Spring Signing Ceremony

Jesuit High School athletes spanning six different sports signed with the colleges of their choice Wednesday (April 13) at an early morning signing ceremony in the President's Board Room at Jesuit, with family, friends, and coaches in attendance.

A total of eight Jesuit seniors in baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and wrestling signed Letters of Intent: 

• Brian Buser, wrestling, John Carroll University
• Chris Conn, lacrosse, Rhodes College
• Ryan Fleming, basketball, Denison University
• Byrne Litschgi, swimming, University of Chicago
• Connar Lufkin, soccer, Jacksonville University
• Alex Morales, baseball, Oglethorpe University
• J.J. Niekro, baseball, Florida Southern College
• Tommy Shaffer, swimming, U.S. Military Academy – West Point

Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J., and athletic director Terry Rupp ’84 offered their congratulations. They encouraged the signees to continue striving, and to be leaders among their peers for the remainder of their high school careers and into college.

The eight athletes accumulated many sensational prep achievements, including Buser winning a wrestling State title at 182 pounds; Lufkin being named the county’s boys soccer Player of the Year as well as MVP of both the county and state (FACA) all-star games; Shaffer winning a swimming State title in the 100 freestyle; Litschgi and Shaffer swimming legs on two State champion relay teams; Fleming helping lead the basketball team to a Region title and State berth; and, the night before the signing ceremony, Niekro pitched four shutout innings for the baseball team, which has earned the No. 1 seed in the District Tournament.

This was the last of three scheduled college signing ceremonies at Jesuit for the 2015-16 school year. Each year, about 20-30 Jesuit student-athletes sign Letters of Intent to participate in college athletics. The spring signing period lasts several weeks, and more Jesuit student-athletes could sign during that time.

Please see a photo slideshow and a video below from Wednesday’s ceremony: