When Bloomfield Hills Lahser baseball star Patrick Monahan signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Maine recently he continued a recent trend of local prep athletes deciding to head east for college.

Man, there's been a lot of as of late.

Just in the OC's Class of 2012 alone we've got a TON;

Basketball studs like;

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes' Tori Duffey, who took the Lakers to a state title, is going to New Hampshire

AH Avondale's Hannah Little, the area's consummate post standout the past 3 seasons, is going to St. Bonaventure - in New York - of the Atlantic 10

Troy's dazzling diva of a point guard Karin Moss is headed to the University of Buffalo

North Farmington's SUPER STEADY Jasmine Harris will be balling at the University of Massachusetts next winter.

Birmingham DCD's long and lean Kasey Crocket will be hooping it up in the Ivy League at Cornell, where she joins all-state footballer Matt Doneth (TE Novi Detroit CC) - also a basketball star - and soccer stud Sunny Shettigaer (M Troy Athens) in the Big Red's current recruiting class

In football, Southfield's All-State tight end Ron Thompson aka 'BIG DIESEL' is slated be playing at Syracuse in the fall and Clarkston placekicker-punter extraordinarie will be booting the pigskin for Navy out in Maryland come September.

Some other examples;

Former North Farmington hoop hound Kyle Vinales had a remarkable freshman season at Central Connecticut State this past winter, scoring the basketball in bunches as he established himself as a force to be reckoned with at the D1 level

Former RH Adams two-sport stud Joey Dillon (soccer and basketball) is getting his kicks out east at Georgetown in D.C. for the Hoyas' soccer squad.

Former Troy softball star Jordan Wheatley is showing why she is a QUEEN of DIAMONDS out at Penn State

Former Novi Detroit CC football and basketball standout Brandon Tammaro is holding things down on the line for the Bulls gridiron squad

Former Troy Athens Queen of Kicks aka Olivia Brandon is playing soccer at UVA out in Virginia