Division 1 College Sports Programs Tap Four Athletes at Bay View Academy

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – Four Bay View seniors have deals to play a sport at a Division 1 school. They signed letters of intent this afternoon at the Bay View Academy Athletic Wellness Center, according to Ann Swain, the school's communications director.

Claire Hanlon, of East Greenwich, is going to Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., and will compete on the Cross Country team.

Over her high school career, Claire has amassed a slew of honors, including 3rd Team All Division and 1st Team All Class in 2013: 1st Team All Division, 1st Team All Class, and 3rd Team All State and Junior Olympics All-American in 2014; 1st Team All Division, 1st Team All Class, and 2nd Team All State in 2015 when she also qualified for the New Englands; plus 1st Team All Division, 1st Team All Class, 2nd Team All State, Academic All State in 2016. This year she also came in 9th at the State Meet with the Runner Up Team Finish and again qualified for the New Englands.

Two students from Bristol are also headed for D-1 programs.

Aleska Bjornson will continue with Crew at Fordham University. She holds Bay View’s record for the 2k Ergometer race.

Her teammate, Caitlyn Federico, the coxswain, is bound for Boston University.

Bay View’s Crew, the only 8-oared scholastic program in Rhode Island, took 3rd place at New England Juniors, 5th place at the Textile River Regatta and placed in the top 50% at the national Head of the Schulkyll Regatta for first varsity. They were also selected to compete in the invitation only Head of the Charles Regatta.

Federico had these accomplishments:

-52nd place, Head of the Charles Regatta, 1v
-2nd place, Head of the Seekonk Regatta, 1v
-3rd place, New England Junior and High School Championships, 1V
-5th place, Textile River Regatta, 1v

Also, Kate Magill, of Pawtucket, will sign with Fordham's swim team, and Hope Lincoln, of North Providence, is headed for a D-II program, playing softball at at the University of Bridgeport.

Courtesy Photo Captions: Aleska Bjornson, of Bristol and Tiverton; Caitlyn Federico and her parents, Mary Ann and Richard Federico, of Bristol; and Aleska Bjornson (Bristol / Tiverton); and Claire Hanlon and her parents, Fiona and Paul Hanlon, of East Greenwich.