By: Adam Hawthorne, Staff Writer
National Signing Day came and went this week, and for some seniors here at River Hill, it meant the end of years of hard work finally paying off. The gym was packed with families, coaches, and classmates watching as each athlete put pen to paper and officially committed to playing their sport at the college level.
This year’s class included athletes from track, lacrosse, baseball and softball, each heading to schools across the country. It is a day that a lot of these athletes have been dreaming about since they first picked up a ball or laced up their cleats.
Johnny Norwood, who signed with Moravian University to play baseball, reflected on what the moment meant after years of dedication. “It feels amazing to finally see all the hard work pay off. I’ve wanted to play college baseball for as long as I can remember, and I’m just incredibly grateful to my family, coaches, and teammates for helping me get to Moravian.”
The road to signing day is not an easy one. These athletes had to balance rigorous sports schedules while keeping up with their schoolwork. Many of them have been playing their sport since they were kids, and the signing table represented the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. For Ryan Walsh, who will be heading to the University of Tampa next fall for baseball, the journey was especially personal.
“Ever since I was a little kid, baseball has been such a big part of my life. Being able to continue playing at Tampa means everything to me.”
This year’s signing day was even more exciting for two of our track standouts, Marella and Lauren Virmani, who will be keeping their lifelong partnership alive at the next level after both signed to run track for Northwestern. These sisters have spent years pushing each other to improve on the track, and sharing the same college uniform next fall feels like a dream come true.Speaking together on their joint decision, the sisters noted, “We are both super excited to stay together next year! We’ve lived together and trained together our whole lives so staying together for college was a fairly easy decision for us. Officially signing was special as it was sort of the closing point for a super long recruiting process.” Marella was equally thrilled to have this opportunity, reflecting on their unique bond as teammates. “As far as working together goes, I’d say it’s been a lot of fun and that it’s important to celebrate each other’s successes and not just our own.”
Many coaches were there to celebrate their players, showing how proud they were for their players. The coaches have put in just as many hours as the athletes, and days like this are a reminder of why they do it. Sarah Thomas, who will be playing lacrosse at Marywood University enthusiastically credited the coaching staff when asked about who helped get them here.
“All of my coaches throughout the years were definitely a huge part of me achieving my goal of playing college lacrosse. I don’t know what I would do without them and their support throughout my entire journey.”
All the seniors that partook in signing day are leaving behind a legacy at our school that underclassmen will be looking to match in the coming years. Their success in moving on to play sports at the next level shows what kind of athletes and the high level of our sports program here.
The rest of the school will be watching closely as these seniors head off next fall. They have worked hard to earn this, and everybody wishes them the best of luck at the next level.