Before a near capacity audience in the Blue Springs High School Auditorium, six Wildcats signed national letters of intent to continue their careers at the collegiate level.
Shelby Bolin, swimming, will attend University of the Pacific, in Stockton, Calif.; Lisa Henning, volleyball, and Mackenzie Sykes, softball, will attend the University of Missouri; Nicole Goad, soccer, will attend Missouri Valley; Kirsten Erikson, volleyball, will attend Pittsburg State University; and Jordan Brown, baseball, will attend the University of Kansas.
“I made all five of my official visits,” said Bolin, a three-year All-American in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, “and I fell in love with Pacific. The campus is ranked one of the top five in the country and I love the coach and the team. It’s going to be a great experience.”
Coach Bill Shalley said, “Shelby is a great athlete and a great person in the locker room – a real leader.”
Henning had committed to Missouri her junior year, and said it’s great to finally put her name on the dotted line.
“This is a day I’ve been waiting for, for a long, long time,” the standout middle hitter said. “I’m so excited about Missouri – my family and friends can come watch me play. It’s going to be great.”
Erikson, a right-side hitter, said Pitt State is the perfect fit for her skills.
“I’m excited about taking my game to the next level,” Erikson said. “I know they had a big recruiting class last year and I’m part of a big recruiting class, so it’s going to offer a challenge – and I’m ready for that challenge.”
Coach Katie Grusing said she will miss two very special players.
“Kirsten is just such a great competitor and team leader,” the Wildcats volleyball coach said, “and Lisa is just one of the most talented athletes I’ve ever been around. They are big-time players and we’re going to miss them.”
Sykes, an all-state third baseman, said she has dreamed of playing softball at Mizzou since she was young.
“When MU offered, it was a no-brainer,” Sykes said. “I think I might play third base or I might be used as a utility player. It’s going to be a lot of fun, no matter where I play.”
Coach Roger Lower simply said, “She was four-year all-everything – all-conference, all-area, she was all-state. She never took one ground ball or one swing in the batting cage or a game where she didn’t give it 100 percent.”
Goad, who recorded seven shutouts last year for the Wildcats soccer team, said signing with Missouri Valley takes a lot of the pressure off her senior season.
“Now, I can go out in the spring and enjoy my senior season because I know where I will be playing college soccer,” Goad said. “It’s close enough to home my folks can come watch me, but it’s far enough away that I’ll feel like I’m going away to school.”
Wildcats soccer coach Doug MacLagan said, “When she’s in the net, and it’s one-on-one (with a player attempting to score a goal), she’s a scary sight. She is a very aggressive goalkeeper.”
Brown, who started in the Wildcats secondary in Friday night’s state semifinal against DeSmet, attracted the attention of the KU baseball staff when his summer league team played at Lawrence, Kan.
“This is a big, big day for me and my family,” Brown said. “When KU offered me a baseball scholarship, I took it. A lot of people thought I might play football, but I’ve always loved baseball.
“We played a tournament up at Lawrence and I had a good tournament and, now, I have a scholarship. It worked out great.”
Wildcats baseball coach Marc Hines, who also coaches football, said, “Jordan Brown is a great athlete and a great young man. He’s going to have a lot of success at KU.”
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Before a near capacity audience in the Blue Springs High School Auditorium, six Wildcats signed national letters of intent to continue their careers at the collegiate level.
Shelby Bolin, swimming, will attend University of the Pacific, in Stockton, Calif.; Lisa Henning, volleyball, and Mackenzie Sykes, softball, will attend the University of Missouri; Nicole Goad, soccer, will attend Missouri Valley; Kirsten Erikson, volleyball, will attend Pittsburg State University; and Jordan Brown, baseball, will attend the University of Kansas.
“I made all five of my official visits,” said Bolin, a three-year All-American in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, “and I fell in love with Pacific. The campus is ranked one of the top five in the country and I love the coach and the team. It’s going to be a great experience.”
Coach Bill Shalley said, “Shelby is a great athlete and a great person in the locker room – a real leader.”
Henning had committed to Missouri her junior year, and said it’s great to finally put her name on the dotted line.
“This is a day I’ve been waiting for, for a long, long time,” the standout middle hitter said. “I’m so excited about Missouri – my family and friends can come watch me play. It’s going to be great.”
Erikson, a right-side hitter, said Pitt State is the perfect fit for her skills.
“I’m excited about taking my game to the next level,” Erikson said. “I know they had a big recruiting class last year and I’m part of a big recruiting class, so it’s going to offer a challenge – and I’m ready for that challenge.”
Coach Katie Grusing said she will miss two very special players.
“Kirsten is just such a great competitor and team leader,” the Wildcats volleyball coach said, “and Lisa is just one of the most talented athletes I’ve ever been around. They are big-time players and we’re going to miss them.”
Sykes, an all-state third baseman, said she has dreamed of playing softball at Mizzou since she was young.
“When MU offered, it was a no-brainer,” Sykes said. “I think I might play third base or I might be used as a utility player. It’s going to be a lot of fun, no matter where I play.”
Coach Roger Lower simply said, “She was four-year all-everything – all-conference, all-area, she was all-state. She never took one ground ball or one swing in the batting cage or a game where she didn’t give it 100 percent.”
Goad, who recorded seven shutouts last year for the Wildcats soccer team, said signing with Missouri Valley takes a lot of the pressure off her senior season.
“Now, I can go out in the spring and enjoy my senior season because I know where I will be playing college soccer,” Goad said. “It’s close enough to home my folks can come watch me, but it’s far enough away that I’ll feel like I’m going away to school.”
Wildcats soccer coach Doug MacLagan said, “When she’s in the net, and it’s one-on-one (with a player attempting to score a goal), she’s a scary sight. She is a very aggressive goalkeeper.”
Brown, who started in the Wildcats secondary in Friday night’s state semifinal against DeSmet, attracted the attention of the KU baseball staff when his summer league team played at Lawrence, Kan.
“This is a big, big day for me and my family,” Brown said. “When KU offered me a baseball scholarship, I took it. A lot of people thought I might play football, but I’ve always loved baseball.
“We played a tournament up at Lawrence and I had a good tournament and, now, I have a scholarship. It worked out great.”
Wildcats baseball coach Marc Hines, who also coaches football, said, “Jordan Brown is a great athlete and a great young man. He’s going to have a lot of success at KU.”
