It wasn’t a matter of if she would compete at the next level, but rather where.

Well she answered that question on Wednesday afternoon that it was in the Big Ten as she signed her national letter of intent to attend NCAA Division I Penn State University and dive for the Nittany Lions.

“The recruiting process has definitely been a long road,” Pucci-Schaefer said about making her commitment. “I was actually committed to Indiana University, but then I found Penn State. It felt a little more like home, it’s closer to home. So I definitely feel much more confident in every thing that’s going on and I’m really happy to sign with them.”

The six-time state qualifier and four-time Section VI champion was a top target of many schools and right as she was eligible the calls came in.

OBSERVER File Photo Fredonia’s Elizabeth Pucci-Schaefer has won the past four Section VI diving championships.

“I got a couple of schools that reached out to me right away,” Pucci-Schaefer said about the recruiting process. “Then as the process kept going I talked to more people and bigger schools as I went. Penn State is Big Ten baby, doing good. … Right in the beginning I talked to a lot of the Ivy League schools, I went on a couple of visits with them and really enjoyed those, but I kind of wanted a bigger athletic atmosphere and they’re obviously centered toward academics. I did look at the Mid-American Conference, that’s a little bit smaller of a conference and a lot of great coaches, but again I just wanted the bigger athletic programs so I definitely found that in the Big Ten.”

Pucci-Schaefer is among the first recruiting class for new Penn State head coach Hollie Bonewit-Cron, who took over the program this spring. Signing the athlete that claimed the last four Section VI diving titles and placed third in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships as a junior seems like a great start.

“I went on my official visit in October,” Pucci-Schaefer said about what drew her into becoming a Nittany Lion. “The fall foliage was awesome, I told my mom it’s like all the Hallmark movies and when you walk on campus it’s so stunning. The program, they just got a new coach and they’re rebuilding, and it looks great from what I’ve seen so I’m really excited to see how that goes from here.”

Out of the pool, Pucci-Schaefer is bringing more than just her athletic talent, but also her smarts.

“I’ve been looking into secondary education focusing on social studies,” Pucci-Schaefer said. “I’m looking at either becoming a teacher or a lawyer, so that’s up for grabs. I don’t really know yet, but that’s where I’m looking.”

“She’s extremely intelligent,” Fredonia diving coach John Crawford added. “She’s in the top five of her class. … She has a tremendous work ethic and I think she also has tremendous support from her family.”

The combination of raw talent, work ethic and great support has been evident in Pucci-Schaefer since she first stepped on the diving board for the Hillbillies so it comes to no surprise big schools were knocking on the door.

“She’s been diving ever since she was a pre-teen,” Crawford said about Pucci-Schaefer’s early promise as an elite athlete. “In seventh grade when she qualified for the state championships by posting a qualifying score I knew at that time she was a very good diver. She has obviously continued to improve tremendously and markedly, it shows by the fact that she’s a four-time sectional champion. She’s been a sectional champion since her freshman year through senior year.”

“I’m the youngest of four girls, all of my sisters were collegiate athletes and my mom was actually a collegiate coach at SUNY Fredonia, so I’ve always wanted to be a student-athlete in college,” Pucci-Schaefer added. “I didn’t really know how big I was going to go until June 15 of my junior year, I had to wait to see who contacted me.”