Sign on the Dotted Line: 20 L-W North Student-Athletes Commit to Colleges

For 20 student-athletes at , April 18, 2012, will hold a special place in their hearts. As the student-athletes gathered before friends, family and school and district administrators, each formally announced where he or she would be signing a national letter of intent to participate in his or her chosen sport at the college level.

The 20 Phoenix will be flying, driving or commuting to colleges across the United States, to as far away as New York City and as close as Joliet Junior College. But they all have one thing in common, said North's Athletics Director Matt Lyke: leadership skills.

“This group of kids represent not only our school well, but our community as well," Lyke said. "This group of seniors, we're going to miss them. There's definitely some future leaders here."

Patch takes a closer look at the student-athletes who signed during Wednesday's event.

Volleyball

Hayley Wacker, Frankfort
College: St. Francis University
Expected major: Biology
How hard was making the choice to go to St. Francis? "Being recruited, it was scary, a little bit. I was very frazzled. It was hard to make a decision, but when I signed the paper and met the team, I felt very comfortable and felt very at home with them."

Stephanie Pearson, Frankfort
College: University of Minnesota-Crookston
Expected major: Animal science
How was being recruited? "It happened really fast, it was really late in my volleyball career. … My coach had a list of 15 other girls he was going to look at and he didn't look at them, he just went straight to me and here I am."

Tennis

Selena Smith, Frankfort
College: University of Missouri-Saint Louis
Expected major: Civil engineering
What are you looking forward to most about college? "I'm looking forward to the new experience and adventuring off to do new things, to just start my life."

Baseball

Jack Troike, Tinley Park
College: Illinois Wesleyan University
Expected major: Business administration
How was being recruited? "My recruitment was a long process, but it feels good to be wanted."

Alex Lesiak, Tinley Park
College: Parkland College
Expected major: Sports management
Are you going to miss Lincoln-Way? "I am going to miss Lincoln-Way, but at the same time I am excited to leave. It's a new chapter, I get to meet new people."

Mike Law, Frankfort
College: Cornell College
Expected major: History
What do you want to do with your degree? "I actually want to go to law school at the University of Iowa. I'm not sure what I want to practice yet, but that's what I want to do."

Joe Cairo, Tinley Park
College: Joliet Junior College
Expected major: Criminology
What made you choose JJC? "I had a couple of colleges looking at me, but I chose JJC to get my grades up and then transfer to a four-year school."

Wrestling/Track

Tim Miller, Frankfort
College: Calumet College of St. Joseph
Expected major: Science education
What was the highlight of your recruitment? "Going to some of the practices and getting to hang with the team."

Football

Eric Knaperek, Mokena
College: North Central College
Expected major: Undecided
What pointed you to North Central? "First off, the school is great, great coaches, great players, great football program."

Jake Dixon, Frankfort
College: Millikin University
Expected major: Business
How was being recruited? "It was cool ,but it was really hard to make a decision, to narrow it down from all the schools."

Adam Rosner, Frankfort
College: Millikin University
Expected major: Business
Are you going to miss Lincoln-Way? "I'm definitely going to miss Lincoln-Way."

Jeff Edmonds, Mokena
College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Expected major: Nursing
Why chose Whitewater? "I chose the school because I like the campus and because it has a really good athletic program."

Soccer

Chris Harvey, Mokena
College: New York University
Expected major: Business
Why NYU? "I picked because it's in the middle of New York City. It's a pretty thriving community with a lot of things to do. It's going to give me a good future there."

Jamie Beniac, Frankfort
College: Roosevelt University
Expected major: Communication, advanced media.
What drew you to Roosevelt? "I chose it because of the city life and I love being part of a new program."

Michelle Balcerzak, Tinley Park
College: Carthage College
Expected major: Double major in business marketing and sociology, with a minor in Spanish
What was it like being recruited? "Being recruited was really cool because I was able to form a relationship with the coach that I didn't think I was going to be able to do at the college level. Sarah Johnson, my coach, is really cool. She's a really great person on and off the field and I know I'm going to learn a lot from her."

Track

Matt Filipiak, Tinley Park
College: Valparaiso University
Expected major: Meteorology
Why Meteorology? "I've just always been interested in my whole life, it's just something I've always wanted to do."

Swimming

Jake Roberts, Tinley Park
College: Eastern Illinois University
What are you looking forward to most about college? "It's going to be a new experience, with better competition. I'm just going to have fun and compete at a D-1 level school."

Jenna Tasic, Tinley Park
College: the Air Force Academy
Expected major: Undecided
Why choose an academy? "It was between Air Force and West Point. I went on one of my recruiting trips and I really liked it there. … I'm nervous for boot camp, but I'm excited to go."

The following North seniors didn't attend Wednesday's signing.

Baseball

Dominic Hartman, Frankfort
College: Prairie State College

Football

Gianni Bandera, Frankfort
College: Carroll College