As the school year comes to a close, seniors announce their decisions about where they have chosen to study for the next four years or what their other plans will be. Among this year’s senior class, 17 students also announced their commitment to play a collegiate-level sport in the upcoming years.
Making their decisions official, the school put on its annual Spring Signing Day in the media center on Apr. 25 where 17 student-athletes signed their letters of intent to represent their future college or university in their respective sport. “This is the largest class we’ve had and we are representing all different levels of sport with athletes going Division I, Division II, Division III and junior college,” athletic director Al Lightsey said.
The 17 athletes signed for a variety of sports such as soccer, field hockey, baseball, football, swim and dive, tennis, volleyball and basketball however, the most signed onto a track and field team with four athletes committing to the sport.
Naomi Esterowitz – University of Pennsylvania, Women’s Field Hockey
Daniel Kim – University of Chicago, Mens’ Football
Jude Gully – Washington and Jefferson College, Men’s Soccer
Antonious Khalil – Montgomery College Rockville, Men’s Soccer
Allie Tovar – Montgomery College Rockville, Women’s Volleyball
Yassine Idrissa – St. Marys College of Maryland, Men’s Basketball
Taj Smith – Bently University, Men’s Basketball
Jaiden Aze – Juniata College, Men’s Basketball
Amy Qin – University of Pennsylvania, Women’s Swim and Dive
Campbell Scofield – Purdue University, Women’s Swim and Dive → Officially signed during fall signing day
Noah Parker – Oberlin College, Men’s Baseball
Malachi Reid – Montgomery College Germantown, Men’s Baseball
Ben Wang – Swarthmore College, Men’s Tennis
Yuanzhe (RJ) Cui – University of Rochester, Men’s Track and Field
Victoria Ketzler – Georgetown University, Women’s Track and Field
Sreeanish Yarra – University of Chicago, Men’s Track and Field
Aaliyah Jalloh – Emory University, Women’s Track and Field
The ceremony started with remarks by the school, followed by speeches from coaches about their player signing, which included accolades they’ve earned during their high school career as well as impact on the team they were a part of. Family of the players were invited to join in the celebrations and friends took their advisory and lunch to show their appreciation as well. “I went because I had a couple of friends who were signing and I wanted to be there for them. There was a big crowd there and it was nice,” senior Sofia Gabrielle said.
This day is an exciting time for students, families and the school community as seniors finish their high school careers. “To me, the signing was just one of the many things that helped me feel more confident and grateful about the outcome of the amount of hard work I’ve put into my athletic career,” senior Amy Qin said.
Senior RJ Cui also saw signing day as a special moment for him as he signed onto the University of Rochester for track and field while celebrating the moment with his coach, teammates and family. “I chose to go to Rochester because it is a highly ranked academic and athletic school, with an amazing team culture. I hope to build a strong network and make lifelong friendships with my teammates and compete at a high level,” Cui said. “I would tell my younger self to appreciate the moment and fall in love with the journey.”
As high school seniors look forward to their future, 2020 school alumni also take this time to reflect on their tenure as collegiate athletes. As it was his childhood dream, senior and alumnus Matthew Kopsidas chose to continue playing soccer at St. Mary’s College of Maryland based on its location, coach and the culture it offered. “Over the four years, you gain a better understanding of why people go Division 3 and how close the level is to Division 1 at the top level of Division 3,” Kopsidas said. “I would tell my younger self to keep an open mind while continuing to be yourself and not change to please others. It’s your journey and you have the ability to make it what you want out of it.”
