This year has be a successful one for Parkland girls athletic programs.

The accolades led to several Trojans being recruited to play in college. Some of those athletes announced their college plans as a group two weeks ago.

Seniors Sophie Castillo (Colorado, lacrosse), Mackenzie Galli (Virginia Commonwealth, lacrosse), Hannah Pany (Ohio State, field hockey), Brooke Robertson (Delaware, volleyball) and Avery Semler (Iowa, field hockey) signed college letters of intent at a recent ceremony.

Pany and Semler were part of a field hockey team reached the district tournament each of the past four years, making it to the semifinals as freshmen. The two were team captains in 2014.

Pany was a four-year letter winner. She was named an Lehigh Valley Conference Honorable Mention in 2012, and first-team all-league honors in her junior and senior years. She was also a member of the track and field team.

Semler knew she wanted to attend the University of Iowa as soon as she went to the campus for a visit. The first team all-league performer will study law in college.

"I always wanted to play in the Big Ten," Semler said. "Iowa was never really on the list, but I took a visit and I got that feeling that they say you get. It was a tough choice between them and Lehigh, where my dad played football. I wanted to make my own path for the next four years."

Castillo and Galli still have one varsity season left. They are defending league and district champions for the first time in Parkland girls lacrosse history.

Castillo has been unstoppable in front of the net. In her three years she has scored close to 200 goals. She was last season's league MVP. She will play at Colorado next fall.

Galli has also been unstoppable on the field, even if her goal total is not as high as Castillo's. Head coach John Seitzinger said that Galli may be the fastest girl in the district. She also does it on both sides of the field, and will be the first to run back to defend her own goal after shooting on the opponent's goal.

Robertson had experienced a year she will never forget by helping bring home a state championship in volleyball last weekend. She has been an overall team player according to head coach Mike Krause.

"Brooke did whatever I told her to help the team win," Krause said. "And that included shifting positions from middle hitter, where she has become accustomed to, to outside hitter."

She enjoyed the atmostphere and setting of the University of Delaware's Newark, DE, campus.

"I visited in the fall and that's my favorite season so that may have helped," said Robertson. "It was beautiful there and I loved the campus, and the coaches were so nice. I'm really excited to go."