Westmont Hilltop's Seda Fas, Miller sign college letters
Nov. 15—Westmont Hilltop High School senior student-athletes Zailees Seda Fas and Landon Miller signed letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers on Monday.
Seda Fas will play softball at NCAA Division I St. Peter's University in Jersey City, New Jersey, and Miller will join the men's swimming program at NCAA Division II Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia.
A shortstop at Westmont Hilltop, Seda Fas was recruited as an infielder by St. Peter's coach Chris Stelma. She batted .480 as a junior and .527 as a sophomore at Westmont.
Last season, Seda Fas helped Westmont Hilltop earn a share of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference championship. The Hilltoppers finished second in District 6 Class 3A and reached the PIAA Tournament under coach Monica Cox.
"The (St. Peter's) coach (Stelma) made contact with me and was very open," Seda Fas said. "He didn't make it feel like I had all the pressure on me. He talked to me like a friend.
"They were all so welcoming at the campus. The teammates, everybody at the campus was amazing. I felt so welcome that it just felt like home."
Seda Fas, the daughter of Luis Seda and Shayla Fas, will major in exercise science. Entering her senior season, Seda Fas has 67 hits, five homers, 36 RBIs, 70 runs and 23 stolen bases.
On defense, she has made 128 putouts, with a .955 fielding percentage last season and .951 percentage in 2021.
"My best memory had to be playing Cambria Heights in the playoffs. We won," Seda Fas said of the Hilltoppers' 3-0 victory in the District 6-3A semifinal round. "We walked into that game and everybody had their doubts about us. 'Oh, they're going to lose.' We pretty much shut everyone up and showed who we really were.
"We bonded that day and we made plays that nobody would have thought we'd make," she said. "That's awesome."
Miller, the son of Danielle Miller, will major in environmental science with a minor in education. He has been part of a Hilltoppers swimming program that has had success at the district, regional and state levels.
Among his events are the 100 backstroke, the 200 freestyle, the 200 freestyle and medley relays and the 500 freestyle.
"The (Davis & Elkins) coach, Nikki Rose, is the most amazing coach that I've ever talked to," Miller said. "In January, I got pulled out of the water because of a shoulder injury and ended up in months of physical therapy. She stuck with me through the entire recruiting process. That was the definite giveaway of where I was supposed to go."
Miller helped build on the Hilltoppers' successful tradition under coach John Hicks. He was part of the 200 medley relay in the state championship meet.
"I've been part of two District 6 titles before I got pulled from the water," Miller said. "I've medaled multiple times at districts as an individual, and I've raced at states all three times and hopefully will be going back this year."
His shoulder injury and the time away from the pool made Miller appreciate the sport even more.
"I wasn't able to swim. It was a really long road for recovery," Miller said. "It was multiple months of physical therapy and months on top of that just building back up yardage in the pool.
"I had my first meet last Saturday and I got back in the water and swam multiple personal records," he said. "It just felt so good to be back in the water. I'm so excited for this high school season."
