Eight local prep athletes make college choices official

WAUSAU - Newman Catholic's Rylie Vaughn and D.C. Everest's Taylor Petit both decided which colleges they would attend college as high school juniors.  

The two seniors made their commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball and Youngstown State women's basketball programs official on Wednesday. Both signed national letters of intent with the Division 1 programs roughly within a half hour of each other and were among the highlights of eight athletes in the Wausau area who made their college decisions this week. 

Vaughn, who helped the Newman Catholic team to four WIAA state tournament appearances and three Division 4 titles during her prep career, will be a setter at UW-Milwaukee. She comittted to the Horizon League program last December.

"The coaching staff is really fantastic and I have been around the program a lot since I was little," said Vaughn, who was named second team all-state by the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association this week. "It's always been kind of a goal since I was little to play collegiate volleyball, and now that it's very, very official, it's exciting and mind-blowing."

Petit, who was part of an Evergreens team which reached the Division 1 state title game in her freshman season, committed to Youngstown State before the start of her junior season. 

"I pretty much knew the first time I went out there that it was a great fit," the Evergreens guard said of the Youngstown, Ohio school. "I loved the campus and the coaching staff and the (players) were super inviting. I watched a game and the way (the team) played I knew that is where I wanted to be."

Two other Everest student athletes signed letters of intent as well — Natalie Mohring with the University of North Dakota women's track team and John Breske with the Winona State baseball program. 

Mohring is a three-sport athlete and Petit's teammate in basketball, but track is her priority. The Grand Forks, North Dakota, campus proved to be her top choice to continue her career in the sport. 

"I went out there this summer and the program and the coaches are something I have always looked for," said Mohring, who finished second in the Division 1 discus during the WIAA state track meet last June. "I am going to be able to compete right away and that is something I was looking for."

Breske was a first team all-Wisconsin Valley Conference selection as a pitcher last spring and made his decision to attend the Division II program over this past weekend 

"I really liked the program and the coaches in Winona and the campus, too," Breske said. "Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to play college baseball and I this past high school season I had a really successsful year and felt like it was a real possiblity that I could make it at the next level."

Breske is one of two local athletes to sign a letter of intent with Winona State on Wednesday. Wittenberg-Birnamwood's Maddy Pietz, who helped the Chargers to the Division 2 girls track title last spring, is headed there as she committed officially to the women's track program. 

"When I first started thinking about colleges I looked at a couple Division 1 programs and a couple smaller ones ... and then I visited Winona and liked the atmosphere," said Pietz, who won the Division 2 400 meters, was second in the 200 and part of the first-place 1,600 relay team in the state track meet last June. "I liked the smaller feeling coming from where I do and I liked the coach and the program."

Two pitchers with the Wausau West baseball team — Chandler Fochs and Grant Hill — signed letters of intent as well. 

Fochs is headed to Western Illiinois after he made his commitment in August. Fochs played for The Hitters, a baseball academy program based in Caledonia, and he was scouted by Western Illinois while he was playing in a tournament in Indiana. 

"I thought, 'This is my chance for a Division 1 program to see me plaly. I just went out and did the best I could and a few weeks later (Western Illinois) was reaching out to me," Fochs said. "I liked the coach (Ryan Brownlee), he was a down-to-earth Midwest kind of guy and I got along with him really well."

Hill committed to Minot State, a Division II program. 

"The thing I really liked about the program is that they are headed in the right direction," said Hill, who was a honorable mention all-Wisconsin Valley Conference selection last spring. "They broke 29 school records last season, including wins. I just like the (program's) philosophy and where they are heading."

Athens' Marshall Westfall and Mosinee's Ben Vandehey both committed to Frontier Community College in Fairfield, Illinois, earlier this week. 

Frontier Community College belongs to the NJCAA Region 24, and houses Division I baseball and softball, and Division II volleyball. 

Westfall had taken visits to other schools and received interest from a bunch of schools, but the full scholarship was a big factor, his father Rick said. Another factor for Westfall was the coach and the fact that he can transfer to another school in two years as Frontier is a two-year college.

“It was an 8-hour drive, it was a long way but when we walked in (coach Benton) told us I can tell you guys are going to be good, but it’s not going to be easy,” said Westfall, who helped the Bluejays to the Division 4 state title last spring “You’re not going to get to play if you’re not going to work hard. I never wanted to be part of a program like that I want the opportunity to earn it and be a better baseball player. I want to earn it. I need someone that’s going to help me work.”

Westfall went down to visit the college with Vandehey and both left with scholarship offers.

"The minute I walked in I knew I was going to go there," Westfall said. "It’s in a town of 5,000 people in a close-knit community. It’s not going to be a culture shock for me. That’s really going to help me I think"

— USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin staff reporter Mitch Skurzewski contributed to this story.