FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Community Rels. Director Donna Holmes February 24, 2012 610-847-5131, ext. 2401 dholmes@palisadessd.org Athletic Director Rebecca George 610-847-5131, ext. 2009 rgeorge@palisadessd.org PALISADES STANDOUT STUDENT-ATHLETES SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT: Rebecca George, Director of Athletics for Palisades announced: student-athletes, Bobby Kroschwitz (Boys Soccer), Meryah Harding (Field Hockey), Elissa Berdini (Girls Soccer) and Andrew Hollander (Baseball) have all made a commitment to continue their athletic careers while attending college. The student-athletes can be available for comment and/or an interview. Please contact the athletic office at rgeorge@palisadessd.org or call 610-847-5131, ext. 2010 if you are interested. From Athletic Director, Rebecca George, We are very proud of Bobby, Meryah, Elissa and Andrew. They have dedicated themselves to be outstanding Student-Athletes. I wish them the best of luck as they continue their competitive careers while furthering their education. It will be an experience they will never forget. Bio for Student-Athlete, Bobby Kroschwitz Rider University: Rider University extended a very generous athletic and academic scholarship package to Bobby, who finished his most recent academic semester with a 4.0 GPA. Although Bobby had been recruited by a number of other Division I and III universities, his consideration of Rider was based on the school s regional distinction as a business college, as well as Bobby s respect and admiration for the school s newly appointed head coach, Charles Inverso. Coach Inverso is nationally recognized for capturing 5 national championships at the junior college level and the prospect of playing under Inverso s direction at the Division I level was one of the decisive factors in Bobby s interest in attending Rider. The school competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Bobby plans to study economics and business entrepreneurship at Rider University next fall. Bobby has been a four-year starter at Palisades High School and served as team captain since his sophomore year. In his freshman year, Bobby distinguished himself by scoring 17 varsity goals and helping the team reverse a three year losing streak. An ankle injury prevented Bobby from playing most of his sophomore season, but he made significant contributions to the program again during his junior and senior years. Bobby became one of the region s all-time top scorers and he concluded his high school career with 82 goals and 205 points. In his senior year, Bobby was recognized as an All-State
Player by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association and was named to the All- Colonial League All Star team during each of his four high school years. In 2011 he was named to the Region s All-Area 1st team. At the club level, Bobby plays with the well known, Player s Development Academy, of central New Jersey. His team, the PDA U18 Academy, competes in the United States Developmental Academy league, a national league affiliated with US Soccer. Bobby also played for years at rival club, FC Delco, and participated in the Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program (ODP). High School Soccer Achievements/Recognition 2011 Pennsylvania Male ALL-STATE 1st team selection The Express Times, Lehigh Valley Newspaper 2011 All-Area 1st Team Selection The Morning Call, Lehigh Valley Newspaper 2011 All-Area 1st Team Selection 2011 2010 2009 2008 All Colonial League All Star Team Selection All Colonial 1st Team, 37 season goals All Colonial 1st Team, 26 season goals All Colonial 2nd Team (injured most of sophomore yr.) 8 goals All Colonial 2nd Team, 17 season goals, freshman year 2010-Present 2009-2010 2007-2009 2006-2008 Club Soccer PDA U18 USDA Academy team FC Delco U16 USDA Academy team FC Delco Black EPYSA ODP 1st State Team Bio for Student-Athlete Meryah Harding-DeSales University Palisades High School s student-athlete, Meryah Harding, will be going to DeSales University, where she has been accepted as one of only fifty students in their #1 Top Nationally Ranked Physicians Assistant Program and where she will be playing field hockey. Field Hockey Started Playing Field Hockey for Palisades Middle School with Coach Pam Cianni-Garner as a Mid-Fielder continued with Coach Garner through Senior Year of High School 4 year Varsity Letter Winner Team Co-Captain 2011 Three years Winter Indoor Field Hockey Player at Palisades HS Volunteered at Upper Bucks YMCA in 2011 Teaching Field Hockey to elementary students 2011 Volunteer for Palisades School District Youth Field Hockey Camp 2009 Played for First Class Indoor Hockey with Coach Shawn Hindy (now the head Field Hockey Coach at Michigan State)
Summer Camps at Bloomsburg University (3 years), Shippensburg University, and Penn State University 3 years playing with the Palisades Summer League Invited to and played at National Field Hockey Coach s Association College Connection 2010 Played with the USA Field Hockey Futures Team at Lehigh University 2011 Soccer Played T-shirt Soccer with the Palisades Youth Soccer Association all through the summers of elementary and middle school Played Travel Soccer with PYSA in the Middle School Played Winter Indoor Soccer Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Year Track and Field Ruiz Speed and Agility Training since 3 rd Grade at both Palisades HS and Lehigh University Started Track at Palisades Middle School in 7 th grade 3 year (hope to be 4) Varsity Sprinter at Palisades HS Contributed over 100pts towards girls track scores on the Palisades HS Track and Field Team with Coach Scott Antoni 4 year volunteer at the Palisades Track and Field Youth Summer Camp Meryah Harding s Competitive Accomplishments Freshman Palisades Field Hockey Rookie of the Year Palisades Girls Track and Field 100pt Club Palisades Girls Track and Field League Champions for 400m relay team Sophomore Palisades Field Hockey MVP Midfielder Junior 2010 Colonial League Field Hockey All-League Team 2 nd Team Mid-Fielder Qualified for Pennsylvania State Track and Field in the 100m Hurdles Palisades Girls Track and Field Team MVP Senior Palisades Field Hockey Team MVP The Express Times 2011 Honorable Mention Field Hockey Forward with 13 goals In addition to athletics, Meryah Harding is a member of The National Honor Society, The French National Honor Society, has been on the Honor Roll every semester of her high school career, a participant in the Medical Pathways Program at Grandview Hospital and went on a mission trip to Nashville, Tennessee with her youth group in 2011, volunteering to work with the homeless and Boys and Girls Club in that area.
Bio for Student-Athlete Elissa Berdini University of Penn Freshman Year -starting forward for Palisades High School Varsity Soccer -3 rd in the Colonial League in goals -Colonial League 2nd team -Express Times Player of the Week -member of Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development program team Sophomore Year -2 nd in the Colonial League in goals -Colonial League 1 st team -All-Conference 1 st team -member of Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development program team -Region 1 ODP Champions -Placed 4 th at ODP National Championship Junior Year -team MVP -2 nd in the Colonial League in goals -Colonial League 1 st team -All-Conference 1 st team -Morning Call 1 st team All Area -Intelligencer Top 5 Players to Watch (Spring Season) Senior Year -10 th in the nation -ECNL Invitational Mid-Atlantic Combine Other Activities- National Honor Society, French Honor Society, French Club, library volunteer. Elissa will be attending University of Pennsylvania to pursue her interests in political science, law and business courses. Bio for Student-Athlete Andrew Hollander University of the Sciences Andrew Hollander s baseball competitive experience: Playing for 15 years Plays for Lehigh Valley Baseball Academy in Allentown, PA. Also has played for the Law Dogs, based out of Freemansburg, along with local ball for Silver Creek. Has traveled some distant places to play, including
Las Vegas, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Connecticut High School Details: Honorable Mention Colonial League All Star Honorable Mention Express Times All Area Selection Message from Andrew: My choice to attend the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia was based on many factors; of them, was the strong desire to pursue my interest of science, obviously, and I felt that few other universities could offer the same things that they could. Throughout my life, baseball has taken such a massive chunk of my time and a great passion of mine. For me to be able to continue my career at such a great place is truly a blessing. ###