-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

I started swimming when I was 4 years old - my dad just wanted me to be safe in the water so he taught me how to swim in our pool. I absolutely loved it, and have swam competitively ever since. I swam for SWAC, now SCA, and several summer swim teams such as Sycamore and Orchard Ridge. I also have swam for Homestead the past 3 years. This sport is so special to me and has taught me so many valuable lessons about the importance of hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship. It has also given me friendships that I will forever cherish.

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

Swimming at a collegiate level has been a dream of mine ever since I was little. This sport plays a huge role in my life and has shaped me into the person I am today.

 -What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

I have always known about Purdue living in Indiana, and my dad went to Purdue so our family has always been fans of their football and basketball teams. This school has the perfect life-school balance and all of the coaches and team were so welcoming and supportive on my official visit.

-When did you officially commit?

I officially committed May 22, 2023.

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I plan to continue to improve my times through the Purdue program and grow both as a person and an athlete. I am so beyond excited for the next 4 years.

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

I fell in love with the game of volleyball at the age of 5, and at the age of 10 I decided to go into club volleyball where I still am participating. I also played volleyball in middle school and in high school. 

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

Since I was about 11 years old, I have wanted to play volleyball in college at the highest level, so I have always pushed myself to be the best I can be! I have so much love for the sport, and I am not ready to be done so that’s why I chose to play at EMU for the next 4 years! 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

I chose Eastern Michigan because it has an incredible coaching staff and team, and it’s close to home.  I loved the campus and environment, as well as their highly ranked Special Education Program. 

-When did you officially commit?

July 17th I verbally committed to continue my academic and athletic career at Eastern Michigan. 

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

At the end of my college career I will have double majored in elementary education and special education hopefully while also having the opportunity to contribute to the team all four years that I am there. I also hope to build life-long relationships with the people I am surrounded by. 

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years.  

Track and Field has played a part in my life since 6th grade, although I didn't start specializing in the High Jump until 8th grade. I started off as a runner and became super successful in the jumps in middle school. After Covid, things really started to pick up for me and my potential rose during my freshman year. 

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

The passion and drive I have to be the best version of myself as an athlete and a person made me want to continue track in college. After big schools started reaching out to me, I knew it was what I wanted to do.  

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

When visiting and staying at different colleges, the two main factors that played the biggest role in my decisions were the coaches and the team. When I chose Indiana State, I picked it because the team felt like a family and I believed I could be the most successful under that coaching staff. I've known about Indiana State for a very long time just because it is a D1 university and multiple athletes have committed there. 

-When did you officially commit?

Although I have not signed yet, I verbally committed to Indiana State on September 21, 2023. 

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

From this next chapter of my life, I expect to grow as a person. I expect to meet people that I will consider friends forever, and develop experiences that I will cherish. I expect to reach my full potential as an athlete and end my athletic career on the best note possible. 

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years.  

I have been playing golf since I was three, but I stopped playing from 1st-7th grades because I wanted to play basketball and baseball with my friends. When I picked it back up in 7th grade, I fell in love with the sport again, and quit other sports my eighth grade year to focus on golf and playing in college. I have played every varsity match in all four years at Homestead and have competed in U.S. Golf Association, American Junior Golf Association, GolfWeek Junior Tour, and Indiana Golf Association tournaments outside of high school golf. I typically play in tournaments year-round except December and January.

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

I wanted to continue to play in college because I just love the game. I love not only competing and winning golf tournaments, but also the process of practicing and playing poorly. Golf has helped me develop patience and work ethic, and I want to continue to do that in college. The opportunity to always get better is so exciting for me. 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

This school caught my eye because of its academic prestige and location. However, I fell in love with the school because it has, in my opinion, a unique combination of academic excellency without the typical extremely competitive environment that comes with. While other Ivy Leagues have similar academic prowess, I think my school is unique because their coach is amazing and the academic environment is more collaborative and less cutthroat.

-When did you officially commit?

I officially committed in August of my senior year.

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I expect to compete for four more years at my dream school, and then evaluate myself and consider whether I want to turn pro or go to graduate school.

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been playing? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

I started out playing soccer at about 3 years old, and I have been playing for 14 years. I started out playing soccer because my dad has always been into soccer and he played in college and all throughout his childhood, so he put me in a rec league and coached it for a couple of years. Then as I got older and soccer continued to become more serious, I started playing on travel teams. I played at Fort Wayne United and then I also play on a team out of Indy called Indy Premier. When I started playing on these teams this is where my recruiting process started to take off, and I realized that I definitely want to play in college. 

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

I decided to continue playing in college because it was always a dream of mine to play D1 soccer in college, and I just overall really enjoy playing soccer and I have always known I want to play as long as I can. 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

Michigan State caught my eye because they are a super successful soccer team and they are a great academic school. My family has always been Michigan State fans, and it has been a dream of mine to go to Michigan State since I was little. I knew from the start of my recruiting process that I wanted to play at the highest level, and I wanted to play somewhere that was not too far away so my family could come watch my games. Michigan State is in the top 25 schools in the country for women's soccer, and they are very successful in the B1G. Michigan State is fairly close to home so my family can come watch the home games when we have them. 

-When did you officially commit?

I officially committed to Michigan State on July 22nd this summer. 

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I expect to have a great four years at Michigan State and I hope to grow as a person and player from this opportunity. I also hope that playing soccer at this high of a level can possibly lead to other future opportunities in terms of playing professionally. Academically I hope to get a great education and achieve some academic success while I spend those four years at Michigan State. 

 -What is your history with your sport? How long have you been playing? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

I started playing volleyball at the age of 10, and I have loved playing ever since! I played in middle school, and this is now my third year playing on varsity. I can’t wait for my senior year!

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

I have been so competitive from a very early age. I have always wanted to play in college because I love the atmosphere, and I want to be the best at what I do. 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

I chose Purdue because the coaching staff is incredible and it just felt like family! I loved the campus and the environment on and off the court was nothing like I have ever seen! 

-When did you officially commit?

I committed June 18th going into my Junior year. I committed so early because I just knew from the start that Purdue was my home. 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

At the end of my college career I will have my degree in elementary education. My goal is to play professionally after college and continue my volleyball career. Purdue has an amazing program and I believe they will get me prepared for the next level.

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

My history with this sport goes all the way back to when I was 6 years old. 2023 marks my 11th year of playing softball, and while everything has its ups and downs, there has never been a moment in which I have regretted. I have loved every single year that I have had a privilege to play. 

-What made you decide to continue
playing in college?

I have always wanted to continue to play in college, but I never knew where or for who. After visiting SMWC, I knew that between the girls I met and the coach, that it was the place for me. I want to continue to play in college because my love for the sport has only continued to grow, and I’m excited to see what happens in the future. 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

Saint Mary’s of the Woods is not only a beautiful campus, but for me is close to family. While it is a distance from Fort Wayne, the second I stepped on campus they made me feel welcomed and everyone was so nice and friendly. I heard about this college from my mom, she knows someone who was already committed there and we booked a visit to meet the coach and take a tour. 

-When did you officially commit?

I verbally committed the day after I went on a visit which was technically August 20th, but the official signing won’t take place until late 2023 or early 2024. 

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I’m not walking in expecting anything, but I am hoping to have a chance to continue to play the sport I love and to make friends in an area in which we all enjoy. 

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

I participated in the SACS Elementary Mile 3rd-5th grade. I ran cross country and track in middle school and continued in high school. I have run in the IHSAA cross country state meet every year. In track, I have made it to Regionals twice in the mile. 

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

I decided to pursue running in college because it has helped me structure my day and I have enjoyed developing relationships with my teammates.  

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

My grandpa taught at Taylor University Fort Wayne and my grandma worked in the Athletic Department. My dad graduated from Taylor Upland in 1997. Taylor stood out to me because of their intentional community and how they integrate Christian principles in academics and athletics.

-When did you officially commit?

October 4th, 2023

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I am excited for this next step and to learn, develop, and grow as a college athlete surrounded by teammates and coaching staff that will continue to prepare me for future goals.

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years. 

I've participated in cross country since my 8th grade year at Woodside. I've loved my experience the past 5 years as I've had the opportunity to meet amazing people and develop as a runner with Coach Wilson's help.

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

Running started as an outlet for me that has now developed into a passion and love of mine. I wanted to make sure I get to do it as long as I'm able to, and I also want to see how I can continue to improve and test myself outside of Homestead's program. 

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

Southern Virginia caught my eye because of the relationships they foster with their athletes. It's a very small university, so the coaching staff makes sure they're very personal with each of their athletes, even giving specific training plans for each individual. The coaching staff also has a lot of D1 experience, so I know I'll be learning from the best the sport has to offer. It also caught my eye because of the faith-based community that SVU is based on. I heard about SVU from a family friend who was telling me about the great history program that SVU has, as well as the opportunity I would have there to participate in athletics. 

-When did you officially commit?

I verbally committed to SVU on October 22nd, but am still finalizing details with Coach Chandler and SVU. 

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I'm excited to step into a small school environment where I'll be able to create strong relationships with the cross country and track teams, as well as the rest of the student body. I'm also excited to see how I can continue to improve while having the opportunity to learn from SVU's great professors and staff. 

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years.

I have been playing baseball since I was 5 years old, so I have been playing for 12 years. I have always had a passion for the game. When I was a kid I played baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, and hockey. When middle school hit, I decided I just wanted to play baseball and basketball. As I moved into high school I started to realize I could play baseball at a high level. I started putting more work into baseball and after sophomore season I decided to shift all of my focus to baseball. I didn’t make the decision to stop playing basketball until the end of summer, but I was fully focused and only working on baseball throughout the summer. Then going into the fall I had some interest from colleges, but nothing huge. The first weekend of fall I had a huge weekend. I caught the attention of some coaches and my life changed after that. I went on a few visits and after talking with my family I decided CMU felt like home.

-What made you decide to continue playing in college?

As a kid I was always dreaming of playing Division 1 sports. I knew from day one that I wanted to play at the next level, and getting the opportunity was an awesome feeling to know that I achieved one of my biggest goals.

-What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

I played really well my first weekend in the fall and I had a lot of coaches reaching out wanting to come watch me play. The next weekend there were coaches watching me play. After that weekend I had schools reach out about coming on visits. One of them being CMU, the next Tuesday I was on a visit. I loved everything, the staff was awesome, the facilities were incredible and I loved the campus. After that, I went on a few more visits and my family and I decided that CMU was the best fit for me.

-When did you officially commit?

I officially committed on October 20, 2023 and announced my commitment to social media on October 23, 2023.

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I expect to develop as a player to get me to the next level. I want to win championships with a great group of guys. I want to develop relationships that will last a lifetime. Lastly, I want to get my degree and live a good college life. 

-What is your history with your sport? How long have you been participating in this sport? Summarize what has been your experience over these years.

 I have no history with this sport. I have only participated in track and soccer in high school. I went on a college overnight visit to IU to see their program because since I'm tall and athletic they said they could "mold" me to become a D1 rower.

-What made you decide to keep playing in college?

 I wanted to go to IU because I want to be with my siblings and their biology program is good. So, to keep myself in shape, rowing was the next best option. I'm not fast enough to be a D1 commit in track and I'm not technical enough to play D1 in soccer, so this was the next best option. I think it'll be fun to try new things too!

- What made this school catch your eye? How did you hear about this college?

My two older siblings.

-When did you officially commit?

October 7th

-What do you expect to come out of this commitment/opportunity?

I think I'll develop good relationships with my teammates and honestly being on a team means that you'll have built-in friends. I also think that if I try hard enough, I'll be able to get more scholarships. I will also be very fit. We do an hour of cardio or weight lifting in the morning, row for two hours at night, and they give all of their athletes protein bars/shakes or different protein snacks to make sure we develop more muscle. So, I think by my sophomore year in college I'll have a lot of muscle.

Boys Cross Country

The boys placed 9th at the regional meet!