It is a cherished tradition at Notre Dame and high schools all around the country—Signing Day! It is a day to celebrate our athletes as they formalize the continuation of their sport at a collegiate level.

For our athletes, it was a morning of excitement as family, friends, and coaches were present to support and congratulate them.

This year, Notre Dame proudly had 13 Knights sign their Letters of Intent on November 10, National Signing Day. 11 are headed to D1 institutions and 2 to D2 schools.

Here’s the rundown:

For Women’s golf, Captains Annie Buffolino signed to Boise State University in Idaho and Marley Franklin signed to Howard University in Washington DC. 

The two captains led the women’s golf all the way to winning first place in the CIF Southern California Regional Championship and 6th place in California. 

Marley Franklin will play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Howard University’s Women’s golf is NCAA D1.

Annie Bufflino said, “Signing to Boise State and Winning the Regional Championship made me feel amazing. I felt that all my work had paid off. I’m very excited to be a Bronco.” 

Women’s Volleyball is sending Captains Branson Lennon and Ariana Urina to Northern California. 

Branson will be attending the University of San Francisco, an NCAA Division I school that competes in the​​ West Coast Conference National Affiliation. Branson said, “I am really looking forward to becoming more independent in college and am excited to compete at the next level.” 

Ariana will be attending San Francisco State University which is NCAA Division 2 and competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association or CCAA.

Pitcher Cole Clark will be staying local, attending Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Playa Vista for Baseball. LMU is a D1 school that competes in the West Coast Conference. LMU is a Jesuit school that ranks fourth for Students Most Engaged in Community Service, 11th for Most Beautiful Campus and 16th for Happiest Students. 

First Baseman Jack Gurevitch will be attending the University of San Diego. The school is a member of the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference. 

Infielder TJ Whiteman will be attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, which competes in D2 baseball and is a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Men’s Basketball had two seniors commit. After receiving over 20 offers from top schools, point guard Ben Shtolzberg narrowed his list down to six schools: Butler, Creighton, Northwestern, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. 

Ben ultimately decided to commit to Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Ben said, “I chose Creighton because I saw it as the best fit for me. Creighton has a fast, free flowing style of play that showcases their guards. Creighton has also established itself as a premier program that consistently makes it to the tournament.” Impressed with the team, the coaching staff, and the family relationships they created helped Shtolzberg make his decision. 

“The best part about ND varsity basketball is how my team has become an extension of my family. The bonds I have built have been incredible and something I’ll always keep with me,” said Shtolzberg. He was looking for a school that would provide him with a similar environment.

Guard Kendall Hailey has signed to the United States Military Academy, West Point or simply ‘West Point.’ It is the most elite and prestigious military academy in the world, nested in upstate New York. 

The mission of the Army’s military academy is “to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army.” West Point is an NCAA D1 school that competes in the Patriot League. All students of any federal military academy attend tuition-free but are required to serve for at least 8 years in the armed forces after their graduation. 

The Swim Team is sending Zackary Tamuslatis to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) to further his swimming career competing D1 in Big West Conference.

Notre Dame is sending two athletes to the University of Washington in the fall. Outfielder Brooklyn Carter will be attending the University of Washington, competing in D1 softball in the PAC-12 Conference.

Ava McCumber Gandara also signed to the University of Washington, Seattle for Track and Field. “I see it as a perfect school for me to advance both my athletic and academic goals. Seattle is a great city for work and UW has a beautiful campus and great athletic facilities. The fact that UW is D1 and competes in the Pacific-12 Conference or PAC-12 was great too,” said McCumber Gandara. Unsurprisingly, UW was named the third most beautiful campus in the US. 

Also competing in Track and Field, Hope Gordon signed to Sacramento State, a D1 school that is part of The Big Sky Conference.

Athletic Director Alec Moss said, “We could not be more proud of what they have accomplished and what they are prepared to do in the future. I know they will represent our school at the highest level.”

Congratulations to our senior Knights! We wish them the best of luck as they advance in their academic and athletic careers.