Three Athletes Celebrate Signing Day

Three Hauppauge High School athletes gathered Monday to celebrate signing to colleges.

Seniors Nicole Ehlinger, Jennifer Porretto and Jessica Venturino celebrated signing letters with schools with parents at Hauppauge's athetlic offices. The brief gathering was modest, as were the athletes about their accomplishments.

Ehlinger, starting pitcher for Eagles girls varsity softball, has signed to play on a partial athletic scholarship for C.W. Post in Oyster Bay. She lead the softball team to a 16-2 League V record last season, and has been aware the university's had an eye on her since her sophomore year.

"I loved the campus and the coach is really nice. It's perfect, and its close to home," Ehlinger said. 

She said she hopes to study psychology come the fall.

Girls lacrosse teammates Porretto and Venturino will spend one last season playing together this spring before going their separate ways, leaving Long Island for Dartmouth College and Ohio State, respectively.

"I was really excited, I couldn't really sleep. I couldn't wait to be fully committed," Porretto said, as she signed the letter of commitment and mailed it off last week.

The attacker has played lacrosse since she was 8, competing as part of the Long Island Yellow Jackets.

"I've always loved it and knew I wanted to play in college," Porretto said.

She plans to continue her education to become an athletic or physical trainer.

Venturino said Dartmouth College, recognized as a member of the Ivy League, does not have its athletes sign letters, but rather committed to attending earlier this summer on July 9 after visiting campus twice. She attended a three-day summer camp with the team that reassured her she made the right decision.

"It was intimidating but it was a challenge, and it was a great experience overall," the defender said. "I couldn't feel my legs when I left the camp."

She will enter Dartmouth college with an undecided major, but said she is leaning heavily towards a physics-related path.