On Wed., Nov. 13, 15 OH student-athletes officially committed to play athletics at the next level. Through hard work, all of the student-athletes signed to the next four years of collegiate athletics.
Athletes were joined by their families and friends that afternoon to celebrate the accomplishment. These 15 OH athletes are from many different sports, including basketball, golf, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, and even one of the district’s newest sports: lacrosse.
Many of these athletes can agree that it was not a simple process to get to their point. OH senior Maggie Voller, who committed to Loras College for basketball, said, “My [club basketball season] has really prepared me, as well as going to the gym.”
OH senior Lucas Ensign, who signed to Ohio Northern University for soccer, agreed. “Just lots of practice, and a lot of emailing for the recruiting process” is what Ensign said it took to get to signing day.
“This was a big life goal of mine I feel like I finally checked off,” said OH senior Abigail Mudsinger, who signed to Coe College to play golf.
These athletes feel the weight off their shoulders, Mudsinger said, “it’s definitely a relief to know where I’m going and have a plan in place, I feel like I can relax now.”
Ensign agreed with Mundsinger, noting the relief. “It’s reliving, honestly, to see all the hard work and to see that I’m signed,” he said.
Although these athletes are known for their athletic talents, they also emphasize the “student” into student-athlete. Voller said, “I picked my school because of the good teaching program they have, and that was definitely important for me, too.”
For the athletes, academics are just as valuable as their sports. “I was always looking for a smaller school, as well as a good engineering school,” Ensign said.
All the athletes were very thankful for the community they have around them, and Enisgn specifically mentioned “all my coaches and family [who] have always guided me through, just soccer in general, too.”
Mudsinger also shared her gratitude. “Having their support means a lot to me, and it has really helped me get to where I am today.”
Although many of these athletes do not plan to continue after their collegiate career, they all agree that they will keep their sport in their life. “I don’t plan to continue after college but I will still play for as much as I can,” said Ensign.
Mudsinger added, “Golf is great because it is a lifelong sport. I definitely don’t see myself going into the pros, but I still wanna play with my family and maybe coach if I get the opportunity.”
The senior athletes who participated in OH’s National Signing Day included: Maggie Voller: Loras College for women’s basketball; Abigai Mudsinger: Coe College for golf; Lucas Ensign: Ohio Northern Univeristy for soccer; Isabella Delgado: Wabonsee Community College for soccer; Sidney Hamaker: Long Beach State for volleyball; Mia Jurkovic: Western Michigan University for volleyball; Gabe Herrera: Aurora Univeristy for baseball; Brogan Mello: Waubonsee Community College for baseball; Michael Delgado: Wabonsee Community College for baseball; Andrew Ronek: College of DuPage, for baseball; Rhianna Martinez: Rock Valley College for softball; Natalie Muellner: University of Wisconisn-Whitewater for softball; Rikka Ludvigson: Milwaukee School of Engineering for softball; Aubriella Garza: Northern Illinois University for softball; Kiyah Chavez: University of Iowa for softball; Mikaela Busse: Tusculum Univeristy for lacrosse.
Hello! I'm Lindsay Arand, a first year staff reporter and sports editor for the publication. I am a senior this year. At OHS I am apart of OATS, as well as track and girls soccer. I'm excited to collaborate and meet new people! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
