Placer County athletes sign National Letters of Intent

Feb. 2 was signing day for area athletes and 13 athletes put pen to paper across four schools to continue their athletic careers at the college level. Woodcreek High School had four athletes sign on Feb. 2: Morgan McMillan, Kylie Agnone, Riley Eaves and Olivia Zanni. McMillan signed to play softball for the University of Minnesota Duluth. "I've met some of the girls and they're really inclusive," McMillan said. "I'm just excited to have an overall fun college experience. Agnone signed to play volleyball for Life Pacific University while Eaves will play water polo for Chapman University. Eaves was the Capital Valley Conference co-Most Valuable Player in the 2020 season and First-Team All-League for the Timberwolves in 2021. Zanni ran cross-country and track in high school, and has rowed for the Capital Crew junior program since her freshman year at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. She signed on Feb. 2 to continue her rowing career at California State University at Sacramento. "It is so exciting and this is something I have been thinking about for a while," Zanni said. "To finally commit to one and know this is what I want to do feels really good and I'm just going to represent the best that I can." Five other Timberwolves signed in November with the Capital Valley Conference Most Valuable Player in volleyball, Kaitlyn Beck, signing to play beach volleyball at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Four baseball players signed as well: Jake Harvey, Zack Malone, Braeden Sloan and Caden Thompson. Rocklin High School had five athletes sign National Letters of Intent also on Feb. 2, including Delaney Sparks, who will continue her volleyball career at Northwest University in Washington. Sparks grew up in Washington and her brother, Carson, plays on the university's basketball team. "Playing at the collegiate level has been a dream of mine for a long time and being able to sign my letter of intent surrounded by people who have always believed in me was really a dream come true," Sparks said. "The amazing group of women I will be surrounded by while also growing my skills as a player is such a blessing." Four football players from the Sierra Foothill League champion Thunder team signed to play at the next level. They are Nathan Kent, Bobby Piland, Elias Mullican and Bradford Baur. Mullican will play at California State University at Sacramento while Kent and Piland will go to the United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy, respectively. Baur signed to continue his career at Rice University. Two Whitney High football players signed on Feb. 2 with both Takai Takahashi and Ian Don heading to Rocky Mountain College in Montana. Don earned All-Sierra Foothill League honors last season. "I'm super excited to get to continue to play with one of my teammates," Takahashi said. "I get to continue to play the sport I love and I wouldn't have been able to do this without the people I have had around me." Del Oro High School had two athletes sign as Remini Huguenot will trap shoot at Midland University in Nebraska while Kayleigh Lugowski will play softball at Saint Martin's University in Washington. The Golden Eagles had 12 athletes sign National Letters of Intent in November. They are Gabriella Perez, Madison Butcher, Damion Elliott, Colton Schweig, Jenna Birch, Jake Goehring, Olivia Robison, Annabelle Burke, Riley Chamberlain, Amelia Moneymaker, Haylee Engelbrecht and Jordyn Casey. While Oakmont High School didn't have anyone sign on Feb. 2, school officials said a variety of athletes will sign National Letters of Intent sometime in early to mid March.