College Commitments: Bella Phillips heading to Mercyhurst on bowling scholarship headlines Vermilion's signing day

VERMILION — Bella Phillips has been bowling since she was old enough to pick up a ball. Her dedication to the sport earned her a Division I college scholarship. Phillips was among six Vermilion student-athletes who took part in a signing ceremony Wednesday in the school's gymnasium. Phillips, who was a state qualifier and an All-Ohio honoree in her high school career, will continue to bowl for Mercyhurst University. "I reached out to a bunch of different universities, I was seeking an opportunity with a D-I team," Phillips said. "I found Mercyhurst and we planned a visit. I went there, they saw me bowl and they liked what they saw so they offered me a spot."When Phillips was young, bowling was just for fun. As she got older, she started to recognize her hard work and talent could lead to bigger things. "Maybe around freshman or sophomore year I started to think this could be a possibility," she said. "I put a lot of time and work in bowling and traveled around to different tournaments. It meant a lot to be able to sign today."Unlike many athletes who find a sport they love and then find a school where they can follow their passion, Brooke Whisenant took the opposite path. Whisenant knew from a young age she wanted to attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. When she got to high school she used her talents as a sprinter to help make her dream a reality. "I know how much students thrive academically there and I know it's such a challenging environment. One of my favorite things is being pushed, so I knew it's a place I would fit," said Whisenant, who plans to study neuroscience. "I know it's going to be hard but I like a challenge so I think I'll be able to balance track and my major."Whisenant qualified for the Division II state tournament last year in the 400 meters and hopes to also run shorter sprints at Hopkins. "I'm hoping to improve on my short sprints, the 100 and 200, but I'll definitely be running the 400," Whisenant said. "If I'm feeling something, I might even try the 800."I knew track might possibly give me a chance to go to Johns Hopkins. I've wanted this for so long it doesn't even feel real right now."Brock Meyers had two choices to make. First, he had to decide if he wanted to play football or basketball in college after excelling in both for the Sailors. Then he had to choose a school. Meyers settled on John Carroll University, where he will join the football team that advanced to the Division III semifinals in 2025."When I went on my visit everything stood out and I thought it was the best fit for me," Meyers said. "It's a D-III school but they have D-I-level facilities and I really love how they run their program."I want to go into sport management and they have a great program there. I thought I would succeed more in football than basketball and seeing the offers that I had I felt John Carroll would put me in the best position to succeed."Other Vermilion athletes who signed were Marissa Torres, who will compete in stunt and cheer at Tiffin University; golfer Adam Gerber, who will compete at Alma College; and basketball player Joscelyn Alvarado, who will attend Bethany College in West Virginia. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.