National signing period opens: Here are some local prep athletes planning to compete at D-I schools

Nov. 7—From the Big Apple to a campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean, some of the metro area's elite high school talent will be putting pen to paper starting Wednesday as the first major signing period is upon us.

Wednesday marks the opening for all Division I and Division II athletes — other than football and basketball players — to sign their National Letters of Intent.

Some of the future D-I athletes won't be straying far from home, such as Albuquerque Academy golfer Clark Sonnenberg, who is going to sign with the University of New Mexico Lobos. Or Cleveland High baseball player Jaden Davis, a pitcher and infielder for the Storm who is signing with New Mexico State as a pitcher.

Others are headed a little further from home.

Ella Parker, a 6-foot-1 middle/outside hitter for Cibola, is moving to New York City. She is signing with St. John's volleyball on Wednesday.

"My mom, she's from New York, so I've been to the city a couple of times, and I've always wanted to live there," Parker said. "Also, getting to know the coaches and connecting with them, made it feel like home to me."

Former La Cueva setter/hitter Erin Jones currently plays for St. John's, which made an appearance in the Pit earlier this year for a tournament.

"I'm super excited to be able to play with her next year," Parker said. UTEP was among the other schools she was seriously considering. "I was thinking it would be pretty cool to play D-I, but I wanted to go somewhere that would be a great fit for me."

Cleveland setter Marian Hatch is signing with the Lobos. Tea Kalajdzic, a big hitter for La Cueva, is signing with St. Louis.

Two of the metro's most prominent athletes are headed for the West Coast.

That includes Sandia High pitcher Zach Kmatz, who is signing to play baseball for Oregon State, and Albuquerque Academy's Emma Eden. Eden plays volleyball, but she's signing to play beach volleyball for Pepperdine, which features one of the country's most stunning ocean views in Malibu, California. But Eden is not the only beach volleyball signee from the metro area; Eldorado's Reese Russell is signing with D-I Nicholls State in Louisiana.

Kmatz, the hard-throwing right-hander from Sandia, is joining older brother Jacob at OSU, and there have been talks this year that with the disintegration of the Pac-12, the Beavers might eventually join the Mountain West Conference, allowing both Kmatz brothers the possible chance to pitch in Albuquerque against the Lobos.

"Playing against kids like (St. Pius product) Gene Trujillo would be pretty cool," Kmatz said, adding, "Oregon State gave me this opportunity, and I'm super excited to go up there and continue the legacy of the Kmatz family."

In between New York and Malibu, you'll find Eldorado swimmer Cole Bettis, a multiple state champion last winter for the Eagles. He is signing with the University of Utah.

"I did a few college visits, (but) Utah, it just felt different," Bettis said. "I had that feeling of, I could see myself going there."

Bettis won the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard breaststroke last February at the state meet. He said he will be signing with the Utes sometime this month. UNLV, Pittsburgh, Hawaii and Florida State were the other schools on his short list, he said.

"I'm pretty competitive, and I'm super excited to see what it's like to swim at that level," Bettis said. He attended summer Junior Nationals in Irvine, California, last summer, and next month is planning to swim at the winter Junior Nationals just outside Chicago.

Also of note:

Cameron King, a multiple singles state champion tennis player from La Cueva, is signing with Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Sandia girls soccer player Ayla Dils is going to sign with UNM. Another La Cueva athlete, Eva Love, will be joining the Air Force Academy, which recruited her in basketball. The early signing period in basketball starts Wednesday and runs through Nov. 15. The regular signing period in basketball is April 17 to May 15.

Football's early signing period is Dec. 20 to 22. The regular signing period begins the first week of February.

A partial list of athletes from New Mexico who are expected to sign national letters of intent during the signing period that begins Wednesday, Nov. 8:

BASEBALL

Zach Kmatz, Sandia (Oregon State)Jaden Davis, Cleveland (New Mexico State)Talan Barraza, Sandia (NM Junior College)Silas Hilton, Cleveland (Trinidad State, Colo., JC)Seth Galfano, Cibola (NM Highlands)Ramon Martinez, La Cueva (Pima CC, Ariz.)Malachi Jaramillo, Cleveland (University of Texas Permian Basin)Santiago Long, Farmington (Lamar Community College)Logan Sandoval, Ruidoso (Northwestern Oklahoma State)Lucas Hernandez, Las Cruces (Milwaukee Area Technical College)Delmonico Granger, Carlsbad (University of the Southwest)Matthew Board, Cibola (NM Highlands)

MEN'S GOLF

Clark Sonnenberg, Albuquerque Academy (New Mexico)

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Emma Eden, Albuquerque Academy (Pepperdine)Reese Russell, Eldorado (Nicholls State, La.)

VOLLEYBALL

Ella Parker, Cibola (St. John's)Tea Kalajdzic, La Cueva (St. Louis University)Marian Hatch, Cleveland (New Mexico)

MEN'S SWIMMING

Cole Bettis, Eldorado (Utah)

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Ayla Dils, Sandia (New Mexico)Rylie Pengelly, Cleveland (Florida Southern College)Kiana Jamerson, Cleveland (Fort Lewis College, Colo.)Tessa Updegraff, La Cueva (Embry-Riddle)Ella Lent-Koop, Cleveland (Messiah University, Pa.)Zylee Dominguez, Hope Christian (Houston Christian)

SOFTBALL

Toni Lucero, La Cueva (Western NM)Addisen Byers, La Cueva (Western NM)Ciena Perez, La Cueva (Southern Nazarene University, Okla.)Kyra Zamora, La Cueva (Trinidad State, Colo. JC)Hannah Hunt, La Cueva (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs)Consuelo Clemons, Hope Christian (Arizona Christian)Jayda Throgmorton, Rio Rancho (Arizona Western)Mia Encinias, West Mesa (Luna Community College, NM)Jaylyn Kelly, Valley (Trinidad State, Colo. JC)

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Nick Moore, Eldorado (Portland State)Adan Marquez, Rio Grande (University of the Southwest)

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Cameron King, La Cueva (Bucknell University, Pa.)

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Eva Love, La Cueva (Air Force Academy)Marsai Martinez, West Mesa (Crown College, Minn.)