Emma Nahon ’23 runs swiftly up the green turf field with her stick in hand, bent over a small ball and ready to strike it into the net. Scoring a goal for the Staples field hockey team is not the only thing on her mind, as she is also thinking about her future, continuing her field hockey career at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Nahon is one of many student athletes that is committed to college for athletics. These hard working athletes have begun to gain excitement about taking their sport to the next level.

Nahon owes her success to her club team, Alex Gheorghe Hockey Club (AGH). She plays on AGH during the winter and spring, and they have accomplished many notable achievements.

“In 2019 we went to Nationals and we placed second, which was basically second in the country and huge for us,” Nahon said. “At that tournament I won MVP, which was huge for exposure to college coaches.”

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), college coaches are not allowed to communicate with athletes until June 15 of their sophomore year, so Nahon had a relatively early verbal commitment on June 17 of her sophomore year.

The senior class of 2022 contains the majority of athletes committed to colleges already. 

Allie Francis ’22, who played at the first seed for Staples girls’ tennis and helped lead the team to a state championship victory, is committed to Trinity College. Francis has been dedicated to tennis since she was four years old and plans to continue her passion in college.

“Tennis has always been such a big part of my life and I am excited to keep my tennis career going and still grow as a tennis player,” Francis said. 

Francis also touched upon her intense work ethic. Despite being relieved because she has secured a spot in college, Francis is working even harder than before on her game. 

“I’m currently playing tennis everyday and I’m going to the gym three times a week,” Francis said. “I’m also competing on the weekends once or twice a month.”

A common theme among these athletes is the enthusiasm they have for their sport and getting the opportunity to continue it. Gaby Gonzalez ’22, who is committed to Cornell University for soccer, is no different.

“[Being committed] is a really good feeling because it is something I have been working towards my whole life,” Gonzalez said. “To finally achieve that goal feels amazing.”