On June 9, Columbia High School (CHS) hosted an event in the school cafeteria to honor their 15 student-athletes playing collegiate athletics next year. Complimentary breakfast was served, and student-athletes were given the opportunities to take pictures in their school’s gear with their family, friends, coaches, and guidance counselors. Of the 14 student-athletes honored, nine of CHS’s sports programs were represented.
“We have so many athletes representing so many of our sports. It shows that we really are all about all of our athletic programs, just like we are all about our academics, our clubs, and our music and theater programs,” Athletic Director Rich Porfido said. “It really reflects well on our athletic department.”
Among the programs represented at Friday’s signing day was CHS’s softball team, which recently beat Livingston to win the North Jersey Section 1 Group 4 championship, their first sectional championship since 1979. Pitcher Mady Rowell signed to play for Ithaca College, and outfielder Juliette Licata signed to play for Albright College.
CHS Athletes recognized, left to right: Juliette Licata, Lindsey Minor, Bella Galatt, Emma Friedrich, Brandon Doubek, Nate Berenberg, Garrett Dyson, Shana Desir, Leah Connell
“I’ve been working for this my whole life and I’m extremely proud I was able to achieve the goals I set for myself when I was little,” Licata said.
CHS’s Girls Basketball team was the program most represented at Friday’s event, with three of their student-athletes signed to play in college. Leah Connell will play at Rutgers University Newark, Shana Desir will play at Ithaca College, and Bella Galatt will play at Clark University.
“High school is not the end. It should be the beginning, a stepping stone, to your career and what you want to do. I understand that as a high school coach, I’m not the end all be all,” girls basketball coach William Keegan said. “I’m just something for them to use to help further them. I’m here to service them.”
In boys basketball, point guard Jalen Robinson signed to play for the local NJIT Highlanders next season. Robinson, whose father Eugene “Bam” Robinson served as CHS’s head coach the past nine years before resigning following this past season, eclipsed 1,000 career points this season, a celebrated accomplishment for high school basketball players.
“[To play in college] means everything to me,” Robinson said. “It’s something I’ve always talked about since elementary school.”
Boys soccer player Garrett Dyson signed to play for the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to being named all-county first team, Dyson was one of 22 CHS students named a National Merit Commended Scholar, an esteemed academic honor.
“For the longest time, all my free time was spent doing homework or studying that it became an everyday routine,” Dyson said. “It wasn’t easy not having a lot of flexibility but I learned to manage my time well.”
Full list of student-athletes:
Cole Abel, Kenyon University, Boys Lacrosse
Nate Berenberg, Franklin & Marshall College, Baseball
Sam Busch, Rochester Institute of Technology, Boys Lacrosse
Leah Connell, Rutgers University Newark, Girls Basketball
Shana Desir, Ithaca College, Girls Basketball
Garrett Dyson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boys Soccer
Brandon Doubek, Lafayette College, Baseball
Jamie Fardin, Elon University, Girls Lacrosse
Emma Friedrich, George Washington University, Cross Country
Bella Galatt, Clark University, Girls Basketball
Juliette Licata, Albright College, Softball
Lindsey Minor, Temple University, Fencing
Cephia Daraya Reid, St. John’s University, Track & Field
Jalen Robinson, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Boys Basketball
Mady Rowell, Ithaca College, Softball
