Recruiting Trail: Seven is Lucky Number at Andrew

Seven Andrew High School students have announced their plans to continue their athletic careers in college next year. While they faxed paperwork to their schools of choice on Wednesday from the comforts of home, they were honored by officials at school in front of their families and coaches on Friday morning.

“There is a lot of money invested in those kids," Andrew athletic director Rich Piatchek said. "It’s very exciting to have some of them local. It’s exciting that we’ll get to see them at the next level. They are student-athletes. They now have the opportunity to play sports while pursuing a four-year degree."

The February national signing day is a big date for football and women’s soccer, among other sports. All of the Andrew signees have been awarded at least a partial athletic scholarships. All of them sorted through months of phone calls, e-mails, campus visits, and discussions with their families before reaching this point. Finally, the burden of the college choice is over.

Here is a look at Andrew's magnificent seven:

Claire Murphy

Sport: Soccer (midfielder, defender).

School: Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa.

For Claire, attending Loras is a family matter. Her sister and father both attended the school.

“They made it to the Sweet 16 last year and finished as one of the top teams in the country, and I’m really excited about getting in the program,” Murphy said.

She is undecided on a major.

Emily Scott

Sport: Soccer (midfielder, forward).

School: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

For Emily, UW-Milwaukee was a perfect fit. After visiting a number of schools, she knew it was the place for her because of the combination of city life, sports and academics. She scored 24 goals in her career at Andrew, 14 of which came as a junior, according to T-Bolts soccer coach Loren Zolk.

“They’ve won conference the last 10 or 11 years in a row, and I’m really excited to be a part of a highly successful program,” Scott said.

She will be studying psychology while getting in the heads of Horizon League goalies. 

Nick DeBenedetti

Sport: Football (wide receiver, return specialist)

School: St. Xavier Univesity, Chicago.

Nick couldn’t pass up the scholarship opportunity at a school close to home, and a program that has enjoyed enormous success in recent years.

“They have been in the (NAIA) semifinals the last two years, and they will be competing for a national title," DeBenedetti said. "They also run the spread offense all the time, so I’ll be able to get in right away and make an impact."

He is undecided on a major.

Tony Durkin

Sport: Football (center).

School: University of Illinois, Champaign.

Tony was a standout at his position while a student at Andrew. He expects to be redshirted as a freshman, but nonetheless is excited to be a part of a Big Ten program. He also is excited to be reconnecting with friends from Andrew who attend Illinois.

“It’s a fun offense to be a part of," Durkin said. "They were only a few points off their all-time (scoring) record last year. It just looks like a lot of fun to be a part of."

He will be studying to be a special education teacher.

Kevin O’Neill

Sport: Football (quarterback).

School: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

O’Neill led the T-Bolt offense for two years, and hopes to be doing the same by the time he is a sophomore at Whitewater. He is excited to be at a school with a top-notch business program and to be at a small-school football powerhouse.

“They have an awesome team atmosphere," O'Neill said. "A lot of guys on the team had a chance at higher level scholarships to play elsewhere, and they passed them up to play there. They told me it was because of the camaraderie, and that’s what we had here at Andrew."

Chris O’Connor

Sport: Football (defensive line).

School: University of Illinois, Champaign.

O’Connor was not only a standout on the football field but also in the classroom. He chose Illinois for its top-ranked civil engineering program. The football success was just a bonus.

“They won their bowl game and everything is just falling into place," O'Connor said. "I look forward to being a part of it."

Greg Rinaldi

Sport: Football (safety).

School: University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Greg picked UW-Platteville because it was affordable and the perfect fit for him.

“I’m really excited to play football there," Rinaldi said. "They’re a team on the rise. They finished 5-5 last year, but they will be getting better very soon. It will be fun to play Kevin (O'Neill) in a couple years when I’m at safety and he’s the quarterback at Whitewater."

He plans to study business.