Vermilion's Livia Penton moves the ball past Oberlin's Lizzie Greenwood during the first half on Wednesday, Sept. 27. (Randy Myers – For Morning Journal)
In a family full of soccer talent, Vermilion senior Livia Penton always stood out. Her two older brothers, sister Kaylee and younger brother Logan, both attended college at the Division I level before Logan transferred to John Carroll. Both of her younger brothers are in the Vermilion boys soccer program.
She had remarkable success with the Sailors, finishing as the school's all-time leader in career goals, assists, and points with 107 goals and 46 assists for 260 total points as of the final game of the fall.
It took a while, but Revere Penton decided to continue playing the game she loves and announced her transfer to Cleveland State on Instagram on April 25th, making her the third of Penton's children to attend a Division 1 college. Become a soccer player.
“I'm very relieved,” Penton said by phone on April 26. “This process has been very long, but ultimately really rewarding. I’m looking forward to starting next year. The level of competition will be high, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and the next four years. We are excited about our new location.”
When Cleveland State recruited Penton, the school checked several important boxes to make sure it was a good fit for the outgoing senior.
“It's close to home for sure. I didn't want to be near home at first,” Penton explained, adding, “Ultimately I think it was the best decision for me.”
“On my official visit, the team as well as the coaches were very welcoming. They really wanted me to be part of the family. It was all really nice. Overall a great environment was.”
At least one former travel season teammate from Strongsville will be a familiar face for Penton, selling the Vermilion star on how much he liked the Vikings' environment. A busy senior year ended on a positive note with a Division 1 offer.
“This soccer season was definitely my favorite,” she said. “There were a lot of people who made this game special for me, including my teammates, coach Matt (DeCapua), my family, and people around the community who were so supportive. Everyone gave me so much support. I'm really grateful for that.”
Having made her decision just before college decision day, Livia is happy with her final choice and is following in the footsteps of her older sisters, whom she admired as a child.
“Growing up, I always went to my sister’s games in Akron and my brother’s (Logan) games in John Carroll and Oakland. I’m really excited to get started.”
