Sami Remis

Tennis

Middlebury

Why Middlebury? “Division 3 tennis allows me to compete at a high level while also being able to study anything academically with the perks of being at a small school.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “Play a sport that you really love, especially if you are going to devote so much time to it. For playing in college look at a lot of options, because you never know what program will be a good fit unless you talk with coaches and players on the team.”

Sydney Panagos

Field Hockey

Bucknell

Why Bucknell? “Bucknell was one of the first places where I felt like I was at home. When I visited there, I signed up for “A Day in The Life” and went to 2 classes and lunch with students. The first class I went to there was Biology, and it was a 3-hour long lab. When I showed up, I sat next to the sweetest girl. We worked on the lab together for the whole class, and then she offered to walk me back to the administration office right after. She gave me her number and told me that I could text her whenever with any question I had. I could really see myself walking through the halls there.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “Pick the school that you want to go to not based off the athletics or the level of athletics but because you can really see yourself there. I visited Bucknell and had already had set in stone that I did not want to play DI field hockey. I wanted to play DIII because I wanted to balance my school and my athletics and not be too stressed out. But, every school that I visited I would always compare to Bucknell. Also, every day is a new day to improve your play. Every time you get out on the field, play like you are training at a college level.”

Brandon Miller

Track

Texas A&M

Why A&M? “I chose Texas A&M because it felt like my home away from home. I felt like the program, team, and school was going to give me the best chance to reach the goals I wanted to set for myself and accomplish.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “My advice to younger athletes is to stay 100% focused on your goals. It’s all about hard work. Keep your priorities straight. Dream big.”

Noah Reichman

Baseball

Colby College

Why Colby? “When I visited Colby, I fell in love with the campus and the school itself, not just the baseball program. It offers all the academics that I want in a school while keeping athletics as a fore— front in the school culture. I wanted sports to be a big part of the school culture and spirit, and I found this to be the case at Colby. Also, the baseball program seemed to be just as impressive as the rest of the school.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “Some advice I have for younger athletes is to make sure that you like the school itself as if sports are not part of the equation. When you are talking to the coaches make sure they seem as excited to have you on campus as you are to be on campus. Also, if possible, meet some of the current team so you can talk to them; get their take on the coaches both on and off the field; ask about how the athletic program is run in conjunction with scholastics.”

Jordon Ryan

Basketball

Grinnell

Why Grinnell? “Grinnell is my choice because of the great academic standards, they allow me to incorporate basketball into my college experience, and they offer a degree that will allow me to get a job in sport’s broadcasting. Grinnell to me is a bigger Burroughs. It’s very important for me to be at a school where I can be happy even without a sport. Grinnell plays a very up-tempo style of basketball, fitting right into my style of play.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “My advice for younger athletes in picking a school, is to make a decision based off of the academics first, rather than focusing solely on their sport. It’s important to have a fall back option and it’s important to be looking and considering schools that have your major and are very strong academically. When factoring athletics as well, students should choose a school where they will have coaches dedicated to developing their skills and growing them as a player.”

Carlos Hillman

Football

DePauw

Why DePauw? “DePauw was the last school I visited in my search for colleges, and it really awed me. I’d been on visits to plenty of schools that I’d liked and could see myself possibly fitting in there, but I could honestly see myself thriving at DePauw. The athletics were amazing, but I also wanted to go somewhere that would challenge me both on and off the field. DePauw is a great liberal arts university and provides unique opportunities that some of the other schools couldn’t offer me.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “One tip for athletes looking for a place to play in college would be: Surround yourself with people that know you very well and whose opinion you trust. At the end of the day it is your decision, but it’s extremely helpful when you have a group of people who support you.”

Janie Shanahan

Field Hockey 

Bowdoin

Why Bowdoin? “I chose Bowdoin after a very long college search process.  I chose it because it gave me the option to be a student first, and an opportunity to play field hockey in college at such a competitive program, at the exact type of school I had alw

ays dreamed of. I fell in love with the school from the beginning in its perfect small atmosphere and New England vibe, and the team was super welcoming!”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “My advice for younger athletes is probably something that they’ve heard before but chose a school for the school. You want to be sure that if you somehow got injured or couldn’t play your sport anymore that you would still be happy with the school you chose.”

Vic William

Soccer

University of Richmond, London

Why Richmond? “With all the colleges I could have chosen from I thought yes it would be great to play here for a D1 college in the states but it would be so much cooler to go overseas because it would be something I’d never forget. I would also like to play at the highest level possible and being able to play against professional academies in England is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a chance to compete against the best.”

Advice to Younger Athletes: “I’d say, you really have to listen to your gut and decide what you want to do and what the best route for yourself is. Do a lot of research about where you want to go (the program, area, campus, etc.) and think about where you really want to go with the sport and what you want to make of your time playing, and when you take all of those things into account, the decision will be easier. And follow your passion!”