BY ANDREW CLARK
Playing a sport at a college level is an opportunity that a few individuals get to experience. On February 4, 11 Wadsworth Grizzlies signed and committed to continue their athletic career in college. Seniors Gabrieala Heideman, Anna Wolfinger, Aly Brugh, Trey Shaffer, Jake Russel, Dom Loparo, Ben Lilly, Jack Grice, Mason Fortner, Taylor Leatherman, and Chase Diosy, all signed last Tuesday.
Athletes have to work long and hard for this opportunity such as Gabriela Heideman who after looking at colleges such as John Carroll, Mount Union, and Notre Dame has decided to take her skills to Baldwin Wallace.
“I started playing when I was 9 years old,” said Heideman. “My dad got me my first racquet on my 9th birthday and my love for the game developed from there.Tennis has been such an amazing part of my life, it gave me something to strive for and taught me so many life lessons. As just a small girl I was able to make a big impact and show myself and others what I was capable of.”
Along with growing athletically Heideman would like to use her education at Baldwin Wallace to become a speech and hearing pathologist.
Sports programs are taking some of our athletes out of state. This is the case for football linebacker Jack Grice who will be attending Grand Valley State University.
“I pretty much always knew I wanted to play football in college,” said Grice. “From the moment I stepped on Campus at GVSU, I felt in my gut that that was where I wanted to be. It has a reputation for high academics, it has the resources and programs to allow me to pursue the career path of my choice. Also, the beliefs of the coaches at Grand Valley have aligned with my beliefs, and there is a great tradition of winning at GVSU as well as a great group of teammates.”
Grice plans to capitalize on all GVSU has to offer and make strides towards his future goals.
“I have a goal of graduating with a degree in engineering, with a focus on environmental sciences,” said Grice. “Athletically, I strive to be a national champ. That’s the ultimate goal, and being able to continue playing the sport that I love is a huge blessing. It is something I never thought was possible my freshman year, and I owe so much to the people that have helped me get to this point.”
Like these two athletes, the rest of our Grizzlies will be looking to continue their success athletically and academically at their selected colleges.
