Wadsworth High School recently hosted their commitment day and many seniors have committed to where they will play at the collegiate level just after the first semester. The seniors who have committed include Jack Dinwiddie, Cece Craig, Emma Lynn, Brody Grimm, Gavin Redfern, Eli Kaufman, Lauren Ball, Kai Close, Karley Allwood, Reese Kelly, Ansley Batey, and Jake Veverka.

Jack Dinwiddie

Jack Dinwiddie will begin wrestling at Wheeling University during the 24-25 school year. The Cardinals are an NCAA Division II program in West Virginia. He plans to major in engineering during his collegiate academic career.

“I chose Wheeling because of my great relationship with the coach and the team itself is ready to compete for a team national title,” Dinwiddie said.

He believes that location is important to his decision, so being at a relatively close distance to his hometown, it was a great opportunity. He also has goals of becoming the best wrestler he can be and possibly a Division II national champion.

Cece Craig

Cece Craig will continue to play soccer at the University of Ashland. She has committed and been signed to the Ashland Eagles women’s soccer program, a participant in the NCAA Division II athletics. Cece plans to major somewhere in the business field and is ready to begin the next chapter of her life. 

“When I visited the campus I absolutely fell in love with it and knew that’s where I wanted to be,” Craig said. “The soccer team obviously greatly influenced my decision as well since they are a really good team.”

She loves how it is so close to home, and how she can be with her family in a forty-minute drive. Her goal is just to play her best at the next level and get the most playing time possible.

Emma Lynn

Emma Lynn will continue to cheer at the University of Akron. The Akron Zips are part of the NCAA Division I athletics in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Emma is very excited to continue cheering in college and plans to major in business or finance. 

“I chose Akron primarily because they made me feel so welcome,” Lynn said. “They invited me to a practice, and everyone was so nice and helpful, and I could see myself being a part of the team.” 

She believes their business program is great, her campus tour was great, and she loved how it was close to home. She plans to work towards competing at nationals with her team at Daytona, Florida, and since not every athlete gets to participate in this event.

Brody Grimm

Brody Grimm will begin his collegiate career at Wheeling University’s wrestling program. The Cardinals are an NCAA Division II  program in West Virginia. He is currently undecided on his major in college.

“The environment and size of the campus and the location and athletics influenced me the most [on my college decision],” Grimm said.

His goals in his collegiate career are just to become the best wrestler he can be and just to be academically sound and successful.

Gavin Redfern

Gavin Redfern has committed to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level at Walsh University. The Walsh Cavaliers are part of the NCAA Division II program and the Cavaliers play in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference for men’s lacrosse. 

“Other than receiving scholarships to go there, I would say [what influenced me the most are] the size of the school and how close it is to home,” Redfern said.

Redfern is hoping and has goals to start on the men’s lacrosse team and just better himself. He plans to major in the accounting field and eventually get his CPA.

Eli Kaufman

Eli Kaufman has committed to playing football at Marshall University. Their nickname “The Thundering Herd,” competes in the NCAA Division I program and is located in Huntington, West Virginia.

“I chose Marshall because of its rich history in college athletics, especially football,” Kaufman said. “I liked that Marshall isn’t too far away from home.”

Kaufman plans to major in the business field looking towards studying sales and marketing. He has goals to be a multiple-year starter and make all-conference or American honors.

Lauren Ball

Lauren Ball has committed to continue her softball career at Tiffin University. The Tiffin Dragons are a participator of the NCAA Division II program and Ball says she could not be more excited to enter her new chapter of life and to play at Tiffin. She plans to study psychology and become a therapist.

“Everything from the atmosphere, team, academics, and social life seemed like a perfect fit for me. Coach Megan and Coach Paige are coaches I’m so excited to play for, and I’m excited to pursue a psychology degree at a place with such a good program,” Ball said. “I knew I wanted a school with a strong psychology program, and Tiffin gave me the opportunity to earn my Masters degree in four years with an accelerated program. Their campus had a small town, family feel.”

She hopes to be as successful as possible in her academic and collegiate career, and possibly win a Conference Championship and possibly make it to an NCAA regional.

Kai Close

Kai Close has committed to play baseball at The University of Charleston in West Virginia. The Golden Eagles participate in the NCAA’s Division II intercollege sports program. He is very excited to continue to play the sport he loves at a higher level and make new, lifelong friends while doing it.

“I chose the University of Charleston because they have a very competitive baseball program, and I felt that it was a place that I got a really good offer from and had the opportunity to get a good education,” Close said. “A lot of my credits transferred over, which also was a big thing that influenced me in making my decision.”. 

There were many other factors in his college commitment, such as scholarships, education, and, of course, baseball. 

“I received a good offer to go there with room to also increase the money that I get as long as I perform well. Going down the med-school path can be very expensive, so the opportunity to decrease the amount of debt that I will be in was a big influence,” Close said. “The baseball aspect was very important because they are one of the winningest programs in the nation and compete with the best. I also felt it was a good fit for me personally because I have the possibility to get my undergrad done in about two years if I choose to do so. Lastly, I felt that it was a place that would be able to develop me and make me a better person inside and outside of baseball.”

He plans to major in pre-med and work to become an orthopedic surgeon. Close also has aspirations to play in the everyday lineup as a freshman. He also desires to continue the tradition of winning their conference and making it into the NCAA tournament, which has happened for the last six or seven years.

Karley Allwood

Karley Allwood has committed to playing volleyball at Marietta College. The Pioneers will compete in the NCAA Division III program in the following year.  Allwood plans to major in pre-vet and is working on deciding her minors while in college. She is very excited to continue her volleyball career at Marietta and hopes she can ease into college life and live far away from home with the help of her teammates and studies.

“The environment is what made me choose the school. I was obviously looking for the right school to continue my volleyball career but I was truly looking for a place that would resemble home as much as possible, and I think Marietta did just that,” Allwood stated. “Another thing that sparked my attention was the campus. It is so gorgeous and gives the homie feel I was looking for. Then on top of that I love how small the school is. I personally like the student-to-professor relationship. I believe it will help me thrive better in my academics.”

Allwood has aspirations to play as much time as she can get in the volleyball program, she hopes to grow as a player and continue to learn more things about the game of volleyball with her coaches and teammates.

Ansley Batey

Ansley Batey will be continuing her soccer career at Lake Erie College’s women’s soccer club. The Erie Storm will be competing in the NCAA’s Division II sports program. She plans to major in biology in hopes of becoming a pediatric oncologist. 

“The atmosphere at Lake Erie College really made me feel at home, and I fell in love with the campus,” Batey said. “It’s in a great location—far enough for independence, but close enough that I can come home whenever I want.”

Batey has many goals for herself during her collegiate career and academic career. Her biggest goal is to complete college and earn her degree, but she also wants to set personal goals and team goals for the women’s soccer program, especially since there is a new coaching staff. She is very optimistic about what she can accomplish in her collegiate career and what is up next.

Jake Veverka

Jake Veverka has committed to playing baseball at Defiance College. The Yellow Jackets will be competing in the NAIA beginning in the 24-25 season. Veverka has been extremely excited to play college baseball and is very happy he achieved it. He plans to study sports management during his time at college.

“I chose Defiance because of the amount of money they gave me and because I’ll be able to start my freshman year,” Veverka said. “But what really influenced my decision was the coaching staff they have over there. The head coach there is as southern as they get and he has a lot of experience with the game, so I felt like I can learn a lot from him. I also liked where the school is at, it’s in a small town close to Toledo and Indiana so there will be a lot to explore in the area.”

His goals are to become a leader on his team, continue to learn the game of baseball, and possibly go on to a better division or school.

Reese Kelly

Reese Kelly will be continuing her volleyball career at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. The Thunder compete in the NCAA Division III program. 

The students are excited to move on to their college careers and optimistic of what they can accomplish in their new phase of life.