Signing Day: Pine Grove’s Shappell, Luckenbach announce college choices

Pine Grove senior Ava Shappell, center, is surrounded by her family, mother Stacey, father Justin and brother Brayden, after signing an NCAA Division I letter of intent to play women's soccer at New Jersey Institute of Technology (Submitted Photo).

A pair of Pine Grove Area High School senior stars announced their college destinations during a National Signing Day ceremony at the school Wednesday afternoon.

Shappell will continue her athletic and academic careers at NCAA Division I New Jersey Institute of Technology, playing women’s soccer for the Highlanders. Luckenbach signed to play women’s soccer and run track and field at Division II Bloomsburg University.

Wednesday marked the opening day of the NCAA’s national letter of intent signing period for non-football and basketball Division I and II sports and the early period for Division I basketball.

Shappell played one year of soccer for the Cardinals, scoring 39 goals with four assists in 2023. She earned MaxPreps’ Pennsylvania Soccer Player of the Week during that season, helping Pine Grove win the Schuylkill League Division II title. Shappell tallied 109 goals and 34 assists in her three-year high school career.

The daughter of Justin and Stacey Shappell, Ava plans to major in Environmental Engineering at NJIT.

Luckenbach was the 2023 PIAA Class AA track and field champion in the 200 meters, winning in 24.72 seconds. That same season, Luckenbach was third at states in the 100 (12.28) and helped Pine Grove take fifth in the 400-meter relay.

Last season, Luckenbach grabbed gold at the District 11 Track and Field Championships in the 200 in a personal-best 24.20, second in the 100 (12.31) and teamed with Gianna Pompei, Aubrey Aungst and Molly Drumheller to take third in the 400 relay (50.59). At states, Luckenbach was fourth in the 200 (25.60), 10th in the 100 (12.39) and helped the Cards’ relay take 13^th place (50.09).

In soccer, Luckenbach was named to the PA State Soccer Coaches’ Association All-State Team as a midfielder in 2023, helping the Cardinals finish as the District 11 Class A runner-up and reach the second round of the PIAA playoffs. She finished her career third all-time in Pine Grove program history in career points (184), goals (68) and assists (48).

The daughter of Thomas and Melissa Luckenbach, Viktorya plans to major in Exercise Science at Bloomsburg and earn a degree in Nursing.