Pittsfield Pair Commit to Play Basketball at St. Anselm College
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Calling it “the best of both worlds,” the best girls basketball player in the Berkshire County league on Tuesday signed a National Letter of Intent to attend New Hampshire’s St. Anselm College.
Pittsfield High senior Peyton Steinman signed the letter in a brief ceremony and with a little help from her younger brothers, who delivered the paperwork and her “chosen pen” for the big moment.
Then Steinman raced across town to attend a similar signing ceremony for Miss Hall’s School senior Grace Guachione, who signed her own letter to attend the Division II school in Goffstown, N.H., outside Manchester.
Guachione said it was not exactly a package deal, but the AAU basketball teammates each were aware of what the other was thinking.
“The coaches, and the fact that I’ll be going with my best friend is amazing,” Guachione said when asked to summarize her decision. “It’s going to be so fun. But it’s a great program academically and athletically, and that’s what I was looking for ultimately. I just saw myself there.
“I think it worked out perfectly. She committed first, and it made me realize it’s such a great opportunity to go with her, and it will be so helpful to have her there with me. But it was an individual decision. We both see ourselves there for betterment of ourselves.”
There are few better than Steinman in the Western Mass public school league. Last year she averaged 21 points per game and notched her 1,000th career point in helping the Generals to an 18-5 finish and a berth in the Division 2 sectional final.
Guachione has been just as important to the success of the Hurricanes in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. The PIttsfield resident is the all-time scoring leader at Miss Hall’s with more than 1,200 points, and she averages eight rebounds and seven assists per game.
Steinman, Guachione and Mount Greylock senior Jenna Benzinger play together for the Albany Lady Stars AAU program. It was at an AAU tournament in North Carolina in the spring that Steinman and Guachione caught the eye of St. Anselm coach Julie Plant.
In late summer, Steinman made her official trip to visit St. Anselm and fell in love with the school and its basketball program.
“You do get the best of both worlds,” she said after her signing ceremony. “It’s a good academic school. And the big thing was how comfortable I was with coach Plant.
“And when I played with the girls there, I saw that my game fit in well with them.”
Steinman said she was on the court for about an hour and a half with members of the Hawks’ program, which last year went 18-10. It was St. Anselm’s winningest season since 1999, and it made its first NCAA Division II tournament appearance since that 1998-99 campaign. This year, St. Anselm is off to a 2-0 start and ranked third in the latest regional media poll.
Steinman said she plans to major in education at the school. Guachione said she probably will pursue a degree in business.
“It’s a wonderful day for Peyton and for PHS,” Pittsfield Assistant Principal Henry Duval said.
The Generals’ athletic director echoed that sentiment and noted that Steinman is part of a long line of successful student athletes.
“The city of Pittsfield has a strong athletic tradition,” Abel said. “Pittsfield High School boasts graduates that include some professional athletes, some outstanding college players and countless others who have had a tremendous amount of success at the high school level.
“Even more notable, PHS consistently produces quality student athletes that are successful long after they graduate from this building and long after they play their last ballgame. … Peyton is a quality person who will represent Pittsfield High School and the community very well.”