Students from West Hartford’s Conard High School made public their commitments to college athletics during a ceremony on May 28, 2026.

By Ronni Newton

With family, friends, teammates, and coaches in attendance, 11 members of Conard High School’s Class of 2026 participated in a College Commitment Day on Thursday, May 28, 2026, officially indicating their plans to continue their sports at the collegiate level.

Jason Siegal, West Hartford’s athletic director, congratulated the students and wished them luck as they continue their careers as student-athletes. “And I also want to congratulate and thank the parents in the room,” he added. “These fine folks did not get here today on their own. They had an army of a team behind them, p arents, coaches, teammates, friends …”

Conard Principal Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble also offered congratulations, and praised the student-athletes for “the way they carry themselves, the way they honor themselves and their families in the school, because of how they carry themselves when nobody’s looking.”

Coaches added their congratulations as well, mentioning not only the athletic ability of the students, but also speaking to their character – to who they are on and off the field.

Students and administrators at College Commitment Day at Conard High School. May 28, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

In October 2024, the NCAA eliminated the National Letter of Intent, which in the past students would sign at this time of year accepting scholarships as their commitment to Division I or Division II sports. Students now accept offers of athletic aid, which are a combination of scholarship and financial aid monies. Students at Division I, II, and III are now permitted to earn money from through the NIL (name, image, and likeness) program.

The following students attended Conard’s ceremony on May 28:

• Freja Morris – Field Hockey – Union College
• Nathan Parker – Track and Field –  Wesleyan University
• Zachary Fenton – Football – Endicott College
• Max Simmons – Soccer – Eastern Connecticut State University
• Kevin Jakubowski – Baseball – Fitchburg State University
• Wyatt Daigle – Baseball – Curry College
• Brady Cersosimo – Lacrosse – Western New England
• Justin Nanayakkara – Football – Endicott College
• Asha Comiso – Soccer – Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Lennox Velez – Baseball – UConn Avery Point
• Liam Alver – Lacrosse – University of Hartford

College Commitment Day at Conard High School. May 28, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

In addition to the students who participated in Thursday’s ceremony, several Conard student-athletes had celebrated their commitments to college sports in November 2025. Morris participated in that ceremony as did the following students:

• Gracie Lowney – Fairfield University – Swimming
• Kayla Lowney – University of Saint Joseph – Swimming
• Paige Lopes – Emmanuel College – Soccer
• Annabel Tracy – Lacrosse – Salisbury University

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