Hereford High School hosted an informational ceremony on Nov. 21 for athletes who will be playing a sport in college next year, recognizing all senior athletes committed to DI, DII, and DIII colleges.

The majority of the athletes are committed for Men’s Lacrosse, and include the following: Scott Middleton (Loyola University), Troy Tuveson (Air Force Academy), JD Nozemack (Monmouth University), Jack Drury (Washington College), Gavin Schattall (Frostburg State University), and John Talbott (Elizabethtown College).

Students committed for Women’s Lacrosse are: Kylie Nause (University of Cincinnati), Erin Williams (Towson University), Erin Sistek (University of Tampa), Lily Cavallaro (Salisbury University), and Grace Clarke (University of Mary Washington).

Women’s Soccer commits include: Danielle Maggio (Charleston Southern University) and Kara Schmidt (Salisbury University).

Finally the following are committed for Field Hockey: Camryn Kelbaugh (Providence College), Maddie Knight (Washington College) and Taylor Hackett (Frostburg State University).

Many of these athletes have known they wanted to play at the college level for many years.

“I knew I wanted to participate in athletics in college ever since I was a little kid, I was always so competitive and eager to win,” Nozemack said.

Some of these athletes include Middleton, Maggio, and Hackett who realized they wanted to participate in college athletics since middle school.

“I knew I wanted to play field hockey in college ever since 8^th grade, I played club field hockey with girls that were already in high school and I loved it,” Hackett said.

For Maggio, middle school was when she had to choose which sport to persue for college soccer or lacrosse.

“I had more passion for soccer and knew right away this was something I definitely wanted to peruse in college,” Maggio said.

There are many things to look forward to in college.

“I’m looking forward to being on the team and getting to college and the environment that comes with it,” Middleton said.

Lots of hard work and dedication are put in to the recruitment process and that diligence continues once you get to your college as well.

“I’m most looking forward to experiencing the hard work and dedication it takes to play DI lacrosse,” Nozemack said.

In college your skills will continue to grow and overall you will improve yourself as an athlete.

“Improving my skill and playing with new teammates are what I’m most looking forward to,” Nause said.

Although it’s upsetting to leave your old team behind, Hackett is looking forward to the new memories to come.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with my new teammates next year, they remind me so much of the ones I’ve had here at Hereford,” Hackett said.

From personal experiences these future DI, DII, and DII athletes have advice for future recruits and commits.

“Sacrifices are completely worth it; sometimes you aren’t able to spend time with your friends because you’re away at tournaments making a name for yourself,” Maggio said.

There are many high school athletes competing for the same spot on a college team.

“There is always someone coming for your spot so don’t rest on your laurels,” Middleton said.

Scouts hit the pavement in search of the very best talent across the country according to recruitlook.com.

“Do the extra work on your own that others don’t do, so you can stand out,” Nozemack said.

Visiting a lot of schools is helpful to deciding which is best for you and seeing all the options.

“Visit a lot of colleges, I always thought I wanted to go to a big school but when I visited Frostburg I just knew it was right,” Hackett said.

Before choosing your school these athletes recommend future recruits take time to consider all their options.

“Don’t rush the process, make sure you really love every aspect of the school, the team and the coaches,” Nause said.

This process can be very stressful and long in some cases.

“Throughout the stress of it all, don’t forget your love of the game,” Maggio said.