Nov. 15 marked a very important day in the lives of seven Irish student-athletes, as they celebrated signing their official National Letters of Intent (NLI) to play collegiate sports. These seven athletes have been instrumental in the success of their team over the past four years, and it has led to all of them committing to Division 1 schools to continue their academic and athletic careers.

The seven athletes who signed this morning are as follows: Seniors Lucy Marquart, Amya Usher, Catherine Cline, Taylor Lewis, Kam Utley, J.T. Stiner and Joe Konesco. At the ceremony, all seven were honored by their coaches with a list of accolades. Below is a recap of the seven athletes and their contributions to Irish athletics.

Lucy Marquart

Marquart committed to Xavier University on Oct. 24 to continue her career as a student-athlete. She has run cross-country and track and field as a distance runner during her time on the Hill and has accumulated a number of accolades. Marquart is part of the 4x800m relay team that holds the school record in girl’s track and field. She holds numerous record times in cross country and has just completed an excellent senior season. Marquart was runner-up in the City Championship meet and helped the team advance all the way to Semistate. While the team did not advance to State, Marquart took 14th overall out of more than 100 runners, advancing individually to the State Championship. Additionally, Marquart is a two-time member of the Academic All-State Team for cross-country. 

Amya Usher

Usher committed to the University of Toledo on March 22 to continue her soccer career. She has been a four-year member of the varsity team and emerged as one of the team’s best players as a junior. Usher has been integral to the team’s success, as she was part of a State runner-up team as a freshman and helped lead the team to a 15-5-2 record this year. She was fourth on the team in goals with seven as a senior, and accumulated 17 total points. She was named to this year’s All-City Team

Catherine Cline

Cline announced her commitment to Loyola University Chicago on April 3, joining her sister, Caroline Cline ‘21 (who plays at Marquette), as the second member of her family to commit to play Division 1 soccer. She has been a four year varsity player and an integral part of the team’s success as a defender. Cline accounted for 17 points including 11 assists, which led the team. Cline, along with Usher, was named to the All-City team. She was also named to the All-District 2nd Team by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association.

Kamryn Utley

Utley committed to Lehigh earlier this year, and since she transferred from Lawrence North as a sophomore, she has been a massive part of the program’s growth into one of the top teams in the State. As a setter, Utley led the team with 950 assists this year, nearly 900 more than the next most on the team. She also totaled over 250 digs and 78 kills. Combining her numbers from her junior season, Utley totaled nearly 2,000 assists over two seasons along with almost 500 digs. She was named to the 2023 South All-Star Team this year and was named 2nd Team All-State and 1st Team All-City. She was named to the IHSVCA Junior South All-Star Team last season. 

Taylor Lewis

Lewis committed to Villanova on February 5 to play volleyball, though she also excels in basketball and tennis. Lewis has been a four year varsity starter as an outside hitter and middle. She has totaled over 1,000 kills, a milestone that not many high school players ever reach. That total included nearly 400 kills as a senior, and her statistics have helped her be named to numerous teams. Along with Utley, Lewis was named to the 2023 South All-Star Team this year and was named 2nd Team All-State and 1st Team All-City. Last season she was named to the Junior South All-Star Team. In an interview earlier this year, Lewis said, regarding her commitment, “The coaching staff (at Villanova) is also incredible. Everyone was so nice to me, but at the same time, they weren’t trying to “sell” me Villanova volleyball. I appreciated their honesty with me. Finally, when I visited the campus, I knew it was the perfect school. I loved everything about it.”

J.T. Stiner

Stiner, after previously committing to Virginia Tech, flipped his commitment to the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Nov. 9. Stiner has been a three-year varsity starter on the baseball team as a catcher, contributing to multiple City Championships and a State runner-up team. As a junior, Stiner led the team in RBI with 24 and totaled four doubles and three triples. He has totaled five home runs over his three years. Stiner said, regarding his signing, “I feel as though (UNC Wilmington is) a perfect fit for me, between the campus, coaches, program and location. I feel like it is a place I can see myself succeed and enjoy. If feels great being signed finally.” 

Joe Konesco

Konesco is a two-sport athlete, having played both hockey (for the Fuel) and lacrosse during his high school career. On Aug. 8, Konesco announced his commitment to play Division 1 lacrosse at Quinnipiac University in New Haven, Connecticut. According to Head Coach Mr. Andy Gruber, Konesco is regarded as one of the best defenders and overall players in the state. He is a two year starter and has been continuously tasked with guarding a team’s best player. Konesco, along with a strong group of returning starters, will hope to win the school its first State Championship since 2019.