Fourteen Fayetteville-Manlius High School student-athletes are getting ready to compete at the next level.
The students signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level during the 2021-22 school year. The students participated in an official ceremony June 11 in front of family, friends and coaches at F-M High School.
A National Letter of Intent is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and a National Letter of Intent member institution. By signing the letters, prospective student-athletes agree to attend the institution full-time for one academic year, and the institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year.
The following F-M students signed National Letters of Intent:
Ziad Abdul-Malak, of Manlius, will play soccer at LeMoyne College where he plans to major in business. As a freshman, he was captain of the junior varsity team and served as captain of the varsity team his junior and senior years. He has also played for the NY Rush Select club team, and during his junior year, participated in F-M High School’s Student Council.
Katherine “Kat” Amico, of Fayetteville, will play lacrosse at LeMoyne College where she plans to major in business. She played one year for F-M’s girls junior varsity lacrosse team and four years for the varsity team, serving as captain her senior year. She received an honorable mention her sophomore year from the Salt City Athletic Conference, and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association named her a Scholar Athlete her freshman and sophomore years. She also played for the Orange Crush Lacrosse Club.
Kat was also a member of F-M’s girls basketball teams, playing one year for junior varsity and three years for varsity. She was a member of the girls soccer teams, playing two years for junior varsity and two years for varsity. She was named a Scholar Athlete as a member of the girls soccer team her junior and senior years and received an honorable mention from the Salt City Athletic Conference for soccer her senior year.
In addition to athletics, Kat is a member of National Honor Society, works at Heritage Hill Brewery, volunteered in the F-M Athletic Office and served as a member of F-M’s Student Athletic Advisory Council.
Isaac Frechette, of Manlius, will play lacrosse at LeMoyne College where he plans to study biology. He played lacrosse, volleyball and basketball for F-M, and as a sophomore, he was captain of the junior varsity lacrosse team. He played grades 7-8 boys lacrosse for one year, junior varsity for two years and varsity for two years. As a member of the varsity team, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association named him a Scholar Athlete. He was also a member of the Rhino Lacrosse and Upstate Salt Kings Lacrosse club teams. In addition to his participation in athletics, Isaac is also a member of National Honor Society, a Dance Marathon MC, plays the drums and volunteers with his church.
Peyton Geehrer, of Manlius, will participate in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field at University of Pittsburgh where he plans to major in film studies. Since his freshman year, he has participated on the F-M varsity cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field teams. He was captain of the cross country team in 2020. He was named the 2020-21 New York Gatorade XC Player of the Year.
Claire Grenis, of Manlius, will play field hockey for Appalachian State University in North Carolina where she plans to study environmental science and outdoor education. She played one year for F-M’s modified field hockey team, three years for the junior varsity team and two years for varsity. She also played for the USA Field Hockey Futures National Championship, Syracuse Field Hockey Club, Syracuse Surge and FM Sting. For three consecutive years, USA Field Hockey selected her to represent New York state at the National Championship, and it also selected her to participate in a Level 1 USA Field Hockey Futures training site. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association named her a four-time Scholar Athlete, and the Salt City Athletic Conference named her a 2019 League Champion and she received All-League Honors each year that she was a starter on the F-M varsity field hockey team.
In addition to athletics, Claire participated in the Fayetteville-Manlius International Club, serving as a junior officer her sophomore year, its vice president her junior year and president her senior year. She is also a member of National Honor Society, Latin Honor Society and Science Honor Society and served as a Camp Y-Owasco counselor, where she was certified at the highest level through two years of leadership training.
Matthew LaCombe, of Manlius, will play lacrosse at Colgate University where he plans to study economics. He played one year with F-M’s modified boys lacrosse team, one year on its freshmen team, two years for junior varsity and one year for varsity. He also played for the Orange Crush Lacrosse Club. He was named to the Under Armour All-American Watchlist, and the Salt City Athletic Conference named him to the All-League First Team for golf and as a Golfer of the Year finalist. Matthew is also a member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
Joshua Michel, of Manlius, will play lacrosse for Mercyhurst University where he plans to study business management. He played basketball and lacrosse for F-M, where he played one year on the boys junior varsity lacrosse team and three years for the varsity team. In 2019, his team won a sectional championship. He also played for the Orange Crush Lacrosse Club and participated in the Denali Leadership Development Training Institute and the Section 3 Leadership Summit.
Catherine “Katie” Ottaviano, of Fayetteville, plans to swim for Lynn University where she intends to study sports management. She has been a member of F-M’s girls varsity swim team for five years. She has also been a member of the Syracuse Chargers Swim Club for 12 years.
Francesco Pagano, of Manlius, will play soccer at Syracuse University. He is currently undecided on his major. He played one year for F-M’s junior varsity boys soccer team and two years at the varsity level. He was team captain his senior year, and was named First-Team All-State, All-Region and All-American. He was also named New York State Player of the Year.
Ransom Pratt Reynolds IV, will play lacrosse at Siena College where he plans to study business. He played two years for the F-M’s boys modified lacrosse team, one year for the junior varsity team and three for the varsity team. He has also played six years for the Orange Crush Lacrosse Club. He was a member of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 New York State Regional Championship Team and was a member of the 2019 and 2020 New York State Regional All Star Team. He has twice received a Student Athlete Award, was a fall 2019 and summer 2020 NXT All Star and selected for the 2020 UA All-American Team.
In addition to participating in athletics, Pratt was a member of F-M High School’s Spanish Club and served as a volunteer in 2018 and 2019 at the Eagle Hill Middle School new student orientation program. In 2019, he volunteered with the Fayetteville-Manlius Youth Lacrosse Association and the FM Boys Youth Lacrosse Camp. He is also volunteering with the 2020-21 Boys Sting Lacrosse Program.
Lexie Roe, of Manlius, will play basketball for Niagara University. She played one year on F-M’s freshmen girls basketball team, one year on its junior varsity team and four years on varsity. She also played on the I-90 Elite AAU. As a freshman, the Salt City Athletic Conference named her to its Second Team All-League, and as a sophomore, she was named to the First TEam All-League, All CNY team and 15th Team All-State. As a junior, she was again named to First Team All-League, All CNY Team and 9th Team All-State. She was also named a Channel 9 Byrne Dairy Athlete of the Week and was named a Holiday Classic Tournament Most Valuable Player her freshman, sophomore and junior. In addition to her participation in athletics, she was inducted into the National Honor Society and is a member of her church’s youth group.
Itai Spinoza, of Fayetteville, will play baseball for Elon University where he plans to major in international business and minor in finance. He played one year on F-M’s modified baseball team, one year on its freshmen team, one year for junior varsity and two years for varsity. His senior year he was team captain. In 2019, his team won the sectional championships, and the Salt City Athletic Conference named him to its Second Team All-League. He was also named an Underclass National Champion and was a member of the 18U Israeli National Baseball Team, the Evoshield Canes and the Molina Stars. In addition to his participation in athletics, he was a member of F-M High School’s Interact Club and served as its co-head of marketing. He was also named to the honor roll his freshman, sophomore and junior years.
Luke Stratton, of Fayetteville, will play lacrosse for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he plans to study business management. He played one year for F-M’s modified boys lacrosse team, one year for the freshmen team, one year for junior varsity and three years for varsity. He was varsity captain and also played for the Orange Crush Lacrosse Club. In 2019, he received an honorable mention from the Salt City Athletic Conference.
Sophie Woodridge, of Fayetteville, will play softball at Yale University where she plans to study physics and geosciences for meteorology. She played one year for F-M’s 7-8 team, one year for junior varsity and four years for the varsity team. She was captain of the varsity team her senior year. As a freshman, she was named Rookie of the Year, and during her freshman and sophomore years, the Salt City Athletic Conference named her to its First Team All-League. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association named her a Scholar Athlete her freshman and sophomore years. She also played for the Lady Lightning Gold in North Carolina and the Syracuse Sports Zone Academy. Sophie has also been active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, serving as a youth ambassador for the organization.