On May 23, Whitman students, families and coaches gathered in the gym to celebrate the 20 committed athletes from the graduating class, who are set to continue their sports at the collegiate level. 

Signing Day is an annual tradition in which high school seniors announce their decisions of commitment and sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) for a collegiate sport. 

Seniors from the baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey, golf, crew, cross country, track and swim and dive teams signed with colleges in Divisions I, II and III of the NCAA and NAIA. 

At the event, each varsity coach spoke about their committed players. Student-athletes then sat at a signing table and took pictures alongside their families and coaches.

Senior Ellen Ford is committed to play Division 1 field hockey at The Ohio State University. Ford began playing field hockey in seventh grade and knew that she wanted to continue her athletic career in college since her freshman year of high school, she said. 

“[Recruitment] was a little scary in the beginning just because you didn’t really know what you like, what schools you wanted to go to were like, or what division,” Ford said. “Just make sure you’re keeping your morals and values straight, that’s super important.” 

The list of committed athletes from the graduating class of 2023 is as follows:

Liam Bowen, Frostburg State University, Baseball

Lion Gardiner, College of the Holy Cross, Baseball

Mitchel Hwang, Tufts University, Baseball

Hunter Hausman, Keiser University, Basketball

Olivia Sonne, Bates College, Cross Country & Track and Field

Ellen Ford, The Ohio State University, Field Hockey

Talia Feigin, University of Houston, Soccer

Charlotte Shapiro, Washington University in St. Louis, Soccer

Maya Weise, Georgetown University, Soccer

Meyer Eskin, Queens University, Swim

Blake Conway, Cornell University, Swim and Dive

Elena Simone, Tufts University, Swim and Dive

Joshua Harrison, Tufts University, Swim and Dive

Kristopher Lawson, United States Naval Academy, Swim and Dive

Braden Mallios, Lafayette University, Swim and Dive

Marco Minai, Washington University in St. Louis, Swim

Cameron Freund, Texas Tech University, Golf

Jamie Forman, Tufts University, Rowing

Becca Baker, Indiana University, Rowing

Sydney Goldman, The University of Alabama, Rowing