On November 8 in the quad, 14 athletes were celebrated during lunch for NCAA’s National Fall Signing Day. All of these student-athletes officially signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to a school that is a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Campo hosts two of these ceremonies each year, one in the fall and one in the spring, to honor the many prestigious athletes who participate in Campo athletics.
The quad was packed with students and families supporting these athletes as they made their official decision to take their sport to the collegiate level. The ceremony is coordinated by Athletic Director Ray Meadows and hosted by leadership, with juniors Luke McLeod and Avery Jules announcing this year. McLeod and Jules started off the ceremony by giving a brief introduction of the event, and then one by one introducing each of the athletes.
Each athlete had the chance to express their gratitude for the people who have helped them on their journey and allowed them to reach this impressive level in their sport. The speeches were heartfelt and even comedic at times, as the students reflected on their past four years with Campo athletics. “I loved hearing everyone’s speeches and athletic achievements. It was really cool to see what everyone said,” senior Ali Maguy said. Maguy officially committed to Brown to play Division 1 (D1) tennis during the ceremony.
While this signing day is an important milestone marking these athletes’ commitments, it is also an important event to recognize all the hard work and dedication these athletes have put into their sports throughout the years. Senior Ana Pieper, who committed to UCLA for water polo, said, “I think it’s important to recognize everyone’s athletic success because a lot of work gets put into the process”.
Campo Athletics works hard to create a community among athletes that is accepting and motivating. Celebrating all of their accomplishments together helps reinforce this community and gives a chance for all of the athletes to acknowledge each other’s achievements. “Seeing all of the athletes come together and just seeing where everyone is going was my favorite part of NLI this year. A couple even surprised me because I didn’t know where they were going, which was fun,” said senior Will Vranesh, who committed to Brown to play D1 water polo.
“It is definitely special. I mean, you get to share this amazing memory with everyone and remember it through all the photos we got. It’s also just super cool to do it with your friends by your side,” said Vranesh.
Athletes in attendance of the ceremony included: Graham Volk (Wabash College), Joey Cecchin (Fordham), Hanna Bjornson (Oregon), Meliana Calica (Westmont), Whitney Wilkalis (University of the Pacific), Abby Shang (Villanova), London Menard (Santa Clara University), Ali Maguy (Brown), Ana Pieper (UCLA), Charlotta Bell (Stanford), Shea Volkmer (Colorado State), William Vranesh (Brown), Haley Richards (Louisville), and Dante Avicolli (Southwestern University).
