NORTHAMPTON — Amanda Mieczkowski rewarded loyalty with loyalty.
Northampton’s senior point guard signed her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Assumption College, Friday. The Greyhounds’ coaching staff started recruiting her as a freshman. She made a verbal commitment in June and held firm.
“Knowing that they had been loyal to me, came to watch me every AAU season showed how much they really wanted me,” Mieczkowski said. “Once I went back on my visit right before I made my decision, it totally felt right.”
She picked Assumption, located in Worcester, among some Division I offers. The school will allow her to enter a pre-physical therapy program, which is what she wants to study. A new health sciences building will open with her arrival next fall.
“That was kind of perfect,” Mieczkowski said.
She’ll join a Division II basketball program that plays in the Northeast 10 conference. The Greyhounds went 14-14 last year but are off to a 2-0 start in 2019.
“The coaches are a lot like (Northampton coach) Perry (Messer) where they put a lot of emphasis on defense, and I feel I can fit into that kind of standard,” Mieczkowski said. “I’m hoping to play point guard, that’s what they want me to do. Fulfilling my role on the team is one of my focuses.”
Messer saw it coming for a long time. He coached Mieczkowski when she was in middle school in suburban play, and she attended his summer basketball camps. Mieczkowski started for Northampton as a freshman and is a pillar for the two-time defending Western Massachusetts Division 2 champions.
“Right off the bat you knew she was talented enough to do it. I knew as a freshman coming in that this day, at some point, would come,” Messer said. “If we go through and look at her record it speaks for herself. She’s right on the brink of scoring 1,000 points but what I love about her is she doesn’t worry about individual stuff, she worries about wins.”
Northampton reached the state final for the first time since 2008 last season, losing to Pentucket. With her college commitment out of the way, Mieczkowski can turn her focus to the winter season and striving for that elusive state championship.
“Everybody says they’re very jealous that I already have my college chosen,” Mieczkowski said. “As far as the season goes we have different goals in mind such as a state championship, so I think it’s important to be able to focus mainly on that. Now I can do that.”
Young on the move
Granby senior Nora Young will compete against Mieczkowski in the Northeast 10. Young signed her letter of intern to play at AIC in Springfield.
Young surpassed 1,000 career points in January. She will play for Kristen Hutchison next season for the Yellow Jackets, who are off to a 1-2 start this season.
On Sunday, Young will lead the four-time sectional champion soccer team into the Western Massachusetts Division 4 title game. The Rams play Lenox at noon at Springfield Central.
Belchertown senior Christopher Chumbley signed his National Letter of Intent to swim at Division I Fairfield University on Wednesday.
“Coach (Anthony) Bruno and all of the swimmers that I met on my official visit were amazing,” Chumbley wrote on collegeswimming.com. “The school was beautiful and has some of the best academics in the country.”
He finished second in the 100-yard backstroke at the state championships last season, swam on two winning relays at the Central/West championships and earned two silver medals individually at the sectional level.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.