College Bound Athlete: Devon Riggio

Devon Riggio, a 2022 Cromwell High School graduate, will play soccer at Castleton University. Riggio is pictured at CHS signing day with her parents, Keith and Stacey. 

2022 Cromwell High School graduate Devon Riggio will play soccer at the next level.
           
“I am excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and soccer career at Castleton University,” Riggio posted on Instagram in January. “I would like to thank my family, coaches, and friends for making me the player I am today.”
           
Riggio was a team captain, serving as a wing and midfielder, for a Panthers team that finished the regular season without a loss in the fall. 
           
Her next stop will be Castleton, Vermont where she will join a Spartans soccer program led by head coach Chris Chapdelaine, who is entering his 18th year with the program.   
           
The Spartans are perennial contenders in the Little East Conference (LEC) since joining the conference in 2018. Prior to joining the LEC, Castleton won the North Atlantic Conference during their final season in the conference in 2017.  
           
“When I met with the coach and went for an interview I fell in love with the campus, and it felt like a very at-home atmosphere and close-knit,” Riggio said “Coach Chap is very good about building a strong relationship within the team and from an academic standpoint.” 
           
Along with soccer, Riggio also played lacrosse at CHS and was very involved academically, making the honor roll regularly and being part of National Honor Society and French National Honor Society. She also held a senior position on Student Council.   
           
She said she will miss the “small town vibe” of Cromwell and recalled the encouragement she received from the soccer program and school when she tore her Anterior Crucial Ligament during her freshman year.  
           
“The team was overwhelmingly supportive,” recalled Riggio, who rehabbed and returned with three strong seasons. “I had great relationships with everyone on the team and with the coaches.”
           
Riggio, who will study political science, added that she is looking forward to the college experience and everything that it has to offer.