Sports

Pearl River's Degnan, McCarthy, Muldoon Sign With College Choices

Pearl River senior athletes Kevin Degnan, Mandy McCarthy and John Muldoon all spoke about being happy to put the focus on their final high school seasons after the signing day ceremony in the Pearl River High School gym Tuesday.

Though all three had made verbal commitments to their colleges months ago, they made them official by signing National Letters of Intent -- Degnan with Fairfield University for basketball, McCarthy with Holy Cross for softball and Muldoon with Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville for wrestling.

"Now the stress is off my shoulders," Muldoon said. "Now I just have to wrestle."

Pearl River Athletic Director Todd Santabarbara introduced the three athletes. Pirates boys basketball Head Coach Jerry Houston, Jr. and wrestling Head Coach Grier Yorks both spoke during the ceremony and Santabarbara read a statement from softball Head Coach Carisa Gaylardo, who teaches outside the district and was unable to attend.

"It's nice we have three excellent athletes who are also really, really great people who do things the right way and are well respected by their peers and the school staff," Houston said.

Degnan is the first Pearl River boys basketball player to receive a full scholarship from a Division I program. He began drawing heavy recruiting interest as a sophomore and committed to Fairfield in August

"It is truly, truly a unique situation to have someone receive the kind of attention Kevin has received in his recruiting process as a basketball player from Rockland County," Houston said. "The number of basketball players from Rockland County throughout it's history to be offered full scholarships to go to a Division I school and play basketball are very few and far between. As far as Pearl River High School, we’ve never had a person that was on a full athletic scholarship for basketball and play basketball foru years in college, so it is a tremendous accomplishment."

"It's definitely a big relief for me," Degnan said. "I can strictly focus on the season."

McCarthy said she made her college choice a couple of months ago. She met Holy Cross Head Coach Brian Claypool at a showcase camp and he told her she would be a good fit at the school. She said the coaches told her she would get the opportunity to pitch, hit and play third base, which was something she wanted. 

"I went up there and I absolutely love the campus," McCarthy said. "I love the people there. They have a great softball program, but I didn't want to have to settle academically. They have strong academics and strong softball, so I think it's a good balance."
 McCarthy has been Pearl River's pitcher the last two seasons, helping the Pirates reach the Section 1 championship game last year, and was a part-time starter on Pearl River's most recent section championship team as a freshman in 2011. 


"Her leadership, her focus both on and off the field have been remarkable," Gaylardo wrote in the statement Santabarbara read Tuesday. "It's been an honor to coach such an individual and any program she chooses at the next level, she will be nothing but a valuable asset to that softball program."

Like Degnan and McCarthy, Muldoon faces high expectations as a senior after winning a Section 1 championship and taking foruth at states at 120 pounds as a junior.

"John has been an outstanding wrestler," Yorks said. "In my opinion, easily in the top five in Pearl River High School. We've had some really outstanding people here. Guys who went on to big things and John is right up there with them.

"This year, he has jumped up another level. We can already see it in practice. We know he's going to go on to win a state title this year."

Muldoon made his verbal commitment in October to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, which made the move up to Division I a year ago.

"The coach, the people out there," Muldoon said when asked why he choose SIUE. "It's away from New York, so I can get out and be my own person, start my own life. Everybody was really supportive out there. They are building a program and going in the right direction. I want to be a part of that. They were the best fit for me."

To see video from Tuesday's ceremony, click here


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