Like many of their fellow classmates, Massapequa High School seniors Thomas Kandbybowicz, Brad Lyons, Kerri Rueb and Christie Welsh will continue their education next fall when they head off to college. The only difference, however, is that they'll be studying courtesy of athletic scholarships.

After a summer of recruiting by many local and out-of-state colleges and universities, these talented students visited prospective schools, discussed their options with family members, friends and coaches, and carefully weighed each offer before making their final decisions.

With all of the thought he put into his selection of offers from schools such as Seton Hall and Fordham Universities, Thomas ended up choosing Villanova University because, "It just felt like the right situation for me." He feels well-prepared and confident to meet the challenges of college life in both the academic and athletic settings. Calling his scholarship a "great accomplishment," Thomas also acknowledges those he felt played a major role in the achievement. "Bob Dell, our baseball coach, is a great inspiration and taught us to never give up," he said. "My parents were also great. They helped me keep my head on straight." Bound for the University of Maryland on a baseball scholarship next fall, Brad is looking forward to hitting the field against some of the best collegiate teams. He's an individual who thrives on competition and says, "I really enjoy pitching and the pressure of certain game situations - it's the time I'm most comfortable." Just as comfortable for Brad has been his time at Massapequa High School. "This place is a community where everyone knows each other," he said. "I'll miss it." Brad plans to major either in business or sports management. While she has played basketball throughout her entire high school career, Kerri cites her sophomore year as one of the more memorable ones. "I had surgery on my knee and didn't know if I was going to be able to play again," she said. "But with a lot of hard work, everything worked out and paid off in the end." With scholarship offers from Adelphi University, Dowling College and Queens College to name a few, Kerri ultimately decided to attend Long Island University, Southampton because "it's close to home and had what I was looking for athletically and academically." In addition to her love for basketball, Kerri is also fond of children and plans to major in elementary education. Keep a watchful eye on the women's soccer team at Penn State University because that's where Christie is headed on a four-year scholarship. After returning from a vacation over the summer, Christie said she was "overwhelmed" with the amount of calls from schools who were expressing interest. The hardest part for her was finding the courage to turn down offers. So why Penn State? "Because it's a big school, has a great team and I knew the coach from the Olympic Development Program," she said. "I also thought it was the best in terms of being academically balanced." Christie enjoys working with youngsters and has been involved in various children's clinics. She plans to major in elementary education.