The celebration of eight seniors who have decided to take the next step in their academic and athletic careers by signing their national level of intent took place in the Melcher gymnasium Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
The eight seniors who agreed to take their sport to the next level included Kristopher Carlson: Johns Hopkins, Gavin Johnson: Southwestern University, Isaac Ly: Washington and Lee, Su Senyuva: Denison University, Caroline Swanson: Bowdoin, Jackson Staley: University of Washington, and Gabriel Xu: Johns Hopinks.
The college recruiting process was different for every athlete, however, all had one thing in common: making sure they chose the right school.
“I chose Denison because I fell in love with the beautiful campus, meeting the team made my choice of going to Denison easier, and the coaches made me feel like I had already joined the team,” said Su Senyuva, who signed to Denison University for fencing.
All the athletes have had long term connections with their sport and a love of the game for different reasons.
“I love football because I love the competitiveness of a physical team sport and being able to use strategy and football IQ combined with athletic ability,” said Johnson, signee to Southwestern University.
Each of the athletes had their own recruiting back stories, and in the end, each found the right college campus to call home for several years.
“I love field hockey because of my teammates. We have become a family,” said Ella Ou, signee for field hockey at Yale University.
These athletes have gone through challenges throughout their careers; however, they never lost passion for their sport.
“Field hockey comes with a lot of sacrifices and ups and downs, including missing some school dances, trips with friends, family events, and other key events you encounter while growing up,” Ou said.
