Signing Day: St. Rita’s class has shining day
By Pat Disabato pdisabato@southtownstar.com February 1, 2012 9:14PM
Max Kurucar (from left), Will McNamara and Mike Zunica, of St. Rita, announce their college plans Wednesday. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times Media
Where They’re going
Wednesday was the first day incoming freshmen for 2012-13 were allowed to sign a National Letter of Intent for football, field hockey, soccer, track and field, cross country and men’s water polo. Among the area athletes who sent or were expected to send letters were*:
SCHOOL NAME SPORT COLLEGE
Andrew Mark Kane Football Prairie State
Andrew Mike Keller Cross Country Wisconsin-LaCrosse
Andrew Mike Love Football Western Illinois
Andrew Julia Perkins Soccer Purdue
Andrew Justin Silverman Football Prairie State
Andrew Katie Truesdale Soccer Loras
Bremen David Smith Football Oklahoma
Bremen Dion Starnes Football Air Force
Brother Rice Martez Walker Football Central Michigan
Chicago Christian Carolyn Richards Soccer Florida Gulf Coast
H-F Allison Farkos Soccer Illinois State
Lemont Kyle Krull Football Western Illinois
Lemont Kelly Trojak Soccer St. Xavier
Lemont Brad Uher Football Western Illinois
Lincoln-Way Central Conor Bartuch Soccer Eastern Illinois
Lincoln-Way Central Brett Ditchman Football St. Francis
Lincoln-Way Central Lauren Kelly Soccer Miami (Ohio)
Lincoln-Way Central Liam Sears Football Robert Morris
Lincoln-Way East Kevin Bayer Football North Dakota
Lincoln-Way East Al Hern Football Drake
Lincoln-Way East Joel Magrum Football Indiana State
Lincoln-Way East Jason Robertson Football Illinois
Lincoln-Way East Matt Solner Football Iowa Western
Lincoln-Way East Tyler Starke Football Robert Morris
Lincoln-Way East Blake Winkler Football Illinois State
Lincoln-Way North Jessica Bean Soccer Loyola
Lincoln-Way North Ross Stremme Football St. Francis
Lincoln-Way West B.J. Bello Football Illinois
Lincoln-Way West Kyle Millner Football Robert Morris
Lockport Megan O’Brien Cross Country Northwestern
Lockport Thomas Razo Cross Country Bradley
Lockport Billy Reed Football Southern Illinois
Lockport Stephanie Sanders Cross Country Illinois-Chicago
Lockport Dexter Taylor Football Bemidji State
Lockport Zack Wolfe Football Butler
Marian Catholic Jeruel Taylor Football McKendree
Marist Ryan Meyer Football Eastern Illinois
Mount Assisi Kaitlyn Sendzik Cross Country Lewis
Mount Carmel Sal Arceo Football Northern Illinois
Mount Carmel Derrick Bryant Football Indianapolis
Mount Carmel Brandon Greer Football Central Michigan
Mount Carmel Frank Kelly Football Ave Maria
Mount Carmel Colin Marz Soccer Illinois-Chicago
Mount Carmel Nick Roach Football Western Michigan
Mount Carmel Vontrell Williams Football Illinois
Oak Forest Nick Bukowski Football Robert Morris
Oak Forest Tevin Coleman Football Indiana
Oak Forest Alex Hansen Football Air Force
Oak Forest Brandon Ivins CC/Track St. Francis
Oak Lawn Mike Calandriello Football St. Francis
Providence Charles Barth Football Western Michigan
Providence Nick Cemeno Football St. Xavier
Providence Troy Sheppard Football Northwestern
Providence Mitch Vejvoda Football South Dakota State
Providence Ryan Ward Football Iowa
Richards Luke Sakal Football Robert Morris
Rich Central Devonte Black Football Truman State
Rich Central Shawn Mitchell Football Southern Illinois
Rich East Ricky Dixon Football Eastern New Mexico
St. Rita Nick Dachota Football Indiana State
St. Rita Charles Elmore Football South Dakota State
St. Rita Dan Fitzgerald Football St. Xavier
St. Rita Kenny Golladay Football North Dakota
St. Rita Max Kurucar Football Penn
St. Rita Dan Ladd Football St. Xavier
St. Rita Will McNamara Football Dartmouth
St. Rita Pat O’Connor Football Eastern Michigan
St. Rita Mike Zunica Football Columbia
Sandburg Dan Feeney Football Indiana
Sandburg Danny Lojek Soccer Notre Dame
Sandburg Shannon Stearns Soccer Miami (Ohio)
Sandburg Luke Lonergan Football Robert Morris
Thornton Jamar Gary Football Sioux Falls
Thornton Brandon Harris Football Mid American Nazarene
Thornton Malcolm Majors Football Mid American Nazarene
Thornton Davi McDonald Football William Penn
Thornton Jeff Myles Football Sioux Falls
Thornwood Matthew Evans Football Robert Morris
Thornwood Raheem Gardner Football Robert Morris
Thornwood Tyshon Waller Football Indiana State
Thornwood Chris Whitfield Football Rochester C&T
Tinley Park Zach Webster Football St. Francis
* All information provided by area schools
Article Extras
Updated: March 3, 2012 11:27AM
St. Rita football coach Todd Kuska has helped develop dozens of players for various levels of college football.
Never during his 14 years, however, has he had three members of a senior class commit to Ivy League schools.
That was the case early Wednesday morning on National Signing Day at St. Rita.
Max Kurucar (Pennsylvania), Mike Zunica (Columbia) and Will McNamara (Dartmouth) all committed to play football in the Ivy League.
St. Rita basketball player Tony Hicks also will attend Penn.
“Every year I take our best prospects who are top students and get their names out to the top academic colleges,” Kuska said. “Academically, the kids have to hit the marks the schools are requesting. You have to have the grades first and foremost. That gets them accepted to the school.
“Then you have to be able to play football. These three guys all fit the bill.”
Kurucar, a defensive back, has a 4.34 grade-point average and scored 30 on the ACT. He was among the area leaders in interceptions.
Zunica, a fullback, also scored 30 on the ACT and has a 3.98 GPA. He developed into one of the Mustangs’ go-to guys in the backfield. He also plays baseball, and is the son of St. Rita athletic director/baseball coach Mike Zunica.
McNamara, a linebacker, boasts a 3.70 GPA (out of 4.0) and scored 26 on the ACT. He’s a two-time SouthtownStar All-Area selection and was the Catholic League Blue’s Defensive Player of the Year.
“I always tell the kids, ‘It’s great to play football and be involved in things, but let football open up doors to further your education and to be able to experience the world,’ ” Kuska said. “These guys are attending elite schools. It says a lot about the academics at St. Rita. These kids should be set for life.”
While Wednesday marked the beginning of the signing period for scholarship athletes in football and several other sports, Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships. However, there are ways those schools help recruits offset roughly $60,000 in annual tuition costs. McNamara, Zunica and Kurucar received generous academic and financial aid packages included in what the Ivy League refers to as “Likely Letters.”
These letters are one tool the Ivy League schools use to encourage recruits to put other collegiate options on the back burner. Receiving a Likely Letter means they’ve likely been accepted to the school.
“I know none of these guys are paying as much to go college as they’re paying to go here,” Kuska said of St. Rita’s annual tuition of $9,250. “The Ivy League schools try to make it as affordable as possible. I’m as proud, if not more proud, of these guys than I am of the Division I signees. These guys had the academic and athletic means to get accepted to elite schools. They’re going to play football and receive an unbelievable education.”
Kurucar twice visited Penn. He’s excited about the challenges an Ivy League education and playing college football present.
“The coaches are a lot fun,” said Kurucar, who plans to major in business. “It’s a nice campus. You can see the Philadelphia skyline from campus. It’s everything I was looking for. I’m excited for the challenges. It felt like the place for me.”
As if the academic and athletic challenges are not enough, Zunica will have to resist the temptations that go along with living in New York City as a student-athlete at Columbia.
Is he worried about living in the Big Apple?
“I don’t think I’ll be too overwhelmed,” said Zunica, who also plans to major in business. “I have the discipline to stay home and not run around New York City. This is a great opportunity. The Ivy League and it’s history and reputation. I’m excited.”
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