Student athletes attend NCAA signing ceremony

The 10 athletes pose for a picture, in their college shirts, at the NCAA signing ceremony, with athletic director Ms. Murphy. The athletes were Josh Park, Michael Zhang, Will Kohn, Annika Topchy, Gavin Cramer, Hilal Hussein, Ashley Lee, Eleanor Kim, Lexi Sung, and Andrea Silva (in order from left to right, top row before bottom row). “The thing I loved about the TJ Signing Day was that it felt really personal, like they cared about you a lot and the time that we spent at TJ being student athletes,” Silva said.

Keertana Senthilkumar

The 10 athletes pose for a picture, in their college shirts, at the NCAA signing ceremony, with athletic director Ms. Murphy. The athletes were Josh Park, Michael Zhang, Will Kohn, Annika Topchy, Gavin Cramer, Hilal Hussein, Ashley Lee, Eleanor Kim, Lexi Sung, and Andrea Silva (in order from left to right, top row before bottom row). “The thing I loved about the TJ Signing Day was that it felt really personal, like they cared about you a lot and the time that we spent at TJ being student athletes,” Silva said.

Keertana Senthilkumar, Staff Writer
June 8, 2022

The Jefferson National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Signing Ceremony occurred during B block of eighth period on Friday, May 27 in Gym 1. The ceremony celebrated student athletes of the Class of 2022 who have committed to continuing their sport at college in the fall.

For these athletes, the recruitment process began with trying to get the attention of college coaches.

“I played on a travel baseball team called the Metro Senators and it was a good travel team. We went to a lot of showcases up and down the East Coast,” senior Gavin Cramer, a baseball player attending Lasell University next year, said. “I got a recruiting service to help me out. Basically I sent a ton of emails and took videos of myself, really trying to really put myself out there.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes had to combat the lack of exposure by contacting coaches directly.

“I actually got recruited mainly from a lot of highlight videos that I would make and talking to [coaches] of schools that I applied to,” senior Andrea Silva, a soccer player attending Case Western Reserve University next year, said.

Jefferson athletes also had to make decisions when balancing academics and their sports.

“Did I prioritize baseball pretty high up there? Yeah, I did, because it’s a safe haven for me,” Cramer said. “Honestly, I feel at home. I feel myself.”

Playing a sport not only served as a destressor, but allowed athletes a unique opportunity to connect with their teammates.

“To be able to play in high school with some of my best friends, make a lot of new friends, be a role model to underclassmen–that is something I’ve never experienced before,” Silva said. “And that has honestly made me love soccer all over again.”

After a long journey of four years, the 10 athletes present at the ceremony signed (or for the sake of photos, pretended to sign) their letters of intent at the signing ceremony.

“It’s extremely important to our Activities Office that students at TJ know they can excel academically and athletically during their 4 years here. It’s also important that our athletes know that there are a lot of college/university options that could be a great fit for them both academically and athletically at the NCAA Division I, II, and III level,” Director of Student Activities Mr. Forshay said.

The ceremony commemorated their decision as the athletes took photos with their friends, family, and mentors.These 11 athletes, by continuing their athletic careers to a college level, can inspire future classes of Jefferson student athletes.

“Because a lot of the time people will drop their sport in high school, I hope that we show that you can play in college. You can pursue this sport all throughout your time at TJ,” Silva said. “Hopefully we’ll have bigger and better classes to come.”