Pitt secures signees across three sports

Though several Pitt sports teams had earned commitments from athletes for the 2020-21 season, many of those commitments became official on Tuesday when recruits for the lacrosse, wrestling and basketball programs signed letters of intent during the NCAA’s early signing period.

Most notably, head lacrosse coach Emily Boissonneault secured the first class of signees for the newly established lacrosse program, the inception of which was announced in November 2018.

Lacrosse

Boissonneault announced on Tuesday the first five signed players who will provide the foundation for the lacrosse team — Emily Coughlin, Kate Elam, Madigan Lublin, Maureen McNierney and Riley Patrick. This group will arrive on campus for the 2020-21 academic year and the team will play its inaugural season in 2021-22.

Emily Coughlin: Coughlin is a local midfield recruit from Plum Borough who has helped lead nearby Oakland Catholic to a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League title and three section titles. Boissonneault acknowledged Coughlin’s local ties, saying it will be helpful for a team trying to establish itself from the bottom up.

“Emily is a Pittsburgh native that attends Oakland Catholic down the road from the University of Pittsburgh,” she told Pitt Athletics. “Emily will be a connector between the City and our team as our athletes begin to familiarize themselves with Pittsburgh.”

Madigan Lublin: Hailing from Penfield, New York, Lublin will provide Pitt’s inaugural team with a talented attacker. After helping lead Penfield High School to the state Class A Championship finals as a junior, she finished the season ranked 12th by U.S. Lacrosse.

Mareen McNierney: As the first-ever commit to Pitt lacrosse, McNierney has already etched her name in the program’s young history. She comes from Malverne, New York, where she has experience as both an attacker and midfielder for Kellenberg Memorial High School and the Long Island Liberty lacrosse club.

Riley Patrick: Though the team’s roster is far from complete, it helps to know who’s going to be protecting the net from the first signing class. That’s where Patrick comes in. A goalie and native of Bel Air, Maryland, she is a three-year letter winner for a perennially successful team at St. Anne’s-Belfield School.

Kate Elam: Elam will join Coughlin in the midfield and profiles as a strong, athletic player who doesn’t shy away from contact. A native of Pamplin, Virginia, she brings a history of success at the school, club and national levels. She was part of a runner-up state finish as a sophomore at Virginia Episcopal School, competed for Storm Elite Club Lacrosse in 2017 and played for the Virginia National Team this year.

“Pitt was my dream school not only because of how beautiful it is, but also because it is an incredible academic school,” Elam said. “I love the idea of starting a new program at a great place like Pitt in the most competitive conference for lacrosse.”

Men’s basketball

On the first day of the early signing period, the Pitt men’s basketball team established the foundation of its 2020 recruiting class. With Max Amadasun, John Hugley and Noah Collier, Pitt’s 2020 recruiting class is currently ranked 10th in the ACC and 37th in the NCAA by 247Sports.

John Hugley: Pitt’s top commit comes in at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds. Hugley is a four-star recruit and was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection as a junior. His large size combined with an adept offensive skill set should make him an effective scorer in the paint. Capel has already said Hugley could have a large role on the team in his first season.

“We really like the work ethic, toughness and commitment to the game John has shown since we began recruiting him,” Capel told Pitt Athletics. “He has the opportunity to make an immediate impact in our program.”

Max Amadasun: At 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, Amadasun is a big, athletic center hailing from Dublin, Ireland. A late bloomer of a prospect, his upside lies in his ability to rebound and block shots at a high level. Amadasun averaged 6.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for the New York Lightning in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League circuit this past summer and hopes to continue on a track of growth and development.

Noah Collier: Collier is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward coming out of the Westtown School in West Chester. He is reportedly a versatile athlete capable of playing multiple positions on the floor. Collier has the potential to be a foundational asset on both ends of the court with versatility on defense and a balanced game on offense.

Wrestling

Head coach Keith Gavin added three commits in the early signing period. Mick Burnett, Antonio Petrucelli and Colby Whitehill will join the Panthers next year and hope to add to the program’s success.

Colby Whitehill: Whitehill wrestles as a heavyweight at 285 pounds and has earned a ranking of 74th on FloWrestling’s Big Board. He hails from Brooksville, and has an impressive high school resumé. He has an athletic profile for a heavyweight, with Gavin complimenting his technique.

“Colby Whitehill is an athletic heavyweight with a good technical skill set,” Gavin told Pitt Athletics. “He can score from any position and has a great mentality towards the sport.”

Mick Burnett: Burnett has wrestled at 138 pounds and is currently ranked 49th on FloWrestling’s Big Board. His technical skill and quickness has translated into notable high school success in the competitive wrestling state of Ohio. Pitt hopes that his ability will help that success translate to the next level.

Antonio Petrucelli: Petrucelli has wrestled at 138, 145 and 152 pounds and comes from Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown. He ranks 180th on FloWrestling’s Big Board and has a record of 78-39 entering his senior season. Gavin said he likes Petrucelli’s fast pace and enjoys the passion he brings with him.