Mimi Duffy excelled in track for Mount Carmel CYO and was often told she had a future in the sport. The Central Bucks West senior didn’t take those compliments too seriously.
“I had been hearing it for many years, but I never really believed in myself until states my freshman year when I got second in the 200,” Duffy said.
It turns out those who predicted greatness were right. Since bursting on the scene as a freshman, Duffy has done a whole lot of winning. The District One 3A champion in the 400 meter, Duffy finished third in the event at states last spring. This fall, the West senior signed a letter of intent to continue her track career at Penn State University, narrowing her final choices to Penn State and Notre Dame.
“When I went on my official to Penn State, just the community there – all the people were so welcoming,” said Duffy, who is considering a biomedical engineering major. “It had the best balance between academics, social and athletics, so that was the ultimate reason. It was also close to home, which made me a little more comfortable.”
Duffy was one of 12 CB West seniors recognized on Thursday, Nov. 16. Included were two members of West’s SOL Colonial championship field hockey squad that advanced to the District One 3A semifinals.
Lily Cosner will continue her field hockey career at the University of Delaware where she will major in human physiology and sports health. She also considered St. Joseph’s and Vermont.
“I loved (Delaware) for years – I’ve been obsessed with the campus, the coaching staff always made me feel so welcome, and the girls on the team were just always so welcoming,” Cosner said. “I really saw field hockey in a different atmosphere here in high school. I realized that’s what I wanted to do in college because it was just so fun being on the team and playing the game.”
Nina Mayro will continue her field hockey career at Georgetown University where she will enroll in the pre-med track. She also considered Richmond, William & Mary and Johns Hopkins.
“I love the location in the city,” Mayro said. “Also, academically, I felt like it was a good fit for me. I really loved the coaches, and that was a big part too.
“I never really thought about playing in college until freshman year when I played varsity. I was playing with seniors who were going to college, and as I went through my high school career, I realized I didn’t want it to stop after high school.”
Three members of the softball team – Chloe Dryden, Molly Gibson and Sienna Lawson – will compete at the collegiate level.
Dryden signed a letter of intent to play softball at Boston University where she is undecided on a major but considering biology and health sciences. She also considered Bryant, Hofstra and Monmouth.
“It felt like the right atmosphere for me,” Dryden said. “The second I went there I was welcomed by the coaches and everyone in the program. It was just a good environment.”
Gibson will major in sports media at Ithaca College. She also considered Emerson, Endicott and Gettysburg.
“Just the overall community there is really nice, and ever since I went there for the first time, I felt really at home,” Gibson said. “The coaches are really welcoming.
“The summer between my freshman and sophomore year is when I decided I wanted to play at the next level. I have friends who started the recruiting process who are older than me, and I learned from them.”
Lawson will continue her softball career at Misericordia where she will major in speech language pathology.
“I was really impressed with their five-year speech language pathology program,” said Lawson, who also considered Lebanon Valley. “I also knew I wanted to play softball in college, so after meeting with current softball players and the coach, I felt so welcomed and knew this was the school for me both for academics and softball.”
Alexis Castro and Kate Weyer will continue their soccer careers at the college level.
Castro chose McDaniel College where she will major in nursing. She also considered Ursinus College.
“I chose McDaniel because of the atmosphere when I went there to visit, and the players and the coaches just really seemed like a fit for me,” Gibson said. “When I was little, I was always like, ‘I’m going to go D1,’ but as I got older, I realized – I don’t want it to be my whole life, but I love soccer, so I one hundred percent wanted to play in college. I love nursing, so I wanted to go D3, so I could focus on that too.
Weyer will major in health sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University, choosing the A-10 school from a final list that included William & Mary, Ohio State and Penn State.
“VCU is great for academics in what I want to study,” Weyer said. “Their soccer program is a style of play I really enjoy playing, and the location – I have a lot of family there. The school and city are just beautiful.”
Matt Jacobsen and Jimmy Donnelly will compete in lacrosse at the next level with Jacobsen taking his talents to the University of Richmond. He also considered St. Joseph’s, Drexel and West Point.
“I chose Richmond because the coaches were just really serious, it was a competitive environment, and I wanted to be part of that,” said Jacobsen, who is undecided on a major. “I started thinking about playing in college freshman year when I was able to play varsity.”
Donnelly will major in radiology and continue his lacrosse career at Holy Family University, choosing the Philadelphia school from a final list that also included Lebanon Valley.
“I really liked the coaches, and because the lacrosse program is new, I like the idea of building a culture,” Donnelly said. “My whole life I’ve wanted to play a sport at the next level, and I succeeded it, and it just happened.”
Connor Mangan will continue his swimming career at Gettysburg College. He also considered William & Mary, Davidson and Lafayette.
“I just loved the team atmosphere and the coaches,” Mangan said. “Playing in college has always been a goal of mine.
“Sophomore year when I only missed states by one place, I started getting emails from coaches. That’s when the recruiting started.”
Sam Greer – a key member of West’s District One 3A championship baseball team – will continue his baseball career at St. Joseph’s University where he will major in finance.
“At first when the coach reached out to me,” Greer said, “I didn’t know about the whole school, but then I went there on a tour, and I loved it. I loved the campus, I loved the team, and the family aspect was amazing.
“I knew from a young age I wanted to play in college. It was just about putting in the hard work to be able to do it.”
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