Leading off today: St. Michael Academy 5-foot-6 guard Jennifer O’Neill made an official visit to the University of Kentucky over the weekend and then committed to play basketball for the Wildcats next season.
O'Neill, who was first-team all-state in Class AA last season after lifting St. Mike’s to its first Federation crown, was also considering Georgia and California, she told The New York Post.
“She really liked her other visits,” said Apache Paschall, her coach at St. Mike’s and with the Exodus AAU program. “They must have swept her off her feet.”
O’Neill, a consensus national top 50 player, was heavily recruited by assistant coach Matt Insell, and head coach Matthew Mitchell attended numerous games as well.
“Every time I looked up, they were there,” O’Neill said.
O'Neill says attending school in Kentucky will require some adjustments.
“Kentucky is real country,” O’Neill tolf the paper. “It’s nothing like New York. It’s like all fields and horses. But basketball is basketball wherever you go.”
League shuffle: CHSAA boys lacrosse will likely have a different look next season. Members of the New York Archdiocese approved a merger to form a 16-team league with the Long Island Archdiocese, and formal approval is expected next month, MaxPreps.com reported.
An eight-team Class AA division will include St. Anthony’s, Chaminade, Iona Prep and Fordham Prep playing each other on a home-and-away basis. The Class A division will add Cardinal Spellman and Cardinal Hayes in 2011 when those schools field varsity teams for the first time.
The development could be the first step toward a tri-state championship tournament in 2011including the likes of Fairfield (Conn.) Prep and New Jersey schools Delbarton, Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep.
Massena picks Trimboli: Five-time state champion Massena has a new ice hockey coach. The school board appointed Michael J. Trimboli last week, The Daily Times reported.
He replaces Joseph Phillips, who resigned his teaching position after four seasons and a 2008 NYSPHSAA championship.
Trimboli, a Massena graduate who is a sergeant with the New York State Police, has served for several years in administrative posts for USA Hockey. He has been player development program director for the New York District and served on the national player development committee.
Trimboli was an assistant coach at Massena under Ed Letham for four seasons before Phillips took over as head coach.
Flu taking a toll: Williamsville North and East Aurora postponed last Friday's scheduled field hockey game due to the swine flu outbreak. North coach Kris LaPaglia said she was notified by her AD that East Aurora didn't not have enough healthy players to field a team.
"I told the kids, 'See you laugh about sharing water
