Plainfield Athletes Signing College Letters of Intent

His senior season of boys basketball has been worth the “weight” for ’s Brian Bennett.

Bennett has lost 45 pounds and he isn’t done yet.

“I lost 45 pounds already and I want to lose five more before the first game in two weeks,” Bennett said.

Bennett, 6-foot-9, was listed at 285 pounds a year ago. He now weighs 245 and is has a target weight of 240.

 “I think people are going to be shocked a little bit and they are not going to know what to expect from me,” Bennett said. “It’s almost like I’m hitting the floor as a new person because I’m completely different. Being able to guard smaller people will be a big thing for me.”

Another big thing for Bennett was signing with a college before the start of the season.

Bennett inked a national letter-of-intent with Division I Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Bennett averaged nine points and 5.1 rebounds for the Bengals during his junior season. He shot 55.5 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line, which were both among the leaders in the Southwest Prairie Conference.

baseball player Jake Roberts, a three-year starting shortstop, will attend Costal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., in the fall.

Roberts hit .422 with 46 hits, 11 doubles, 28 runs and 24 RBI in the spring. All were among the tops in the SPC.

Will Nixon will play basketball for Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. The 6-foot-7 all-SPC forward led the league by shooting 66 percent from the field a year ago and was second with 45 blocked shots.

Volleyball player Allison Waldvogel will further her career at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

girls volleyball players Alex Marszalek and Emily McHugh have signed national letters of intent to play collegiately next fall.

Marszalek, a senior outside hitter, has signed to play for Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla.

McHugh, a senior setter, will attend William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

’s Cailey Baker, Mark DeYoung, Ali Foster, Erin Hyland and Joe Sparacio shared the spotlight at a signing ceremony Thursday morning at the school.

Foster, a four-year state qualifier in girls tennis, signed with Eastern Illinois University in downstate Charleston.

Foster went 12-6 in state matches over her career, won three sectional championships, two Southwest Prairie Conference No. 1 singles titles and placed among the top 16 in the state earlier this year. She posted a career mark of 132-12 at No. 1 singles for the Wildcats.

DeYoung signed with Judson University in Elgin and teammate Sparacio will attend Lewis University in Romeoville next fall.

DeYoung had 21 hits and went 5-3 on the mound for the Wildcats in the spring. Sparacio earned a spot on the all-Southwest Prairie Conference team by hitting .340 with four home runs, eight doubles and a team-best 27 RBI.

Baker signed to play softball for Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. A three-time sectional qualifier in golf in the fall, Baker led the softball team in average (.472), hits (33) and doubles (15) in the spring.

Hyland inked a letter with St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind. The all-SPC outside hitter had 29 aces, 89 blocks, 213 digs and 218 kills for the West Aurora sectional finalists.

Joliet Catholic Academy's Adam Collins of Plainfield signed to play baseball for Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant.

Kelly Feigh, another JCA student from Plainfield, inked a deal to play volleyball for Loyola University Chicago.