SPORTS DECEMBER 11, 2020 Photos by: Anna Palacio
Seniors Jarek Braden and Nina Tasic pose wearing the apparel of the colleges they have committed to. Braden committed to Allen Community College in Iola, while Tasic committed to Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo.
Amid pandemic, senior athletes commit to colleges By: Fletcher Smith
Every year, thousands of seniors commit to play sports in colleges across the country. It’s an extremely important decision, as they will learn new skills that can be used throughout their lives and will meet new people that will become lifelong friends. But this year, this process was a little different. Due to COVID-19, almost all colleges were unable to do in-person recruiting, which made it more difficult to get into contact with some students. Despite this setback, many student-athletes were able to find a new home to continue their athletic careers, including seniors Jarek Braden and Nina Tasic. Jarek Braden, catcher and designated hitter (and first baseman when needed) for the baseball team, has committed to Allen County Community College. “I’m going with a lifelong teammate and felt I’d
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end up at a better school with JUCO experience,” Braden said. Braden, who was also on the varsity wrestling team his freshman and sophomore years, as well as on the football team all four years of high school, understands the importance of hard work and what it takes to get him where he is. “Hard work beats natural talent, if a kid has talent but doesn’t work to get better he’s gonna get passed by someone who works hard,” Braden said. Through his hard work and discipline, Braden is also striving to achieve even greater goals and success in the future. “Hopefully [I’ll] end up at a D1 school to play after Allen County and get drafted after that,” Braden said. Allen County is a great place for Braden to achieve this, as several players from Allen County have gone to be drafted into MLB. Nina Tasic, who
placed fifth in the 100-yard butterfly and tenth in the 200-yard individual medley at the state championship swim meet as a sophomore, committed to swimming at Lindenwood University. “I chose Lindenwood because of its vast academic opportunities and its very strong swimming program,” Tasic said. “Lindenwood University has a bright future ahead of itself; the professors, administrative staff, coaches, etc. are all actively investing in the futures of their students and student-athletes. Most importantly, though, the quality of the people at Lindenwood is unbeatable. I know that I am walking into a school and onto a swim team with individuals just as driven and excited as I am (not to mention, individuals from all over the world). ” Tasic has been swimming in the Kansas City area for 12 years, the majority of that time spent with the Kansas City Blazers, so she’s excited for the change of
scenery Lindenwood offers. “I have been swimming club for most of my life, so I am ready to change my routine up and train and compete with some new faces,” Tasic says. “College swimming will bring many new challenges, but, at this point, I am fully prepared to accept them.” Tasic understands the importance of receiving help from others throughout her high school career, and has many people to thank for helping her get to Lindenwood. “[South coaches Brandon Simpson and Deidre Peterson] invested in me, both as an athlete and an individual, like no one ever has before,” Tasic said. “But [the coaches] are only half of what made my time on the OS Swim & Dive team so special: I truly have the girls I swam with to thank… Without them, I would not have been able to do all the crazy things I did, in practice and at meets.”
