When an athlete signs their National Letter of Intent to commit to a sport, they declare that they will participate in college athletics. Numerous athletes in school’s brief history have signed this letter and pledged to participate in college athletics.
This final step in the recruiting process is pivotal in an athlete’s future, academically, athletically, and career-wise. In the graduating class of 2023, 18 seniors continued their sports to the collegiate level, ranging from baseball to cheerleading and even hockey.
These alumni reflected back on their own recruitment process and came to some conclusions to help future student athletes. They emphasized the importance of balancing academics and athletics early on and taking advantage of every opportunity.
Balancing academics and athletics
Balancing academics with athletics is not a foreign obstacle to student athletes, but it is no surprise that collegiate sports bring that obstacle to another degree.
High school and all of its demands are challenging for many teenagers. Many former Wolves noted that their success came not only from hard work, but also their ability to go with the flow and manage their time well.
“It really is a lifestyle,” Wayne State College baseball player Trey Wells said. “I go to my classes then straight to a two- to four-hour practice and straight to the weight room after that every day.”
College athletics take up a large portion of athletes’ days between multiple daily practices and competitions.
“You have to use your time wisely or you will fall behind,” UNO golfer Emily Karmazin said. “Being a biomechanics major, I knew missing class was going to be hard but teaching yourself on the road is definitely something you will learn fast.”
Collegiate student-athletes must gain a new level of independence in order to stay on track with their schoolwork. Just like high school, they must keep their grades up in order to participate in their sport.
“The AD and our coaches keep a close eye on our grades sill, so independence is necessary for your college courses,” Paige Wilcoxon said.
“Being in a school district that valued education as much as EPS did helped me a ton with how I handle academics now,” Husker baseball player Ryan Harahill said. “It allowed me to learn how to play my sport while still maintaining the Student part of a Student athlete.”
Handling setbacks and learning from the experience
All athletes face setbacks, whether it be not running fast enough, missing a shot on goal, or sticking out. Every sport has a risk of failure. While this can be daunting, it teaches the importance of resilience and determination, which can take an athlete from average to high performing.
The art of bouncing back up when one is knocked down is not a skill everyone is just born with; it is heavily influenced by the niche of people a person surrounds themself with. This is one reason many coaches push their athletes to have good influences in their lives.
“[Coach Dunn] has been a mentor to all the baseball players who have come through North and will continue to be for future generations,” Harahill said. “By relying on his experience and his knowledge, my teammates and I were able to take valuable life lessons like leadership, being different, and mental resilience away that not only improved our focus on the field but allowed us to become better people off the field.”
Collegiate sports bring a new level of competitiveness, as the “star player” from every high school is now competing for that spot on the team.
“There were so many people who play my position on my team,”basketball player at Doane University Brandon Orgibold said. “My playing style didn’t fit with the coaches’ system either.”
An athlete’s ability to learn from others and filter through the good and the bad not only allows for them to grow as an athlete, but also as an individual.
“Keep being a sponge and learning new information every day,” Northwest Missouri State cheerleader Bella Wokutch said.
Wokutch, like many athletes, has learned from her experiences and pushed through uncertainty in order to achieve their goals, and for Wokutch that includes making the most of her time in college.
Building Bonds
“Whenever someone asks about the thing I remember most from high school baseball, it’s the moments with the guys,” Harahill said. “Whether it be the 6 a.m. lift every day or the talks in Coach Dunn’s classroom, the moments with the team are always the highlights for me.”
Athletics create long-lasting friendships, and this continues at the next level.
“Collegiate sports give you a built-in family on campus before you even start classes,” Karmazin said.
College can be a very new and scary experience, being a part of a college sport brings opportunities to make friends. Between the practices, traveling, and competing together, college teams often become very close-knit. These relationships are important to navigating college and handling the challenges that come with athletics.
“It’s hard but so worth it in the end because you get to travel the country and build bonds that will last forever,” Karmazin said.
Where They Are Now
Trey Wells, former catcher for the Wolves who helped earn the baseball team’s state championship win in 2022, now continues his baseball career at Wayne State College.
“My advice to younger athletes is to embrace the journey. Love every part of it. Enjoy the practice, enjoy the hard workouts, because it goes by very fast. The parts that are hard are the moments that you will remember. They shape who you are as a person and a player,” Wells said.
Emily Karmazin, former state runner-up golfer from the class of 2022, now competes at University of Nebraska-Omaha at the division one level.
“You have to be able to laugh at yourself and just take what life throws at you. It’s not always easy but in 10 years you won’t care about one bad shot or tournament,” Karmazin said.
Brandon Orgibold, class of 2022 point guard who set the school scoring record in its inaugural year, continued his basketball career at Doane University for his freshman and sophomore seasons. He now plans to transfer to the University of Nebraska-Omaha and explore other options to continue playing basketball.
“Find a way to balance having fun with it. At the end of the day it’s a game,” Orgibold said.
Natalie Saldi, class of 2023, played hockey for the Omaha Lancers during her high school career and now plays at Grand Canyon University.
“Looking back, I advise younger athletes who want to play college sports to prioritize their time and energy with what is important to them. Define your goals for both athletics and academics. Success in high school sports requires dedication and hard work. Commit yourself to consistent training, practice, and improvement. Stay disciplined in managing your time and balancing academics with athletics. Although it is a very stressful time, trust the process, it will all work out!” Saldi said.
Carson Ripley, class of 2023, was apart of the baseball program since the schools opening. Ripley now competes at Wayne State College.
“If you are a young athlete your biggest focus should be your body. Eating right(enough) and lifting weights consistently is the most important thing you can do. Some would say it’s even more important than practicing the sport itself. You won’t make it to college if you haven’t worked on your body.” Ripley said.
Ryan Harahill, class of 2023, aided the boys baseball team bringing home back-to-back state championships. He now plays division one baseball at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“My best advice for athletes in high school is to enjoy it, all of it. Enjoy the hard practices, enjoy the time with your best friends, enjoy the conversations that have literally nothing to do with your sport, enjoy it all. Cherish every moment and practice gratitude as much as you can, you never know when it might all be gone,” Harahill said.
Paige Wilcoxon, class of 2022, assisted the girls tennis team in their 2022 state championship title and now plays at Hastings College.
“Don’t get hung up on the bad days at practice or the bad games. Performance in sports is not always going to be a straight path up, it can fluctuate a lot. However, if you are passionate about it and put in the extra hours, you will see results,” Wilcoxon said.
Reilly Palmer, class of 2022, helped lead the girls’ basketball team to their first two state championships and continued her basketball career at College of Saint Mary.
“My advice to high schoolers going into college athletics is to take care of your mental health… because you are constantly having to balance so many different things that sometimes you forget to breathe,” Palmer said.
