It’s been a special year for Newberry High School athletics.

Five more Newberry scholar-athletes reaped the benefits and will get the opportunity to play college sports.

On Tuesday afternoon, Anna Grace Bennett (New College of Florida), Malana Kennard (Florida Gateway College), Sarah Priester (Baptist University of Florida), Jacob Green (Baptist University of Florida), and Amiri Legette (Gordon State College) signed with their respective new schools.

All five of them excelled in the classroom with better than a 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

Bennett signed to play lacrosse with New College of Florida in Sarasota, an NAIA school which is entering just its second season of existence this fall.

“I’m very thankful that I get to play college lacrosse,” said Bennett, who wasn’t able to play her junior year due to an ankle sprain and torn ligaments. “I never thought I would be able to.”

Bennett, who carries a 4.56 GPA, is primarily a defender and will play the same position in college.

“As a coach, I’ve always felt multi-sport athletes bring a dimension from playing other sports and she has that,” said New College of Florida lacrosse head coach Tom Flynn. “It shows she’s athletic, having played soccer and volleyball.”

Kennard, who has a 3.3 GPA, will play shortstop at Florida Gateway College in Lake City.

“They really came and supported me a lot throughout the season and kept reaching out,” she said. “It shows a lot when a team really wants you. They show their passion in coming to watch you, so it meant a lot to me.”

The senior helped lead the Panthers’ softball team to their first district title in 26 years with a walk-off win in extra innings against Keystone Heights to win the FHSAA Class 2A-District 5 title.

“It felt great,” she said. “It was very nerve-wracking when we had, I think, one out and bases loaded. It was very stressful. We knew Chloe (Jones) could do it.”

Kennard was third on the team with a .404 average and second with a .475 OBP and 32 runs scored. She led the team with 33 stolen bases.

“I can’t say enough good things about Malana,” said Newberry softball coach Michele Roundtree. “She’s the full package as an athlete and as a young woman. She’s fast. Speed is not something you can teach. She has a work ethic, she has grit, and she has that competitive drive. She has many tools as a batter. She can bunt, she can slap, she can power hit, so it keeps the defense guessing. She’s got one of the best gloves I’ve ever coached in high school.”

Priester will be a setter for the Baptist University of Florida volleyball program, which is located in Graceville.

“One of my travel ball teammates (Chanitey James of Williston) committed there and she was telling me how I was on their radar, so I reached out to them, and they asked me if I was committed anywhere and then we started talking and I got with the coaches and went and had a visit,” she said. “I really just fell in love with the coaching staff.”

The highlight of her prep career was advancing to the final four as a junior.

“I was really excited to be a part of that team and get to achieve something that we really didn’t think we would get there, but I was grateful that we got to experience that and contribute it and keep the program going,” said Priester, who has a 4.25 GPA. “The state final four is definitely something to be proud of.”

Priester led the 15-11 Panthers with 90 aces and 474 assists, and she was second on the team with 269 digs.

“I can really play Sarah anywhere,” said NHS volleyball coach Hank Rone. She’s a little vertical challenged with her height (5’5) but she kind of settled in for me as a setter, which we needed…her athleticism, her IQ of playing defense, her serving (second most aces in a single season this past year), she became one of our top setters we’ve ever had.”

Bennett, Kennard and Priester also played volleyball this past season for Rone.

“All three of them came in as freshmen,” Rone said. “What’s so great about Newberry High School is that these three athletes all played multiple sports. To have three of them sign in three different sports I just phenomenal.”

Green (3.32 GPA) will be joining Priester at Baptist University.

“It really means a lot,” said Green, who will play guard at the next level. “I thank God for everything that He’s done for me, and I’m ready to move on to the next level.”

Green, who averaged 8.4 points per game, was second on the team in assists (36) and third in steals (27).

“He’s a very versatile type of player,” said NHS boys basketball coach Patrick Green. “He can kind of do a little bit of everything…lots of energy, fun kid to watch.”

The senior helped lead the Panthers (24-1) to the Class 3A-District 3 title, its first district championship since 2004.

“I thank my teammates for everything we’ve done this year,” Green said. “It was a historical season.”

Amiri Legette (3.11 GPA), who mostly played left guard for the Panthers this past season, signed with Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.

Although he only played one season, he was a part of the Panthers’ first district title since 2007. Newberry finished 10-3 and advanced to the region final.

“Man, it was a rollercoaster,” Legette said. “The first two losses we had were bad, but we just came together as a team after those, and we continued to play. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to state, that was our goal each and every practice, but I’m glad that we made it as far as we did and came together as a team…I wish I came here sooner.”

He transferred from Buchholz for his senior year.

“Tough kid,” said Newberry football coach Ed Johnson. “Since day one, he has done everything that we’ve asked of him. He works really hard, has attention to detail. He’s focused and very coachable. He works hard in the weight room, and he’s going to be good at the next level.”