On February 7, eight Stallions officially signed their National Letters of Intent to continue both their academic and athletic pursuits at various colleges across the country.

Two of the signees came from the girls soccer program, marking the sixth consecutive year that the team has sent a student-athlete to a Division I program. It remains the longest streak of its kind in SJHHS history.

Jennifer McFadden will be moving on to the United States Air Force Academy (D1). McFadden has excelled since her freshman year, managing to pick up a 2nd Team All-League in her debut season. She also managed to pick up a spot on the 1st Team All-League as well as the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player in her junior year.

Her teammate Natalie Herring will be attending Transylvania University (D3). She’s been a leader both on and off the field. On the field, Herring captained both the Frosh/Soph and JV team, while off the field she holds leadership positions in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Link Crew, and the Boys & Girls Club.

The only other sport that had multiple student-athletes sign during this event was Baseball, who graduated Connor Crotty and Grant Vurpillat.

Crotty will be attending the College of the Holy Cross (D1) in order to study Economics. Crotty has been on Varsity for two seasons, but it’s his academic excellence that really stands out. His list of accomplishments range from winning the Scholar-Athlete award twice, being on both the Superintendent’s and Principal’s Honor Rolls for four years, and receiving the Honors World History Student of the Year.

Vurpillat will be moving on to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (D1) next year. Similar to Crotty, Vurpillat has been on varsity for two seasons. He also won Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore as well as making the All-Tournament Team at the Senior Showcase. Vurpillat managed to showcase his academic abilities as well by scoring in the 97th percentile on the SAT.

Jack Monach will be attending the University of California, Irvine (D1) in order to play on their boys soccer team. Monach has started for the Stallions since his sophomore year and currently captains the team. He has participated in the prestigious US Olympic Developmental Program for three years, and he was selected for the Region IV ODP All Tournament Team in 2017. Monach is also well respected by his teachers, as he is a two-time Spirit of the Stallion recipient.

Matthew Rodriguez will be attending New Mexico Highlands University (D2) to join their football team. Rodriguez, a varsity athlete for three years, started at quarterback for a majority of this season and led the Stallions to their third consecutive CIF appearance. He received an Honorable Mention in the All-South Coast League Team this season.

Kaleigh Santmyer will be attending the St. Olaf College (D3) to play on the school’s softball team. She currently captains the varsity team, and has won the Scholar Athlete Award four times. She is also a Spirit of the Stallion recipient and a volunteer at Fred Jordan Mission.

Claire Welter will be moving on to Kent State University (D1) in order to play girls lacrosse. Claire Welter has played on varsity for all four of her years at San Juan Hills, and is a two time All-League 2nd Team member. In addition, Welter was awarded as an Orange County National Team Member in both her freshman and sophomore years. She is currently a member of Link Crew and her local Venture Crew program, where she serves as president.