Bishop McCort duo pick their college destinations

Jake Oswalt, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

Apr. 30—A pair of Bishop McCort Catholic High School seniors announced their intentions on Friday in a signing ceremony.

Bailey Shriver will play basketball at Caldwell University, an NCAA Division II school in New Jersey. Jyelle Miller is set to join the esports team at St. Francis University.

Shriver led the state in assists as a junior and senior. The 5-foot-7 point guard finished 10th in the country by averaging 8.2 assists per game this past season.

She found an ideal fit at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference school.

"What stood out to me was they were a Division II school and it was more relaxed," Shriver said. "It's still going to be a job, but it was more of a fun job.

"Not like I'm going to be there 24/7 and basketball is going to be my entire world down there.

"The coaches, that's what completely sold it for me. When I met them, I knew I wanted them to be my coaches."

Shriver, who intends to major in marketing, totaled 910 points, 555 assists and 488 rebounds over her four seasons. Her court vision and ability to push the tempo opened up the dynamic Crimson Crushers offense.

"I've never really coached a girl who would rather throw a pass than take a shot," Bishop McCort coach John Hahn said. "She's very team-oriented. She really loved to get up the floor in a hurry. She always saw the open man. She's probably changed our offense the last three years more than I ever thought I would do. She's going to be hard to replace. The best is yet to come for Bailey."

The 2019-20 and 2021-22 Bishop McCort basketball teams advanced to the Class 2A quarterfinal round. Shriver set school records for most assists in a game (17) and season (246).

"We've gone so far for basketball each year," Shriver said.

"We've made it to states a couple years. I'm really going to miss that team. I've played with a lot of great girls and very talented players."

Her pass-first ability helped lure the Caldwell coaching staff. The Cougars went 13-15 in 2021-22 under the direction of coach Christie Conforti.

Shriver also compiled over 500 kills on the volleyball court and was an all-Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference selection.

Shriver is the daughter of Randy Shriver and Rebecca Sabo-Shriver.

Miller will major in marine biology at St. Francis. A chance to blend his passion for video games had Miller hooked.

"I've always liked St. Francis," Miller said. "It's a nice, small- and medium-size school.

"I know a lot of people that went there and enjoyed it. What really did it for esports is I've always played games my whole life. Getting a scholarship for gaming sounded pretty amazing, so I decided to do that."

Miller enjoys playing "Overwatch" or any of the "Call of Duty" games. He is excited to join a sport that is on the rise.

"You could play games, but you wouldn't get recognized for it," Miller said. "But now, it seems that more and more people are getting recognized, getting paid for what they do. It takes time to play games and get skilled. I'm just ready to play."

Also a member of the baseball team at Bishop McCort, Miller enjoyed the hospitality in Loretto on his visit.

"I think it was because the staff and everyone was so friendly during my visit," Miller said.

Miller is also involved with the French Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Pep Club, Rosary Club, Mpowerment Club and L'education En Vogue at Bishop McCort.

Miller is the son of Ezekiel Miller and Mrina Rager.

Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.