NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Iona Preparatory Upper School standouts in baseball, basketball, lacrosse and track & field made their mark on National Signing Day, with seven athletes signing National Letters of Intent to play for NCAA Division I or Division II schools.
The group was headlined by varsity basketball star Ty Jerome, a Bronxville resident who committed to play for Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse University of Virginia. The seven Gaels made their commitments official on Thursday, November 12, the second day of the NCAA’s early signing period.
Joining Jerome in signing National Letters of Intent were:
Baseball
· Christopher Dutra, Rye Brook, catcher, D-I Duke University
· Joseph LaSorsa, Katonah, pitcher, D-I St. John’s University
Basketball
· Patrick Fleming, Dobbs Ferry, guard, D-II Assumption College
Lacrosse
· Zachary Kryza, Somers, defender, D-I Villanova University
· Christian McHugh, Tuckahoe, offensive midfielder, D-I Lehigh University
Track & field
· Andrew Cannistraci, New Rochelle, discus/shotput, D-I Northeastern University
Four other Gaels made commitments to Division III schools. They were:
Baseball
· Andrew Militie, New Rochelle, first baseman, Southern Vermont College
Lacrosse
· Laurence Gerace, Larchmont, offensive midfielder, Oberlin College
· Charles McAllister, Pleasantville, goalie, Coast Guard Academy
· Timothy Powell, Rye, defender, Roanoke College
Dutra is a career .368 hitter at Iona Prep, with 24 extra-base hits. He was a New York State Sports Writers Association Catholic all-state selection in 2015, as well as a Journal News Westchester/Putnam second-team all-star and MSG Varsity all-Hudson Valley/Westchester second-team selection.
“Chris has made himself into one of the best prospects in New York State,” Gaels baseball coach Ryan Mahoney said. “Defensively, he has the ability to stop the running game and calls a great game for our pitching staff. Offensively, he has gap-to-gap power, which will only increase as he continues to train at the higher level.”
LaSorsa was 15-3 with a 3.00 ERA as a left-handed starter and reliever during the 2015 regular season. He threw a one-hit shutout in the 2014 JV City Championship game.
“He is not only talented but has a tremendous work ethic and leads our pitching staff on a daily basis,” Mahoney said. “He was a major factor starting and out of the bullpen during his junior year and will be our No. 1 starter in 2016.”
Jerome was a first-team all-state selection last year. He also was selected as Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year by The Journal News and as All-Hudson Valley Player of the Year by MSG Varsity. He also participated in the Nike Global Challenge, the Nike Basketball Academy and the NBPA Top 100 camp.
“In any level of sports, there are only the select few that make the players around them better, and Ty is one of them. In my opinion that is the greatest compliment a player can receive,” Gaels basketball coach Vic Quirolo said. “Ty Jerome’s basketball IQ, leadership skills and work ethic are outstanding.”
Fleming earned a full scholarship after overcoming two wrist surgeries in six months. He was a member of the 2015 Archdiocesan Class AA championship team and was chosen for the 2015 Hudson Valley Team that competed at the BCANY Summer Hoops Festival.
Kryza was the Catholic High School Athletic Association Defenseman of the Year in 2015. A three-year varsity starter, he was a CHSAA first-team all-league selection in 2014 and 2015, and he was a Journal News first-team all-region selection last season.
McHugh was the CHSAA Midfielder of the Year in 2015, and he’s a two-time CHSAA first-team all-league selection and three-year varsity starter. His peers selected him as captain for the upcoming season.
Cannistraci enters the 2016 indoor track season as the top shot put and discus thrower in Westchester County, and he ranks second in the state in the shot put. He earned a medal at states by placing fifth, and he finished third in the Emerging Elite Division at nationals.
