Penn HS athletes make college commitments
MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Among Penn High School’s student-athletes who intend to play at the collegiate level next year, 11 seniors participated in the signing day ceremony. Five boys and six girls were honored at the event, which was attended by proud families and coaches.
Markus Burton will be furthering his academic and athletic careers at the University of Notre Dame. The 6-foot-0, 160-pound senior will be a point guard for the Fighting Irish Basketball Team. Burton has been a standout player for the Kingsmen, leading Penn to a share of the Northern Indiana Conference crown and the Elkhart Sectional Championship. Burton comes in as the 19th-ranked point guard in the country, while also being the fourth overall player in the state of Indiana.
Julia Economou will continue her athletic career at Purdue University. She will be joining the Boilermakers’ Cross Country and Track & Field teams. While at Penn, Economou has led the Kingsmen track and cross country teams to multiple state championships, including the 4×800 in track, and most recently a sixth-place team finish in the state cross country meet. She also participated in the New Balance National Track & Field Meet last summer.
Penn Senior Macy Hatkevich committed to play volleyball for the Rockets at the University of Toledo. Hatkevich, a 5-7 setter for the Kingsmen, and helped lead Penn to their 35-2 record last season and a Semi-State run. This season the Kingsmen finished 22-10, with a 10-1 conference record.
Ian Hernandez, a member of Penn’s State Championship Baseball Team, signed with Marietta College to continue his academic and athletic careers. Hernandez, a 6-foot-2, 160-pound pitcher, posted a 2-1 record in 23.0 innings pitched for the Kingsmen.
Kiley Hinton will be continuing her athletic career at Austin Peay State University. She says she is excited to play Division I Softball. Hinton helped Penn Softball reach the Final Four last season. At 5-4, Hinton played Shortstop for the Kingsmen last season.
Mackenziek Konanz, a State Champion Wrestler for Penn, will compete in that sport and continue her academic career at Aurora University. Konanz won state as a Freshman and has been state runner-up the past two seasons. She won the Indiana Folkstyle State Championship at 160 pounds, and won Indiana Freestyle State Championships at 180 and 200. She was unbeaten in Indiana pre-season Nationals, and placed fifth in the Iowa pre-season Nations.
Payton Ladson is set to further her soccer career at Holy Cross College. She says she chose the college because she fell in love with the athletic and academic programs. Ladson will take the field with the team next year in the goalie box.
Adam Lehmann, the starting catcher on Penn’s State Championship Baseball Team, will suit up for the Western Michigan Broncos of the Mid-American Conference for his collegiate baseball experience. Lehmann, who is 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, is a right-hander. At the plate, Lehmann hit .356 and drove in 20 runs.
Penn Goalie Zoe Montgomery compete in Lacrosse at Manhattan College as she continues her academic journey.
Montgomery has played for the Indy United Club Lacrosse Team and also played for the Under Armour Midwest team and Midwest American Select team. She has lettered in Lacrosse since her freshman year at Penn, and was the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2021-2022 season. She was also named 2022 Indiana All-Regional.
Center Back Emin Penic, who helped the Penn Boys Soccer Team reach the Final Four, has committed to continue his academic and athletic careers at Holy Cross College. Penic is a recipient of the Indiana High School Athletic Association Sportsmanship Award. He helped the Kingsmen win Sectional and Regional Championships this season.
Brayden Schoetzow, who helped Penn win a State Championship in Baseball, will continue his academic and athletic careers at Wright State University. Schoetzow committed to Wright State because of the team environment and energy.
Congratulations to these graduating seniors on their college commitments!
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