60° CLOUDY, 
Locals sign to play for UF
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 8:03 p.m.
Two local athletes signed national letters of intent with Florida on Wednesday afternoon.
SCHOOL: Eastside High School
SPORT: Volleyball
WHERE SIGNED: Florida
QUOTABLE: "I'm very excited, very overwhelmed, happy, thrilled... just a bunch of emotions." -Chloe Mann
MARY WISE SAYS: "Our goal in this class was to sign a middle blocker with elite foot-speed and jumping ability to play well above the top of the net. Chloe possesses the athleticism similar to some of the great middles we've had at Florida. With her talent and work-ethic, Chloe has a great future. We're very fortunate that, once again, we benefit from the talent-rich area of Gainesville."
NAME: Vlad Kondratyev
SCHOOL: The Rock
SPORT: Basketball
WHERE SIGNED: Bryant University
QUOTABLE: "Vlad has come a long way since I last saw him. His footwork has improved and he now displays a nice hook shot in the lane." -Floridahoops.com
— John Patton
NAME: Greg Gantt
SCHOOL: Gainesville High School
SPORT: Basketball
WHERE SIGNED: Florida Atlantic
WHERE ELSE CONSIDERED: Belmont, Jacksonsville, Charleston Southern
QUOTABLE: "My No. 1 (for picking FAU) was the atmosphere on campus. It's just great. I got a chance to walk around campus and see what life was like for a college student there. It was more of a social lifestyle than the other schools I was looking at, and that stood out to me."
— Ray FitzGerald
NAME: LEVON WASHINGTON
SCHOOL: Buchholz
SPORT: Baseball
WHERE SIGNED: Florida
WHERE ELSE CONSIDERED: Florida State, Miami
QUOTABLE: "(Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan) is a good coach and he is real cool to get along with and I like the coaching staff and I'm ready to be in the orange and blue soon," Washington said. "This is a big day for me. That is my dream, to play in the Major Leagues one day. This is a good step to get there."
— Cliff Olsen
Eastside middle blocker Chloe Mann and Buchholz infielder/outfielder Levon Washington made their decisions official with ceremonies at their high schools.
Mann, who said she expects to redshirt next year, is the only member of coach Mary Wise's signing class. She's also the first-ever Eastside volleyball player to sign with the Gators.
"Our goal in this class was to sign a middle blocker with elite foot-speed and jumping ability to play well above the top of the net," Wise said. "Chloe possesses the athleticism similar to some of the great middles we've had at Florida. With her talent and work-ethic, Chloe has a great future. We’re very fortunate that, once again, we benefit from the talent-rich area of Gainesville."
Previously, Wise has signed Taylor Williams (Gainesville), Marcie Hampton (P.K. Yonge), Kelsey Bowers (GHS), Elyse Cusack (P.K. Yonge) and Janine Williams (P.K. Yonge) from the city of Gainesville, though Williams has since transferred to Central Florida.
"I'm very excited, very overwhelmed, happy, thrilled ... just a bunch of emotions," Mann said.
Washington is one of the nation's highest-rated prospects, and he is back at Buchholz after spending his junior season playing for Gainesville High School. He is the first local prospect to sign with second-year Gator coach Kevin O'Sullivan. Columbia High School junior Jacob Tillotson has committed to UF as part of the 2010 class.
"I'm real excited to play for Florida and I want to make the coaches proud when I get there, hopefully win a World Series or do something good there," Washington said.
Buchholz swimmer Jamie Bohunicky has committed to the Gators and is expected to sign her letter of intent next week.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
