For seniors, as their high school days end they face the tough decision on which college they should commit to.
For athletes that decision shifts from one of looking at schools for their academic strength to instead looking at the strength of the sport they plan to play. Colleges also range from Division One to Division Three, creating another deciding factor for seniors when choosing where to pursue their education and athletics.
Senior basketball player Braelynn Barnett has recently committed to Georgetown University, a Division One liberal arts school that has given her a chance to succeed, she believes, in both the classroom and on the basketball court.
After seeing Barnetts talent, the school also offered her a full-ride scholarship.
“When I first got there I had the feeling I’m going here, this is my school,” Barnett said.
Barnett didn’t come from a family that participated in basketball; she tried out ballet and soccer, but ended up finding love for the sport of basketball.
“I just picked up an orange ball and I was like Yeah I like this, this is fun,” she said.
Many people who enter high school aim to be on varsity when it comes to trying out for their sports – but only a few make it. Barnetts talents were outstanding for her coaches, and she was able to become a freshman on varsity, staying on the team for the next 4 years.
Since Barnett was in 6th grade, she knew she wanted to be able to continue playing basketball in college. She would reach out to college coaches so they were able to get her name out there, which is something that a lot of athletes dedicate their time to as upperclassmen.
Most colleges aren’t able to reach out to an athlete until they are officially a junior in high school.So as soon as the time opens up for coaches to recruit, many athletes could receive messages all at once.
“Most athletic scholarships are negotiated between the families and the coaches at the schools. Majority of college scholarships aren’t full [rides], only a few sports offer them,” counselor and post grad coordinator Craig Whittgrove said.
Now that Barnetts recruitment chapter has come to an end, she is confident in her abilities of playing at the next level and grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime.
“I went to [visit] Georgetown and they are in a better conference and there are a lot of better opportunities for me there,” Barnett said.
Senior golf player Wyatt Isgrig has recently committed to Gettysburg College, a Division Three college located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
A school that is ranked #26 in the Division Three conference and one that caught Isgrig’s eye in an instant. Division Three schools do not offer any type of scholarship through the athletics program, only through the level of academics of the athlete in terms of merit aid.
“I toured Gettysburg last and I was like, this is perfect,” Isgrig said.
For Isgrig, his dad inspired him to start golf when he was a kid. At first, it was just something he did for fun, but eventually he realized that it was something he wanted to take to the next level. Since he felt like he was too late to the recruiting process, he felt like changing his recruitment approach would be best for him.
“I got into competitive golf late, so that makes recruiting harder, so Division One wasn’t an option,” Isgrig said. “Division three route was the easiest way to go and [I] still [can] compete at a high level,”
He had been on varsity since his sophomore year, and was able to get four offers that were all the same level. However, Gettysburg’s feeling was what solidified his decision. Once he got through all the tours, Isgrig felt like he had found his home on the East Coast.
“When I did my tour at Gettysburg, I felt very welcomed and they were excited that I was there and really wanted me on the team,”Isgrig said.
The Gettysburg golf team is also excited to have him as a new addition in the near future. “Hope to see him come in ready to compete and work hard,” Gettysburg golf head coach Jason Badecki said. “I have no doubt he’ll compete with our guys and fit in with our group.”
