Sign on the dotted line
JACKSON TWP — Choosing a college is all about finding the right fit.
And three Seneca Valley student athletes believe they've done just that.
SV seniors Da'Lynn Mills (track and field) and Amanda Johnson (basketball) signed letters of intent Monday to continue their academic and athletic careers at the University of Pittsburgh and St. Bonaventure University, respectively.
They follow senior swimmer Elyse Dobrick, who last week signed to St. Francis (Pa.) University.
For Mills, Pitt was the logical choice for a couple of reasons.
"I was looking at a couple of schools down south, but I want to major in exercise science, and Pitt offers the best exercise science program," said Mills, who competes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the high jump and relay events for the Raiders
During the last few summers, Mills has run for the River City Elite track and field team, which is led by Pitt head track coach Alonzo Webb.
Carrying her athletic abilities onto the next level was a natural progression for the all-time Butler County record holder in the 100 (12.06 seconds).
"I just couldn't imagine not competing in a sport," Mills said. "For me, I just couldn't stop once I get out of high school."
Mills qualified for the National Junior Olympics, held in Baltimore last summer, where she placed fifth in the high jump.
She holds SV's school record in the 200 (24.86) and currently stands a quarter-inch from tying the school record in the high jump. Kari Bonomo jumped 5 feet, 5Z\x inches in 1993 to set the current standard.
Mills, a resident of Cranberry Township, entered the varsity track scene in 2004. She has qualified for every WPIAL and PIAA championship since.
"Da'Lynn is such a multitalented athlete," said Raiders high jump coach Dan Sample. "She came in as a freshman and had so much raw talent.
"But she needed to learn where she fit in," he added. "For her, gearing her conditioning toward her events was the key."
First-year girls basketball coach Kelly Mathews said she believes St. Bonaventure will be a good fit for Johnson.
And Mathews should know, as she played for the Bonnies and graduated from the school in 1998.
"It's a smaller school," Mathews said of the university, located in western New York. "Its big draw is the fact that it's a small school, but you still get the experience of playing at Division I because they're in the Atlantic 10."
"I've visited the school twice," said Johnson, a forward for the Raiders from Cranberry Township. "It's a great environment."
St. Bonaventure finished last season with an overall record of 9-18.Johnson averaged 5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists for SV last year, helping the Raiders to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in four seasons.But it was 6-foot-1 Johnson's size that undoubtedly attracted Bonnies coach Jim Crowley the most."He saw me play during the summer for an AAU team," Johnson said. "And he soon contacted me about coming there to play."Johnson, who is undecided on a major, has played AAU basketball for the last five years."Playing during the summer is very important," Johnson said. "The fact I've played AAU for five years, it's the reason I got this scholarship."Dobrick entered a strong SV girls swim program in the fall of 2003, and she's a big reason the team remains among the elite in the WPIAL."She's one of the hardest workers I've ever coached," SV coach Tom Donati said of Dobrick, a resident of Zelienople. "Her work ethic has gotten her to the next level."Dobrick's top event is the 100 butterfly. She also swims the butterfly on SV's 200 medley relay team.She has progressed every season in the 100 butterfly at the WPIAL championships, going from an 11th-place finish as a freshman to eighth as a sophomore to third place last season. Her personal record in the event is 58.94.She helped the Raiders win WPIAL gold in the 200 medley relay in 2005.After one more season at SV, she will take her talents to central Pennsylvania."I met the team (at St. Francis)," said Dobrick, who plans to major in either physician assistance or occupational therapy. "I really enjoyed that as well as the school and the campus."Like Mills and Johnson, Dobrick's opportunity to compete at the collegiate level was made possible by working hard between the high school seasons.She has competed for the SV Swim Club for the last six years."I'd say most of my success has been due to my club swimming," she said. "It's what you do during the eight months of the off-season that determines what you'll do during the high school season."
