During every Saugus softball game, it’s impossible for the team to stay quiet. The Centurions are constantly chanting and encouraging their teammates.
“We’re always super hyped up in the dugout and makes it a fun environment and there’s never a dull moment,” said Saugus’ Maya Avila.
The scene in the Saugus High School gym was very different from the Cents’ dugout situations on Wednesday morning as student-athletes – four of which were softball players – signed their National Letters of Intent.
Avila signed with Long Island University, Brooklyn; Clarissa Ellwein with Notre Dame de Namur; Malia Risdall with University of Hawaii, Hilo and Leslie Reynaga with Northwest Christian University.
“It’s really kind of reliving in a way because everything I worked for in my whole softball career, it finally all paid off,” Ellwein said.
The Centurions finished second in the Foothill League in 2017 with a 6-4 league record. Avila is grateful for the experiences she’s had with her Saugus teammates thus far and was excited to share signing day with them.
“We’ve really been through the whole process together, so it was really cool just to finish it off with them,” she said. “Especially this last high school year I get to finish it with them and it just shows how even with high school, if we’re on different travel teams, we’re all really close.”
The four Centurions are the latest on a long list of Santa Clarita Valley softball commitments and have plenty of advice for the next generation of athletes when it comes to navigating the recruiting process.
“I guarantee you I’ve had my fair share of frustrations and letdowns and just people who didn’t believe in me or didn’t give me a chance,” Ellwein said. “But the one thing I always did was I stuck to it and I always believed in myself and I never gave up.”
“Even though it seems like everything is going against you sometimes, just stick to it and hard work will always pay off in the and I’m an example of it.”
Canyon
From left to right: Ethan Danforth, cross-country/track, Southern Utah; Shelby Cooper, soccer, Cal State Northridge; Charles Harrison, baseball, UCLA
Hart
From left to right: Kaycie Priske, soccer, Whitworth; Shelby Grubbs, volleyball, Cal State Los Angeles; Zoe DiNardo, volleyball, Concordia; Brooke Marquez, softball, Notre Dame
Abigail Cunningham, softball, Cal Baptist
Saugus
Back row, from left to right: Megan Huber, equestrian, UT Martin; Brandyn Cruz, baseball, Cal State Northridge; Nolan Kutcher, baseball, Cal State Long Beach
Front row, from left to right: Leslie Reynaga, softball, Northwest Christian University; Clarissa Ellwein, softball, Notre Dame De Namur University; Maya Avila, softball, Long Island University, Brooklyn; Malia Risdall, softball, University of Hawaii, Hilo
West Ranch
From left to right: JD Callahan, baseball, UC Santa Barbara; Adrienne Chang, softball, Princeton; Sara Olsen, softball, Long Beach State; Gianna Lombardi, softball, Cal State San Marcos; Sophie Bobal, volleyball, Pace University; Isaiah Seidman, cross-country/track, West Point; Sophia Hoelzel, cross-country/track, UCLA; Jordyn Adamek-Postelwait, lacrosse, Adams State; Kaylani Miranda, soccer, Belmont Abbey
