Sachem East Athletes Ink College Papers

Three future college athletes at Sachem East signed their National Letters of Intent Monday afternoon.

Bryan Vaccaro, a varsity baseball player, as well as Sam Smith and Deanna Wolf, both standout varsity softball players, matched pen to paper and sealed their future with schools in the tri-state area during a reception in the Little Theater at East.

Vaccaro will play ball at Western Connecticut, while Smith is headed to Fordham and Wolf will play at the University of Rhode Island.

"It's a relief," said Vaccaro, who was joined by coaches, building and district administrators and family at the conference, "now I can sit back, do class work and worry about baseball this spring."

"He's one of the hardest workers in the program," said Sachem East baseball head coach Kevin Schnupp.

WestConn coach John Susi spotted Vaccaro during a Blue Chip Prospects camp at Adelphi University last summer. After a visit to the school and a meeting with Susi, it was a perfect match.

Western Connecticut competes in the Little East Conference and finished the 2010 season 16-21 overall and 5-9 in conference play.

Smith, an outfielder, who head coach Ralph Forman said is probably the best centerfielder he's ever coached, said Fordham, "is the perfect fit."

"I wanted a school right by the city," she said. "They have an awesome communications program too."

Last season, the Rams finished 49-12 and made their first appearance in the NCAA Regional Finals.

For her, easing the pressure heading into the spring season is a major weight lifted.

"I was always nervous someone was there watching [for recruiting purposes]," she said. "Now I can play for the fun of it."

"It's such a relief," added Wolf, who chose URI because she felt at home there. "I put so much work into it athletically and academically. It's a great feeling to know that all the hard work we've been putting in finally paid off."

URI, also known as the Rams, plays in the A-10 and lost in the conference championship last season.