Ten of East Grand Rapids’ outstanding student athletes committed to the schools they will attend next fall. The Feb. 7 signers are as follows: Marty Ward to Kalamazoo College, Elliot Bergsma to Lake Forest College, Max Lundeen to Cornell University, Cooper Bell to Grand Rapids Community College, Kennzie Hartmann to Case Western Reserve University, Marie Lehman to Denison University, Nick Milanowski to University of Detroit Mercy, Andrew Conlon to Hope College, Jacob Rogers to Colorado College, and Drew Thomas to Babson College.

There’s no doubt that these students have put in a lot of hard work in the past four year to get to this point. Whether it was practice, competition, or training in the off-season; these athletes always gave it 110%.

Kennzie Hartmann ‘18, who signed to swim in Ohio, can attest to this. “It took a lot of hard work, determination, and perseverance through injuries to be where I am now,” Hartmann said. “My coaches, family, and teammates provided immense support through it all.”

For fellow lady-pio, and soon-to-be collegiate swimmer Marie Lehman ‘18, “Going to practice often and working hard with a good attitude,” was her key to success. “Having a good relationship with your coach and teammates also is super important,” Lehman said.

As many of us know, student athletes must find a balance between sports and academics, and for these signers, a lot of the effort it took towards reaching their goal was spent on schoolwork.

“It took a lot of hard work off the football field,” Max Lundeen ‘18 said. “Cornell has great academics and you have to meet their standards in the classroom as well as on the field.”

Athletics hold a special place in our East Grand Rapids community, and pursuing the sport one loves in a place other than home will undoubtedly be a big change.

“I’m excited to get out to Colorado because there are a lot of cool things out there that you don’t get to experience in Michigan,” Jacob Rogers ‘18 said. “With Colorado College being so close to the mountains, there is so much to do.”

Not only will these students be living in a new place with new people come fall, but they will be entering a new team as well. However, obstacles are nothing new to these athletes, and they look to their futures ahead at their new schools in anticipation.

“I am excited to go have a new experience and also see new people and play for a new team,” basketball-player and Kalamazoo college commit Marty Ward ‘18 said. “I’m looking forward to be playing at a higher level and against different people.”

Lundeen shares Ward’s excitement. “I really like the coaches and my fellow recruits, and Cornell is an awesome place,” he said. “I️’m looking forward to seeing a lot of really cool places and winning an Ivy League championship.”

We are extremely proud of our athletes, but we’re also sad to see them go. Although they will be continuing their athletic careers elsewhere next year, we know that no matter where they’re competing, our athletes are and always will be pioneers at heart.