Illinois State Kaitlyn Knary, Moline, Illinois State Hayley Marlier, Moline, Illinois State Mallory Moore, Dav. West, Muscatine (JUCO) Rebecca Patterson, Sherrard, Lake Land, Ill. (JUCO) Emily Rasche, Moline, Southwestern, Tx. (D-3) Shyanne Saladino, Dav. West, Kirkwood (JUCO) Kimberly Teats, Erie, Lewis (D-2) Jenna Winthurst, Moline, Black Hawk (JUCO) Rachel Wirt, Riverdale, Butler
Swimming: David Carius, Moline, Luther (D-3) Matt Dassow, United Township, Wright State (Ohio) Felipe Hernandez, United Township, Augustana (D-3) Breanna Hoepfner, United Township, Monmouth (D-3) Ryan Thompson, Moline, Illinois Wesleyan (D-3)
Track & field/Cross-country: Ashley Anderson, Rock Island, Augustana (D-3) Celeste Arteaga, Rock Island, Drake Matt Butler, Bettendorf, Iowa Andrew Esser, Wethersfield, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Trineisha Gray, Rock Island, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Erica Grubbs, Assumption, Northwestern Katie Hoeper, Dav. West, Augustana (D-3) Michael Holdsworth, Sherrard, Creighton Katie Kirwin, Sherrard, Carthage (D-3) Alyssa Kronfeld, Dav. West, Wisconsin-Platteville (D-3) Halle Lewis, United Township, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Skylar Moore, Dav. West, Western Illinois Teriona Phillips, Dav. West, Dubuque (D-3) Ellen Renk, LaSalle-Peru, Northern Illinois Keith Sands, United Township, Augustana (D-3) Kaci Storm, Geneseo, Iowa State Cassie Thorngren, United Township, Wisconsin-Platteville (D-3) Autumn Vergyle, United Township, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Nicole Wager, Wethersfield, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Nick Wager, Wethersfield, St. Ambrose (NAIA) Allison Wells, Moline, Wisconsin-Platteville (D-3)
Volleyball: Livi Glaudel, Riverdale, Coe (D-3) Kayleen Green, Dav. Central, Truman State (D-2) Breanna Hamerlinck, Sherrard, Benedictine (D-3) Mary Hemm, Riverdale, Clarke (NAIA) Jordan Jackson, Annawan, Western Illinois @ Shamel Mangrum, Rock Island, Southwestern, Iowa (JUCO) Allie Matt, Sherrard, Blackburn (D-3) Shannon Sellers, Kewanee, Black Hawk East (JUCO) Erin Walker, United Township, Kirkwood (JUCO)
