Athlete of the Month: CollegeRecruited Athletes

Recruited Athletes

Oriana Jalal

Having been a star runner on CHS’s cross-country and track and field teams throughout her years in high school, Oriana Jalal is ready to take her sport to new heights running in Division I track and field at UC Davis. However, Davis was the last place she thought she would be going at first. She said, “Originally, I was pretty set on committing to USC because it was Pac 12, it was a big name. [...] Davis was supposed to be my last [choice] to be honest, I wasn’t really thinking that I would really consider Davis. But when I went on my trip [to visit Davis], it completely changed my whole perspective. It was a 180, they sold the program to me super well, and the girls on the team were super genuine. What I wanted to study at school to be a PT would be neuro bio, physiology and behavior. And a lot of other girls on the team were also doing that major. So that was a big factor.” Making the jump between committing to USC, where she had originally expected to go, and UCD, which had originally been her last choice but now seemed like a really good option, was challenging for Jalal, but she ended up committing to UC Davis in December 2019, and will run for the Aggies starting next fall.

Senior Jack Townsend is ready to begin the next part of his journey in track and field, having been recruited by Southern Oregon University to run in Division III track and field. Describing his recruitment process, Townsend states “[...] The colleges would send me a letter [...] and then they’d be like ‘Just call me if you want to get in touch.’ [...] I visited three of the schools that had sent me emails so I was familiar with the coaches. But Southern Oregon didn’t send me an email [...], so I sent them an email. [...] I met with [the coach] and it went really well and I was like, ‘Oh, I really like this school.’” Townsend ended up committing to Southern Oregon University and looks forward to competing there in the fall. He is especially excited about being able to focus on a new sport. “I’ve always played basketball and track was more of a leisurely sport for me,” he said. “But I found a love for [track], because it’s the opposite of basketball. It’s not a team sport and it’s more just me doing things one on one and only worrying about myself. I’ve put so much time into basketball during high school that I was ready to try out a new sport in college.”

Jack Townsend

Recruited Athletes

KRITHIKA VENKATASUBRAMANIAN writer

Kate Duong

For senior Kate Duong, tennis is a sport that she has carried with her from when she was very young — a mere five years old. Duong has remained committed to her sport through the years, practicing for two to three hours daily on top of juggling her schoolwork. Duong recently committed to play Division I tennis at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She recalls her recruiting process, saying, “On September 1st of my junior that’s when I could get in touch with coaches, so once that day hit, I got dozens of emails from coaches, which is pretty cool and makes you feel special. In the spring I started taking some visits which was really cool because [...] there’s like that could be a future possibility of where I’ll be.” However, the process was not all smooth going for her; she says “Every time I went to a tournament I felt like oh, I have to play my best, there’s coaches here scouting me, if I don’t play well they might drop me and replace me with someone else.” In the end, everything fell into place for Duong, and she committed to UIUC in October. Throughout the process, she says, “I wanted to choose the right place and make sure it was the right environment for me and that I would really enjoy my life for four years there.”

Alyssa Hoeke’s journey playing softball, which started when she was eight, is about to begin a new path this fall: the senior committed to play Division III softball for Lewis and Clark University a couple of months ago. Hoeke’s desire to play softball in college started when she was still in middle school. She said, “When I was in middle school was when I really started to realize that I want to do this in college. Ever since then it’s been a long process of going to showcases where college coaches can watch you. And then, just contacting them as much as you can, and doing research about which colleges you like and going to camps at their school.” Hoeke attended a camp at Lewis and Clark University, which she says solidified her opinion of the school and fueled her desire to attend and play softball there. Hoeke’s love for softball has got her through the many obstacles that athletes invariably face on their journeys through the sport. “It’s been a long journey,” states Hoeke, “A lot of ups and downs, a lot of slumps… It’s hard because softball is a very mental game, so if you get into a slump it’s hard to really get out of it, and that’s something I have trouble with sometimes, but at the end of the day it’s about if you’re having fun or not. [...] I always have fun and it’s something that I’m so passionate about.”

Alyssa Hoeke