(All signees were contacted by Lantern for comment. The comments of those who responded are provided below.)

Division I Signees

Andrew Farrow → Track & Cross Country → Miami University 

Division II Signees

Kayla Kephart → Track & Cross Country → Ursuline College

Ally Meixner – Track – Ashland University

To become a college athlete is to take another step toward achieving a dream, so to find out that those wishes have been met can be an exciting experience. Meixner explained how she felt when she realized that she would be playing at the next level.

“I was beyond excited and so eager to start training. I can’t wait until August when I move in because that’s when it will most likely hit me that my dream has become reality,” Meixner said. 

While college athletics may appear glamorous from the outside, in reality the grind that they present is even greater than that of high school sports. Despite this , Meixner committed to this lifestyle with her choice to attend Ashland University, but the choice did not come solely from an athletic perspective. 

“I chose Ashland because, from my first visit there, I instantly loved the campus and it just felt like home. I could 100% picture myself living there during the school year and loving the atmosphere I was in. When I first met the track coaches they were so positive and welcoming and made me excited about the team I would be joining,” Meixner said.

Division III Signees

Dillon Carlquist → Baseball → Trine University

While college sports allow an athlete to continue their passions, they mark the end of an era within an athletic career. High school sports allow an individual to grow not only as a player, but develop skills they will carry the rest of their lives, and Carlquist directly benefited from this. He explained what his high school career meant to him. 

“My favorite part of high school sports was the grind during the off-season and bonding with teammates, which you could see the results of during the actual season. hat was pretty special,” Carlquist said. 

To compete within a singular sport for such an extended amount of time requires a particular amount of passion that can be hard to maintain, but that feeling never wavered for Carlquist. He explained how he first found his passion for baseball.

“I would say it was around the age of 12 when I first started growing and catching up to my teammates. I could compete and that stoked a fire in me.” Carlquist said.

Thomas Christman → Football & Track → Muskingum University

While there can be many reasons an athlete may choose to play a college sport, perhaps the most common reason is the wish to continue playing the sport that has molded them throughout their lives. Christman is no different than the thousands of others who have pursued that dream, he summed up why he chose to make such a commitment. 

“I just wanted to keep playing the sport I love,” Christman said.

With over one thousand collegiate athletic programs across the country, choosing between them can be a difficult decision. Christman would ultimately choose Muskingum as his school of choice. He explained his decision.

 “[I] felt an immediate connection to the coaching staff; academics are solid there; campus environment is vibrant; I wanted to keep playing football,” Christman said.

Megan Diulus → Track & Cross Country → Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Although success at the university level can be challenging to accomplish, Diulus has already taken steps to ensure that she will be successful when she begins her first year at MIT. Diulus described her preparations for the following level of tracks.

“The connections I have made with my team and coaches. Also having an outlet to get anything held in from the day out. I am looking for a similar thing in college” Diulus said.

The foundation for Diulus’ success was established during her time as a high school athlete, and as she moves on to the next phase of her career, she can understand the effort it took to get there. Diulus outlined her goals for advancing with her new team in the distance group.

“Meeting my future teammates and knowing that by being with people better than me, I will become better,” Diulus said.

Mia Fourtounis → Soccer → Baldwin Wallace University

Maddie Kavanagh →  Tennis → John Carroll University 

While there are numerous reasons that an athlete might decide to participate in a college sport, the desire to keep playing the activity that has shaped them throughout their childhood is perhaps the most frequent one. Kavanagh summed up why he made such a commitment by saying that she was no different from the hundreds of others who had chased that dream. 

“Tennis became the activity that pulled me out of stressful times, so I couldn’t imagine going to college without playing everyday” Kavanagh said. 

Selecting one of the more than a thousand university sporting programs offered across the nation might be challenging. Kavanagh would finally decide to enroll at John Carol. She described his choice.

 “I chose John Carroll University because they are a competitive tennis school that is top of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). I also really want to focus on academics and JCU has a great student to faculty ratio which will give me an opportunity to learn the best. Lastly, I really connected well with the coach and my future teammates” Kavanagh said.

Braylon Li – Lacrosse – University of Mount Union

Chris Muntean → Basketball → Bluffton University

To achieve success at the collegiate level can be a tricky process, but Muntean will enter his freshman season at Bluffton, having already taken steps to ensure that he will be successful at the next phase of his athletic career. Muntean explained how he has prepared himself for basketball’s next level.

“I’ve been working out everyday and have been eating well and stretching to keep my body healthy, mentally just staying sharp by watching film and having that next play mentality,” Muntean said.

While Muntean is progressing to the next level, the groundwork for his success was laid during his years as a high school athlete, and as he advances to the next stage of his career, he can still appreciate the effort that getting there took. Muntean explained what it took for him to achieve his goals and how others can reach their own.

“Just put the work in everyday, even when you do not feel like it, and get 1% better every time you workout or someone else will have that edge on you,” Muntean said.

Katerina Tsarouhas →Soccer → Case Western Reserve University

*The names of the graduates featured in this article were provided to Lantern by the athletic office, as reported to them by the students themselves.  Thank you to Mr. Seeker and Mrs. Lechman for their help with this article.