A National Letter of Intent (in COVID Times

ALEXA ARANCIOUniversity of California, Davis, soccer STEFANI BEISEL

University of Arizona, swimming

A NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT OLIVIA CARLINO Belmont Abbey College, lacrosse MARLEY LANGI BRIAN CHONG Brown University, tennis TAYLOR IDEN University of California, Santa Barbara, track MATTHEW HALBACH University of San Diego, baseballREMI EDVALSON Harvard University, divingSYDNEY BOURLANDCal Poly-San Luis Obispo, basketball HUNTER HERNANDEZ University of California, Irvine, basketball ALEXIS GIARDINA University of Oregon, acrobatics/tumbling

(in COVID Times)

University of California, Davis, basketball

By Katie Helland - Director of Communications

EMMA VANE University of California, Davis, soccerKAITLYN SPRINGS University of San Diego, basketballNOAH ROBERTSON Loyola Marymount University, soccer MICHAEL MITCHELL Pepperdine University, basketball ADAM WESSONHarvard University, diving AMELIA SCHARPF University of California, Irvine, basketball JOSHUA O’BRIEN University of Washington, soccer OLIVIA WILLIAMSUniversity of California, Irvine, basketball

The basketball player, soccer player, baseball player, diver, lacrosse player, and gymnast all walked into the Aymar Events Center. What did they have in common? Dreams. In November, as part of College Signing Day, each signed a national letter of intent committing to play their sport of choice at the highest level possible in school: college. For some athletes, like Michael Mitchell, who signed to play men’s basketball for Pepperdine University, the offer came with a scholarship. For others, like Remi Edvalson, Adam Wesson, and Brian Chong, who will attend Brown or Harvard, Ivy Leagues that don’t offer scholarships to athletes, the letter was an offer to do something they love at the highest level while receiving a world-class education.

In the audience, there were no grandparents. No friends and neighbors. None of the cheering teammates and friends who usually fill the bleachers holding signs, balloons, and flowers. Instead, parents, coaches, and athletes gathered six feet apart. In 15-minute time slots, each athlete took their place at a table draped in black and gold and signed their future. And while the crowd was small, the moment was still big. Senior Olivia Carlino was one of the more than a dozen student athletes who signed national letters of intent on campus this fall. She committed to play lacrosse for Belmont Abbey College.

“College Signing Day to me is when all the long days spent after school training to have the potential to play at the collegiate level have finally paid off,” Carlino said. “It was a weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing all the goals I set for myself over the past several years have been achieved.”

The ceremony in November was the first of three National College Signing Days held on campus this year with a limited public audience. Challenged with pandemic protocols that restricted in-person gatherings, Athletics had to find new ways to celebrate the accomplishments and milestones of these student athletes. They delivered. “Since only immediate family and coaches could be with the student athletes for signing this year, we wanted to honor our athletes for all their hard work to get to this point in their athletic careers,” said Pat Kennedy, the Athletics Assistant for Sports Information.

Kennedy created posters that celebrated each student athlete. He also put together highlight reels for the school’s social media accounts to announce athletes’ college choices and recognize accomplishments. On signing days, Kennedy also shared a photo of each student athlete putting pen to paper. A photo of soccer player Noah Robertson signing his national letter of intent was posted on the school’s verified Instagram account, where it got more than 500 likes. For Robertson, who committed to play for Loyola Marymount University, the recognition was meaningful.

“Seeing the school post about my signing day on Instagram was awesome!” Robertson said. “Just seeing all the love and support from my friends, classmates, and — even some people I didn’t know — was definitely something that was very moving for me.”

With so much in flux this year, moments of celebration, like this, have become especially important. They bring generations together and honor talented student-athletes preparing for their futures. In a year of so much change and uncertainty, celebrating good news has become more important than ever before.

“I thought it was really cool how the school went out of their way to put something together that recognizes and acknowledges all the hard work that my peers and I have put in to get to where we are today,” Robertson said. “Getting back on campus and seeing the personalized items that the school had put together was very special to me and something that I will not forget. Also, the fact that I was able to ‘make it official’ on campus, like athletes usually do, in the midst of all the pandemic turmoil was something that I am very grateful for.”

It was a weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing all the goals I set for myself over the past several years have been achieved. ”

Olivia Carlino

#AlwaysAMonarch

The student athletes listed to the left signed national letters of intent to play their sport of choice at some of the best universities in the nation next year. These Monarchs have excelled academically and athletically and take pride in wearing black and gold.

Seeing the school post about my signing day on Instagram was awesome! Just seeing all the love and support from my friends, classmates, and — even some people I didn’t know — was definitely something that was very moving for me. ”

Noah Robertson