Every high school athlete asks the questions, “What’s next?” and “Where do I go from here?” Picking a college your Senior year is difficult, but picking a college where you will spend the next four years of your life playing a sport every day is even harder. To understand the college signing day decisions, Prestonwood’s newest athletes answered questions about the future of their athletics.
The sport that was most represented in Prestonwood’s November 2019 signing day was baseball. My first interviewee was Senior Luke Savage, who will play baseball for Texas Christian University in the fall of 2020. Luke was questioned about how he received his offer to which he replied, “I received my offer in person and I was ecstatic, and it felt great to be recognized by a top school.”
This huge achievement came with some huge decisions. Did he have a number 2 choice? Why did he pick this school over others? Could he really see himself playing baseball for another 4 years? Did he really want to stay in Texas? Questions like these all came into the decision-making process but, like all of the other athletes signing, he was very excited and confident about his decision. He chose TCU over other schools because Luke said that he“loved the coaches on the team and the location was perfect for him to be close to his family”
Luke also has met some of his future teammates and will be rooming with another Prestonwood Senior, River Ridings, who also signed to play baseball at TCU. A crucial part of every athlete’s decision is their official visit. What really stood out to Luke on his visit was the TCU football game. It showed him the school spirit and that big college feel that he was looking for.
Going back in time to 2012, PCA Alumni and teacher, Ms. Brooke Wendl, signed to play soccer at Lubbock Christian University. She received her offer in person and said, “I was excited to further my academic and athletic career outside of high school.” What drew her to LCU was the academics and the location of the campus. She cites that the camaraderie of the team was one of her favorite memories about playing on a team in college. This camaraderie led to her currently living with one of her former teammates, and they enjoy going to watch their alma mater when LCU plays in town. “Playing soccer in college made a huge impact on my life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” said Ms. Wendl. Signing day is the first big step into a college athlete’s career.
As of February 5, these students have signed to the following colleges: Luke Savage (Baseball), Texas Christian University\; Ryan Patterson (Baseball), Baylor University; Jack Walton (Baseball), Colorado School of Mines; River Ridings (Baseball), Texas Christian University; Caroline Stogner (Volleyball), University of Alabama at Birmingham; Riley Wilson (Football), University of Hawaii; Dayton Toney (Football), University of Hawaii; Javan Bouton (Football), US Naval Academy; Graham Hill (Football), Georgetown University.