Columbus North High School

February 1, 2024 - Five Columbus North student athletes participated in a collegiate signing ceremony hosted by the Columbus North Athletics Department on Wednesday, January 31 in the CNHS Cafeteria. Each athlete was presented by Athletic Director Brian Lewis and a representative from their high school coaching staff. Family, friends, and teammates of each athlete were in attendance. Student athletes who participated in this ceremony represented two Columbus North athletic programs, boys soccer and baseball. These student athletes’ future colleges or universities represent the NAIA, NCAA Division 3, and NJCAA Division 1 levels. The Bull Dog student athletes participated in the January 31 signing ceremony: Aidan Whitley - Aidan signed to play soccer at NCAA Division 3 DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has chosen DePauw after receiving offers from Manchester University, Concordia University, and Washington and Jefferson College. Aidan was named First Team All-State as a senior after a Second Team placement his junior year. He was named to The Republic All-Area Team four times and was named The Republic Boys Soccer Player of the Year following his senior season. He was a three-time All-Conference Indiana selection, a two-time First Team All-District selection, and was captain and MVP of his Columbus North team each of the past two seasons. In December, Aidan was named to the Fall Great Lakes All-Region Team. Aidan plans to study Finance while at DePauw. Blake Osbourne - Blake signed to play baseball at NAIA Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. He chose Taylor over Anderson University, Franklin College, Spalding University, and IU Columbus. Blake was named to the All-Conference Indiana First Team following his junior year as well as being named North’s Most Valuable Pitcher. He played on the 2021 and 2023 Sectional baseball championship teams as well as the 2023 Sectional basketball championship team. He was named to the 2023 Republic All-Area team after batting .301 with three doubles, 13 RBIs, and eleven runs scored. Blake was 3-2 on the mound his junior year and his 1.27 ERA ranks in the top 10 in program history. Blake plans to study Business at Taylor. Dillon James - Dillon signed to play baseball at NJCAA Division 1 Frontier Community College in Fairfield, Illinois. He chose Frontier over Manchester University. Dillon played on the 2023 Sectional baseball championship team. He was named to the 2023 Republic All-Area team after hitting .273 with 18 RBIs and 17 runs scored as a junior. He also led the Bull Dogs with a pair of triples and three home runs. Dillon plans to become a firefighter or an EMT following his time at Frontier Community College. Connor Hensley - Connor signed to play baseball at NAIA IU Columbus in Columbus, Indiana. He chose IU Columbus over offers from Rend Lake College and Franklin College. Connor was a member of the 2023 Sectional baseball championship team and earned All-Conference Indiana honors following his junior season. He was also named to the Republic All-Area team after batting .303 with four doubles, 13 RBIs and eleven runs scored as a junior. He was 3-1 on the mound with a 3.40 ERA. Connor plans to study Exercise Science or Sports Medicine at IU Columbus. Ryan Rayburn - Ryan signed to play baseball at NJCAA Division 1 Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. Ryan was a member of the 2023 Sectional championship team. He appeared in 15 games as a junior, including 25-⅓ innings pitched. He accumulated a 1-0 record, primarily in relief, with an impressive 1.658 ERA and 30 strikeouts for the season. He plans to study CNC Programming and Business Management while at Vincennes. There will be one final collegiate signing ceremony on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 5:30 pm. Photo: Participants in Columbus North's collegiate signing ceremony on January 31 included (L to R): Connor Hensley, Dillon James, Aidan Whitley, Blake Osbourne, Ryan Rayburn