Students, coaches and family members gathered in the gym during lunch Wednesday, Nov. 13 for Signing Day, where athletes signed written commitments to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.
Athletic Director William Toth welcomed and introduced a group of 14 seniors, which included five soccer players, two cross-country and track athletes, one field hockey player, five swim and dive athletes and one lacrosse player. After athletes signed their documents, friends and family joined them to offer congratulations and take photos together
Varsity soccer player Sean Curran celebrated a successful four-year run on the team and said he is proud of all his achievements. Curran will play Division III soccer at Hamilton College and advises younger athletes to maintain a balance between academics and sports, especially if they are hesitant to commit to playing a sport on a collegiate level, he said.
“Obviously you’ve got to get good, really work hard in the off-season, and train your skills,” Curran said. “Freshman year I sat down and thought about if college soccer was something I wanted to do because I knew it’d be pretty hard.”
Choosing to commit to a sport in college can be a stressful process that requires patience and motivation.
Varsity swim and dive athlete James Skipper shared his experiences with the application process. During Skipper’s time diving competitively, he decided he wanted to pursue diving for four more years in college, he said. Skipper applied to a wide range of schools and emphasized the importance of having a variety of options.
“I reached out to about 30 D1 programs, and I got rejected by probably, like 60% of them,” Skipper said. “You have to be honest with yourself, and if you really enjoy the sport and know that you’re going to want to do it all throughout college, then it’s for you. But don’t feel like you need to, because I’ve had a million friends who have burnt out in college, and then they’re kind of stuck.”
Whitman athletes have continued to push themselves to achieve great accomplishments and the graduating class of 2025 will continue onto greater heights playing at the college level.
The list of committed athletes present at signing day from the graduating class of 2025 is as follows:
Sascha Beasley, University of Wisconsin, Soccer
Evelyn Javers, Columbia University, Soccer
Renee Miller, Alabama A&M University, Soccer
Skye Pratt, Colorado College, Soccer
Sean Curran, Hamilton College, Soccer
Katie Greenwald, Amherst College, Cross Country/Track
Ella Werkman, Emory University, Cross Country/Track
Maya Raphael, Columbia University, Field Hockey
Sam Adelson, Colgate University, Dive
Kristina Fleck, Lafayette College, Swim and Dive
Cam Groves, Hamilton College, Swim and Dive
Annie Kessner, Davidson College, Swim and Dive
James Skipper, Brown University, Swim and Dive
Quinn Foa, Dickinson College, Lacrosse
Ella Werkman is a news editor for The Black & White
Maya Raphael is a puzzles director for The Black & White
