Fall signing day 2022: Large Bolles signing class leads off Northeast Florida celebrations

Until his sophomore year, Aidan Paro didn't think he would get the chance to compete in college athletics.

With one stroke of a pen Wednesday on a letter to Louisville, the hope became reality.

"As a kid, I always wanted to swim in college," he said. "So being able to actually make my dreams come true, it's a cool experience."

The Bolles School senior joined a list of dozens of high school athletes across Northeast Florida — and 16 at Bolles alone — signing national letters of intent with colleges during Wednesday's start to the NCAA fall signing period.

High school football signings begin next month with the early signing period from Dec. 21-23.

Wednesday's event was a celebration for other sports, ranging from back-to-back state boys tennis champion Chase Healey of Christ's Church signing with the University of North Florida to Fletcher's Sawyer Reynolds confirming plans for Stetson women's soccer.

The signings at Bolles were particularly numerous, including volleyball (Grace Albaugh, Georgetown) to baseball (Will Studebaker, Niagara) to women's soccer (Annalise Cannada, Kentucky) and more.

Also putting pen to paper at Bolles were five members of the cross country squads who completed an unprecedented sweep of the Florida High School Athletic Association boys and girls team and individual championships in Class 2A last week.

That includes Daniel De Monte (Boston University), Andrew McGraw (Colgate), Elizabeth Csikai (Emory) and a pair of future Tennessee Volunteers in individual state champions Aidan Ryan and Jillian Candelino.

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"Being surrounded by the great people and the great coaching staff with all the resources they have there [at Tennessee], I'm looking to seeing what magic we can make," Candelino said.

As for the Bolles swimmers signing Wednesday — in addition to Paro, the list includes Will Heck (N.C. State), Montana Freeman (Colorado State) and a second Louisville signee in Kayden Lancaster — the quest for their next goal will have to wait another week.

Instead of the planned FHSAA swim meet this weekend in Stuart, they'll be on hold until Nov. 18 because of Tropical Storm Nicole. But Paro and the Bulldogs are taking the delay in stride.

"It's actually really helpful for me... being able to have that extra week to get healthy and to really be able to swim fast," he said.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA SIGNINGS

Bartram Trail: Anna Bachman, Mercer, women's soccer; Garren Berkman, Belmont Abbey, men's lacrosse; Olivia Bori, Florida Atlantic, women's soccer; Erin Colbert, Piedmont, women's lacrosse; Brody DeLamielleure, Florida State, baseball; Adri Ferrara, Newberry, women's lacrosse; Owen Hladun, Belmont Abbey, men's lacrosse; Grace Ivey, Texas A&M, women's soccer; Sydney Lewis, Coastal Carolina, volleyball; Jenna Otts, Gardner-Webb, volleyball; Emma Revels, College of Charleston, women's soccer; Malia Roberts, Western Carolina, women's soccer.

Bishop Kenny: Maria Candelora, Siena, women's swimming; Ally Cavanaugh, Georgia, volleyball; Garrett Corbett, Jacksonville, baseball; Sophia Rueppell, Kennesaw State, women's basketball; Sarah Seabrooke, Rollins, volleyball;

Bolles: Grace Albaugh, Georgetown, volleyball; Katherine Campos, Embry-Riddle, women's track; Jillian Candelino, Tennessee, women's cross country; Annalise Cannada, Kentucky, women's soccer; Caleb Coleman, Vermont, men's lacrosse; Elizabeth Csikai, Emory, women's cross country; Daniel De Monte, Boston University, men's cross country; Montana Freeman, Colorado State, women's swimming; Avery Goldknopf, Clemson, rowing; Will Heck, N.C. State, men's  swimming; Garrett Jobe, Queens, men's lacrosse; Kayden Lancaster, Louisville, men's swimming; Andrew McGraw, Colgate, men's cross country; Aidan Paro, Louisville, men's swimming; Aidan Ryan, Tennessee, men's cross country; Will Studebaker, Niagara, baseball

Christ's Church: Chase Healey, North Florida, men's tennis

Columbia: Josh Fernald, UCF, baseball; Carston Palmer, St. Johns River State College, baseball

Creekside: Amaya Logan, Brandeis, women's soccer; Hayden Petrick, Kentucky, women's soccer; Jianna Ramirez, Florida Atlantic, women's soccer; Avery Upton, Florida, women's soccer.

Episcopal: Reese Edwards, Florida Atlantic, beach volleyball; Aubrey Finn, South Carolina, women's swimming; Bradlie Hicks, Louisville, women's rowing; Ella Parker, Coastal Carolina, women's lacrosse

Fleming Island: Baylee Jennings, Keiser, women's lacrosse; Will Krupsky, Jacksonville, men's lacrosse; Jillian LaBelle, Anderson, women's lacrosse.

Fletcher: Sawyer Reynolds, Stetson, women's soccer

Nease: Jake Larson, Lander, baseball; Lauren Lucero, UAB, women's soccer

Ponte Vedra: Mack Gray, Dickinson, men's lacrosse; Maddox Johnson, Denver, men's lacrosse; Parker Kemp, Lenoir-Rhyne, men's lacrosse; Luke Lowery, Dartmouth, men's lacrosse; Zeta Washington, Cincinnati, volleyball

Providence: Brett Dennis, North Florida, baseball; Mason Lee, North Florida, men's basketball; Liam O'Neil, Queens, baseball; Robinson Repass, Rollins, volleyball; William Rollings, Daytona State College, baseball; Joey Trawick, Tampa, softball; Zoe Yaeger, Virginia Tech, softball.

Ridgeview: Billy Girgis, Florida State College at Jacksonville, baseball

Sandalwood: Blake Pacheco, Florida A&M, baseball.

St. Johns Country Day: Shawn Andrade, South Florida, baseball; Kellen Brown, Embry-Riddle, baseball; Madison Erwin, Jacksonville, women's soccer; Isaiah Mamea, South Florida, baseball; Lauryn Mateo, Embry-Riddle, women's soccer; Avery Raimondo, North Florida, women's soccer; Jacob Thomas, North Florida, baseball.

Tocoi Creek: Sophia Vaughan, Oklahoma, women's soccer.

Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX, and sign up for the First Coast Varsity newsletter at https://profile.jacksonville.com/newsletters/first-coast-varsity/.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fall signing day 2022-2023: Northeast Florida athletes sign with colleges