Eleven student-athletes from Santa Margarita Catholic High School made their futures evident on Wednesday, Feb. 1, as they officially signed letters of intent or celebrated their commitment to attend colleges across the country for their sport. The letter of intent is a binding agreement between the student-athlete and a college, by which the student-athlete agrees to attend the college for one academic year. CLICK HERE to view photos on Flickr.
The following student-athletes signed as part of the NCAA National Letter of Intent Signing Day:
Brooke Conover of San Clemente committed to TCU for women’s soccer. Conover transitioned to Santa Margarita at the beginning of 2022 and joined the varsity girls soccer team, having transferred from Saint Kentigern College, New Zealand, where she was a four-year varsity starter. The highlight of her soccer career was captaining her country as part of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Under 16 team’s tour to Australia. Since arriving in the USA, Conover attended the ECNL National Finals with her former club team, Slammers FC HB Koge. Off the field, Conover is a member of peer ministry and has participated in the Duke of Edinburgh service program to gold level. Conover also excels in the classroom, maintaining a 4.1 GPA in the classroom. She plans to study allied health science at TCU.
Luke Newman of Mission Viejo committed to Colgate University for men’s soccer. Newman, a three-year varsity member, served as a team captain this year while leading the Eagles on the pitch as an attacking midfielder. In 2019, before moving to Orange County, Newman was the starting midfielder for the Maryland State Champions - Baltimore Celtic Club. Currently, Newman serves as captain for his club team, the ECNL Slammers. This past fall, Newman led the Slammers to the national playoffs while leading the team in assists. In 2020, Newman attended the Arizona Pro Combine, where he was selected to play for the PSC USPL team, where he continues to play today. Newman is also highly active in community outreach as a volunteer with the youth organization, Play Higher Soccer. In the classroom, he is a four-year scholar athlete maintaining a 4.4 GPA. He plans to major in astrophysics at Colgate.
Tony Ju of Rancho Santa Margarita committed to California Baptist University for men’s swimming and diving. Since his freshman year, Ju has established himself as one of the most dominant freestylers in California. Ju has the range to swim both the sprints and the distance freestyle races. Tony qualified for the 2022 CIF Championships in the 500 freestyle, where he advanced to the California state championships. He also swam the 100 freestyle sprint at both the CIF and state championships, where he qualified for the championship finals and was a member of the school-record-setting 4x50 freestyle sprint relay and the 4x100 freestyle relay. The 4x100 freestyle relay was the fastest 4x100 in Orange County history. Ju earned All-American times in the 200 freestyle in both 2021 and 2022.
The following student-athletes celebrated their Ivy League, Division III, NAIA or Division I preferred walk-on school commitments. Ivy League and Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships; therefore, no letter of intent was signed.
Dut Lual of Rancho Santa Margarita committed to Oberlin College for men’s basketball. Lual is a three-year varsity letterman for the Eagles’ basketball program. Lual has been a blessing in so many ways to the SMCHS community. In addition to his role on the basketball team, Lual is heavily involved in the SMCHS campus, including being a leader in Peer Ministry, acting as a student representative to administration, and a member of the ping pong club. Additionally, Lual was voted the 2022 homecoming king by his Santa Margarita peers. In addition to his success on the hardwood, Lual also excels in the classroom, where he maintains a 4.1 GPA.
Benjamin Durham of Rancho Santa Margarita committed to the University of Utah for football. Durham is a three-year varsity starter and was selected as a team captain for his senior season. Durham has excelled as a safety/nickel back, where he has consistently been among the leading tacklers in the rugged Trinity League. PrepRedZone recognized Durham as one of the top “under the radar” safeties in Southern California, and scorebooklive.com identified Durham as a “top player” on the Eagles talented roster. Durham has participated in a number of the most prestigious recruiting combines and 7 on 7 competitions in the nation, and the National Prep Collegiate Showcase National Combine at 2022 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. Durham was also selected to represent Santa Margarita in the Orange County All-Star North vs South Game. Durham is a multi-sport athlete who excelled in both basketball and track for Eagles. In addition to his success on the gridiron, Durham has exceled in the classroom where he has maintained a cumulative GPA 3.85. Durham has also been recognized as a student-leader within the Santa Margarita athletic department as he is a key member of the student-athlete Leadership Council. Additionally, Durham has served his community through organizations such as the San Francisco Solano Food Bank, Project Hope Alliance and Samaritans Purse. Durham plans to major in business/entrepreneurship at the University of Utah this fall.
Josh McDermott of San Juan Capistrano committed to Grove City College for men’s lacrosse. McDermott is a three-year varsity starter for the Eagles, where he specializes as a two-way midfielder. McDermott was named a team captain his senior year. Off the field, Josh is a four-year scholar-athlete, maintaining a 4.1 GPA while being a member of the California Scholastic Federation. McDermott is also a ten-year volunteer for Spirit League, a recreational athletics league that aims to help teach special needs children and adults various sports, such as basketball and baseball.
Tessa Petro of Laguna Niguel committed to Vassar College for women’s volleyball. Petro was a two-year member of the Eagles volleyball program and has maintained a 4.5 grade-point average as a full diploma International Baccalaureate student. Petro has won several writing and poetry awards and achieved high academic honors in each of her high school semesters at Santa Margarita. Petro is a member of the National Latin Honor Society, the California Scholarship Federation and the National Society of High School Scholars. Petro plans to study the classics, ancient literature and linguistics at Vassar, where she will compete in volleyball as a libero/defensive specialist.
The following student-athletes signed as part of the NCAA Division I Football National Letter of Intent Early Signing Period and were recognized during the Feb. 1 Winter Signing Day Ceremony.
Collins Acheampong of Aliso Viejo committed to the University of Miami for football. Acheampong, originally from Ghana, has spent most of his high school career excelling on the basketball hardwood as he was a three-year varsity starter and All-League selection during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons at Fairmont Preparatory Academy. Prior to his senior season with Eagles, Acheampong had only played one year of varsity football during his freshman year at Fairmont Prep. Despite his relative newness to the game, Acheampong’s incredible athletic ability and potential for success at the highest level of college football were recognized by many of the top talent evaluators in the nation, including top 300 national recruiting rankings from Tom Lemming, Cannon Sports USA and Cal-Hi Sports, among others. Acheampong has received more than 20 scholarship offers from NCAA Division I programs, with most of these offers coming from “Power 5” institutions. Acheampong was selected as a 2022 All-American and was invited to participate in the 2023 Under Armour Next All-American Game in Orlando, Fla. in January. Acheampong has not only excelled in the athletic arena, but also in the classroom, as he has maintained an overall GPA of 3.7 during his high school tenure.
Jaxon Potter of Rancho Santa Margarita committed to Washington State University for football. Potter is a three-year varsity starter in the rugged Trinity League, starting for JSerra High School during his sophomore campaign and being under center for the Eagles during his junior and senior seasons. He served as a team captain for Santa Margarita this past fall. During his two seasons as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, Potter wrote his name in the quarterback-rich history books of Santa Margarita and leaves Santa Margarita as one of the most decorated signal callers in program history. Potter placed his name atop the Eagle record books by breaking 22 school records in his career, highlighted by a 539 total-yard performance against a nationally ranked Los Alamitos squad this past fall. Potter was selected first-team All-Trinity League in 2022, as he led what is widely regarded as the top high school leagues in the nation in both passing yards and completions. He was selected as second team All-Trinity League as a junior. Potter has been recognized as one of the top 100 quarterbacks nationally by numerous media outlets and scouting services, punctuated by a top 50 national nod from 247sports.com. Potter is also a standout in the classroom, maintained a 3.5 GPA throughout his high school career.
Donovan Comestro of Ladera Ranch committed to the College of the Holy Cross for football. Comestro is a three-year varsity starter at defensive back for the Eagles. Comestro was named first-team All-Trinity League during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns and was recognized as second team All-Trinity League during the COVID-19 shortened spring 2021 season. Throughout his career with the Eagles, Comestro demonstrated his versatility by lining up at cornerback and safety. Known for being a “big game performer,” Comestro had some of his best games while lining up against a myriad of nationally ranked four and five-star national level wide receiver recruits. Additionally, he was recognized by the Orange County Register as one of Orange County’s top impact players and praised by Prep Red Zone for being a top performer on the off-season passing league circuit, including being named defensive MVP of the Battle 7v7 Dallas tournament this past spring. Off the gridiron, Comestro has served as a vital member of the Santa Margarita Student-Leadership Council for the past two years. Recognizing his leadership skills, Comestro’s teammates and coaches awarded him the Gauntlet Award after his junior season and selected him as a team captain for the 2022 season. Off the field, Comestro has consistently maintained a 3.8 GPA and exemplifies leadership, reliability, and humility.
Nicholas “Niko” Lopez of Mission Viejo committed to Colorado State University for football. Lopez is a three-year varsity starter and captain for the Eagles. He split his playing time between tight end and wide receiver during his Santa Margarita career. Lopez was recognized as first-team All-Trinity League in 2021 and 2022, during which time he led all Orange County tight ends in receptions and yards gained. Additionally, Lopez was recognized as a third-team All-Orange County selection and a Cal-Hi Sports All-State nominee during his time with the Eagles. Recognized as an excellent leader on the field, Lopez also excels off the field as he has volunteered at numerous food banks throughout Orange County and serves as a servant leader for his parish. Lopez has maintained a 3.5 GPA in the classroom at Santa Margarita and plans to major in Business Management at Colorado State.