Six LEUSD Athletes Sign To Play College Sports

February 1 is national signing day for the NCAA, and six gifted seniors from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District signed letters of intent Wednesday to compete in college sports.

Lakeside High School

The Lancers’ Mackenzie Akins and Jasmine Willett were honored yesterday at a signing ceremony at Lakeside. Akins has agreed to play soccer at the University of Montana, while Willett committed to the softball program at the University of Louisville.

Willett is a pitcher who in 2011 was named the Lakeside Female Athlete of the Year. According to the University of Louisville press office, Willett holds a school record with 53 wins and is a three-time strikeout leader on the mound with a total of 567. She also registered a league-high batting average of .469 and helped her team to the Premier Girls Fast Pitch National Championship in 2011.

Akins, who is a Lancers forward, was busy yesterday claiming a 9-0 win over Perris High School. According to MaxPreps sports, so far this season she has 32 goals, 10 assists, and 74 points to her name.

“Each of these athletes made an immediate impact on their respective teams and each have led their team to multiple league championships while collecting individual All League and All Valley honors along the way,” according to a statement from the Lakeside High School Athletics Department.

Elsinore High School

Elsinore High School also had a signing ceremony yesterday that saw Nolan Peralta commit to Colorado State’s football program, and Alyssa Vanderdrink sign with Sacramento State’s softball program.

Peralta was part of the 2010-11 Tigers team that went on to win the CIF Championship for the first time in the school’s long history. This past season, he and the Tigers also made it into the CIF playoffs, and last month Peralta was tapped to play in the prestigious Inland Empire All-Star Classic. During his tenure at Elsinore, Peralta’s father, Tony, has served as head coach of the Tigers football program.

Meanwhile, Vanderdrink, a 5’9” infielder, holds great promise, according to Sacramento’s head softball coach Kathy Strahan.

“Alyssa is a very talented athlete with a good glove and great arm,” Strahan said in a university news release. “I look for her to contend for an infield spot right away.”

Temescal Canyon High School

Two Titans are also moving on to NCAA play. During a signing ceremony at the school yesterday, Kayla Tucker signed with Boise State to play soccer. Ashtynn Nelson committed to Loyola Marymount University's water polo program in Los Angeles.

According to a Temescal Canyon news release, “Nelson has competed at the Varsity level for the Titans for all four years of high school along with three Varsity seasons on the swim team.” In 2011, she assisted her team in capturing the Sunbelt League Title along with the Division 5 CIF Championship, which garnered her 1st Team All-Sunbelt League and 1st Team All-CIF honors.

Tucker has been a four-year starter on the Lady Titans varsity soccer team contributing from both the midfield and forward positions, according to the news release. In the 2011 season, she helped lead her team to capturing the Sunbelt League Title and for her accomplishments, she was named 1st Team All-Sunbelt League, 1st Team All-Valley (Californian), 3rd Team All-CIF Division 5, and also received ESPN Player of the week honors.