With the stress of college applications of senior year, two seniors already bypassed the work and have earned their way to early athletic scholarships.

Katie Crum

Senior Katie Crum will attend Gonzaga University in Washington next year to play Division I soccer on a scholarship. Katie committed at the beginning of May 2008 and was mainly recruited through the tournaments and showcases.

“I had to go through all the college stuff last year, and it wasn’t easy finding a school that fit,” Katie said. “I picked Gonzaga because I had been in contact with some other college coaches, and the Gonzaga coaches just seemed the most involved about the process and did a really good job with recruiting and selling the school.”

Recognized mostly through her performance with MVLA Avalanche, Katie was scouted by Gonzaga when playing in regional, state and national soccer tournaments. Katie plans on playing soccer all four years and hopes to use her experience at Gonzaga to find other interests as well.
“I definitely want to play soccer throughout college, but I’m not sure if I want to make it a career because I’m still thinking about the possibilities for the future,” Katie said.

Although able to attest to the difficulty of the college selection and recruiting process, Katie is looking forward to a more relaxed senior year without having to worry about applying to colleges since she’s found her fit at Gonzaga.

“I had originally wanted a big school, but after my visit I realized I wanted a smaller school and that I was ready to try something new and go out of state,” Katie said. “When I visited, I fell in love with the campus and the coaches and I’m especially excited for the basketball games.”

Tessa The

Senior Tessa The will attend the University of Colorado at Boulder next year to play Division I golf on a full-ride scholarship. Her recruitment process started in September of last year, and Tessa officially committed in April.

“I chose Boulder because it was a decent distance from home and I fell in love with the campus, coach, team and the whole athletic department,” Tessa said.

Tessa plans to continue playing golf all four years in hopes of eventually making the tour. Having participated in many nationally reknowned events, Tessa has placed in several tournaments since middle school.

“I’m looking forward to being on my own for a change,” Tessa said. “I feel like being a couple states away will give me an opportunity to live for myself, and my team is amazing so I can’t wait to play with them.”