7 Bishop McCort Catholic seniors bound for college athletics

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Seven Bishop McCort Catholic senior student-athletes officially committed to their college destinations Wednesday afternoon.

Delilah Clark (West Georgia), Amiah Navarro (West Virginia) and Georgia Shayesteh (University of Miami) from the two-time Universal Cheerleaders Association national champion and PIAA competitive spirit winner and three-time District 6 champion cheerleading team are bound for college. Jordan Butler will wrestle at The Apprentice School. Shakile Ferguson is set to join the football team at Mercyhurst University. Gianna Gallucci will play basketball at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Caleb Visinsky will compete on the Goldey-Beacom College esports squad.

• Butler will major in electrical engineering at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia.

“A big thing is they offered me a full scholarship there, so I’m going there free,” Butler said.

“The way their curriculum works is they’re a trade school.

“I’ll be in an apprenticeship under another electrician to learn how to do stuff. The biggest kicker was you do two days in class and three days there on the shipyard. I’ll be hands-on learning all the time, which really works for me.”

The Builders went 12-5 in 2023-24 as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

“They’re No. 2 in the country in NAIA,” said Butler, who will wrestle at 174 pounds in college.

Butler will wrestle for coach Micah Amrozowicz. He went 34-17 as a senior as the Crimson Crushers won the District 6 Class 2A team title and finished as PIAA runner-up. Butler was a District 6 runner-up and advanced to Hershey as an individual.

“This is like a dream come true really,” Butler said of wrestling in college.

Butler is the son of Ben and Tammy Butler.

• Clark found her new home at the University of West Georgia, which is making the full transition to NCAA Division I July 1.

“It’s 12 hours away, so distance was kind of like a big play in where I was heading to go,” Clark said. “Try to find a small-type community. At West Georgia, their program is actually ran by a family – a husband, wife and three kids. They all run it together. The home atmosphere out there was definitely helped me decide to go to West Georgia.”

Clark will join the all-girl team and major in marketing, business and journalism.

Cheering in college was always her goal.

“My sophomore year of high school, I got an invitation to West Georgia tryouts,” Clark said. “This December, I got an offer on the team.”

Competing on the Bishop McCort cheer team got her ready for college.

“It’s such a great program,” Clark said.

“We compete and bring home titles all the time. It really does set you up to the next level of cheerleading. John Walker, our coach, does an amazing job building character athletically, mentality and physicality. Building us here makes it all easier to process and transfer over to the college level.”

Clark is the daughter of Demichael Clarke and Antoinette Orlosky.

• Ferguson was intrigued when Mercyhurst announced it will make the jump from NCAA Division II to Division I this fall. The Lakers will compete in the Northeast Conference.

“When they went up to Division I, the coach texted me at lunch and said, ‘This will make your decision way easier,’ ” Feguson said. “It definitely did. That’s every kid’s dream is to want to go Division I. That was obviously my goal ever since I came here.”

The business management major will play in the 1st Summit Bank Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic this June. He was named 2023 offensive MVP at Bishop McCort.

He had 422 kickoff return yards and 99 yards on punts. He added 108 rushing and 104 receiving yards as a senior. Ferguson totaled 61 tackles and three interceptions in 2023.

Ferguson was recruited as a wide receiver to play for coach Ryan Riemedio. The Lakers went 2-9 in 2023 as a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

“In my recruiting process, they were the most invested in me,” Ferguson said. “They have the best opportunities for me. They said they want me to try to get on kickoff return my first year returning balls because I had a return touchdown this year. He definitely wants me impacting the team as soon as I get there.”

Also a member of the basketball and track and field teams, Ferguson was named to the 2023 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference West first-team defense.

Ferguson is the son of Theresa Ferguson and the late Sean Ferguson.

• After racking up 1,602 career points, Gallucci will stay close to home and play for the Mountain Cats under coach Mike Drahos.

“I felt like I really connected with the coaching staff and all the girls there,” Gallucci said. “I’m really excited to start my journey there. I really think it was a good fit for me. Ultimately, I decided to stay home and not go a couple hours away, but I think it will let me grow as a player and a person.”

A 2023-24 Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 2A all-state second-team selection, Gallucci will major in biology.

“I really want to go into pre-dentistry, so they have a fantastic program obviously,” Gallucci said. “I’ll be rooming with a player that I played travel ball (Pa. Pistols) with my entire life, so that really impacted it. I love the coaching staff and the way they play. It fits kind of everything that I think I like.”

Pitt-Johnstown went 15-13 as a member of the PSAC at the NCAA Division II level.

The third all-time leading scorer in Bishop McCort program history was named 2023-24 LHAC West MVP. She was a two-time Cambria County Basketball Coaches Association and District 6 Class 1A volleyball first-team selection. Gallucci helped the Crimson Crushers advance to the PIAA basketball quarterfinals three straight years.

She scored 604 points while adding 192 rebounds, 104 steals and 55 assists on a 26-3 team her senior year.

”Ever since I was young, I wanted to play and continue my career at the next level,” Gallucci said.

Gallucci is the daughter of Dave and Daphne Gallucci.

• Navarro was drawn to West Virginia because of its strong academic reputation in her chosen field.

“I chose West Virginia because I’m studying forensic science,” Navarro said. “Their forensic science program is one of the best in the country. I wanted to go there to get the hands-on learning that I was really seeking for. I thought West Virginia was the best option for me.”

She will join the all-girl cheer team as a main base for the Big 12 program.

“Their cheer program is part of the NCA (National Cheerleaders Association),” Navarro said. “They compete in Daytona (Beach, Florida) once a year. That’s what I was really looking for. They actually got second this past year. I thought with my talents and skills, I could really contribute to help them win.”

Navarro was grateful to grow within the Bishop McCort cheerleading team.

“The program here really helped me become the cheerleader I am today, improving my skills and improving my tumbling,” Navarro said. “Without the coaches that I’ve had, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

Navarro is the daughter of Amy Young.

• Shayesteh instantly felt Miami was the ideal place for her once she toured the Florida campus.

“I think the University of Miami is the perfect fit for me because the second I went down and toured, I fell in love with the campus and I knew I couldn’t be anywhere else but at the University of Miami,” Shayesteh said. “I happened to try out for the cheer team that I was so blessed to have made it and not only continue my academic, but also my athletic career the next four years at the best college in the world.”

Shayesteh will join the all-girl cheerleading team as a base.

“First of all, they’re such a tight-knit community and the coaches and girls were so nice,” Shayesteh said. “I knew immediately after my first clinic with them that I wanted to be a Miami Hurricane just like them.”

After battling injuries over her career, Shayesteh persevered and will look to keep her family lineage going as she majors in biology/pre-med.

“My whole family, they’re all doctors,” Shayesteh said. “My dad’s a surgeon and my mom’s a doctor. I knew that since I was little, I wanted to be surgeon just like him.

“I knew there was no other route for me besides pre-med.”

Shayesteh is the daughter of Dr. Kamran and Dr. Ellen Shayesteh.

• Visinsky is set to become a member of the Goldey-Beacom College esports team.

“I wanted to go to Goldey-Beacom because it is a very small school,” Visinsky said. “This is obviously also a very small school in Bishop McCort. I just felt like I could fit right in.”

Also a member of the basketball and cross country teams at Bishop McCort, Visinsky will play “Valorant” at the Wilmington, Delaware school.

“It’s a five vs. five game, so it’s more team-based,” Visinsky said. “It’s not just about your own individual skills. It’s about bringing people together and having a common goal in just winning.”

The finance major will compete for esports coach David Lawrie.

Visinsky is the son of Kelly Adomnik and the late Joseph Visinsky.

Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.