Avon, Brookside athletes select colleges

Avon and athletic success go hand in hand, and the best of the Eagles made their athletic and academic futures official on May 10.

During a ceremony at the high school, 11 Avon athletes signed on to play at the next level.

Those athletes are: Will Kocar (football, Rose Hulman), Taylor Reynolds (football and baseball, Malone), Evan Root (football, Otterbein), Ethan St. Clair (baseball, Findlay), Zach Hubbard (soccer, Ashland), Max Bourque (wrestling, Baldwin Wallace), Claire Robertson (track and cross country, Walsh), Hailey DeChant (lacrosse, Lourdes), Danielle Austinson (golf, Bowling Green), Gabby Wegener (tennis, Mount Union), Lauren Roman (rowing, Barry).

Austinson, the only member of the Avon signees to attend a Division I college, is a standard bearer when it comes to the area golf scene.

A 2015 Morning Journal All-Star second team selection, Austinson was a member of Avon’s first state qualifying team. In her senior year, Austinson boasted a nine-hole average of 42 and an 18-hole average of 85 en route to a first team Morning Journal AllStar selection.

St. Clair has long been an Eagles baseball standout, but gained statewide recognition for his skills last year. A first team Morning Journal All-Star last year, he was the only area player to be named to the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Ohio first team and the Prep Baseball Report All-Ohio first team in Division I.

Hubbard is coming off of an outstanding senior soccer season. The senior defender was named to The Morning Journal AllStar first team, the Lorain County D-I Player of the Year and the Greater Cleveland Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-Cleveland D-I first team.

Packard now official

One of the best Brookside grapplers is staying close to home.

Greg Packard signed his National Letter of Intent to wrestle for Ohio on May 10.

Wrestling for the Cardinals for four years, Packard, a third team Morning Journal All-Star in his junior year and second team Morning Journal All-Star in his senior year had an exemplary junior year, winning the Patriot Athletic Conference and sectional championship in the 285-pound weight class and narrowly missed a state berth, but really came into his own as a senior.

This past winter, Packard dropped to the 220-pound weight class and reaped the benefits, qualifying for the Division II State finals after defending sectional title.

He ended his career at Brookside with 119 wins.

Raider is a Falcon

Taylor Beck won’t be going far as he made his college choice of Notre Dame College official on May 10.

Beck, a sharpshooter for the Raiders who connected on 33 3-point attempts this year, also is a member of the Columbia boys soccer and track and field teams.