Barnstable student-athletes celebrate college acceptance day

HYANNIS — For outgoing Barnstable High School athletic director Scott Thomas, the annual Student-Athlete College Acceptance Day has always been one of his proudest moments every year.

“It’s a great recognition for a lot of years of hard work, dedication and commitment to the sport,” he said. “Most of these kids are all fantastic students, so to get to this point they’re getting to do something that only a fraction of other kids in the country get to do.”

More than 100 parents, coaches, teachers, family members and classmates gathered in the Barnstable High gymnasium on Wednesday after school to honor 21 student-athletes in the senior class who will be moving on to college sports next year.

“It’s well under 10% (of all students) that even go on to participate in college athletics,” Thomas said. “This is really exciting. They’re really among the elite and we’re proud of them.”

Student-athletes were introduced in groups and each had the opportunity to sign a copy of an acceptance letter, symbolic of their commitment to playing at the next level.

Many of the students talked about their excitement in moving on to compete next year.

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“I immediately knew that’s where I wanted to go. The campus is beautiful and I worked really hard to get there,” said field hockey player Reagan Hicks, who attended several clinics there over the last few years.

“After my most recent (clinic), the coach called and offered me a spot on the team,” she said. “I had toured many schools, but to me, it felt like home,” said Hicks, who plans to major in exercise science at Endicott College.

For football player Gibson Guimond, Saint Anselm College became quite familiar to him as his sister recently graduated from there. He also attended several football camps there.

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“I loved everything about it, the coaches, and I think it’s a great spot for me,” said Guimond, who plans to major in business management and hopes to win a spot in the backfield. “I’m working hard doing everything I can to be on the field with them next year.”

With a five-year military commitment after her college experience, Allison Nystrom will attend the Coast Guard Academy, to study mechanical engineering and play volleyball.

“I was interested first because of volleyball, but when I looked more into it, the whole sense of community is huge on teamwork,” she said. “That part really appealed to me.”

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Community was also important to Tianna Fernandez, who will attend Nichols College as a psychology major and play basketball there.

“It felt like one big family when I visited,” she said. “I loved how it was a small community and they all seem to come together when it comes to sports.”

Football standout Colin Fay, who is leaning toward majoring in business, will stay close to home when he attends Stonehill College in North Easton. The college will move up to a Division 1 schedule this year.

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“The big part of my decision was that I wanted to be close to home so my family would be able to see me play,” he said, adding that he has been recruited to play tight end. “I’m hoping to get on the field this year, even if it’s just on special teams.”

Will Jones will have the chance to be a member of the fledgling Hobart William Smith College baseball team, while he majors in psychology.

“The real selling point there was coach (Brad) Cook,” said Jones. “Having him tell me his philosophy of the game really aligned with my own and we’re hoping to get off the ground running.”

He also enthused that local rival Alex Marancik of Sandwich will also play there.

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“I’m looking forward to being a teammate and not playing against him,” Jones said.

Looking on as parents, family members and coaches all crowded around the athletes at the conclusion of the event.

“It's somewhat of a quick ceremony," Thomas said, "but with the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to being a student-athlete, we wanted to give everybody a chance to share in the pride.”

Here is a list of Cape and Island seniors who plan to participate in college athletics next year, according to their high school’s athletic departments:

Barnstable

• Lucas Borges, Anna Maria College, Football

• Aidan Canty, Salve Regina University, Football

• Ayden Edwards, Husson University, Football

• Catherine Ellis, Southern Connecticut State University, Diving

• Colin Fay, Stonehill College, Football

• Tianna Fernandez, Nichols College, Basketball

• Olivia Gourdine, Roger Williams University, Basketball

• Gibson Guimond, Saint Anselm College, Football

• Will Jones, Hobart William Smith College, Baseball

• Eugene Jordan, University of New England, Football

• Kyle Hicks, UMass Dartmouth, Football

• Reagan Hicks, Endicott College, Field Hockey

• Tess Kjoller, Colby Sawyer College, Diving

• Adam Laber, Salve Regina University, Lacrosse

• Annalise Manoog, Texas Christian University, Equestrian

• Dierdre Mullins, Franklin Pierce University, Lacrosse

• Colby Myrbeck, Stonehill College, Football

• Allison Nystrom, Coast Guard Academy, Volleyball

• Patrick O'Neill, Brown University, Football

• Bryan Silva, UMass Dartmouth, Football

• Ben Tarbox, Anna Maria College, Baseball

Bourne

• Nora Barmashi, University of New England, Basketball

Cape Cod Academy

• Jaeden Greenleaf, UMass Dartmouth, Basketball

Dennis-Yarmouth

• Zach Carey, Assumption College, Track & Field

• Shannon Donahue, Worcester State University, Lacrosse

• Allison Edwards, Westfield State University, Track & Field

• Oliver FanFan, Anna Maria College, Soccer

• Bella Gannon, Salve Regina University, Field Hockey

• Brendan Hall, Anna Maria College, Soccer

• Levins Lewis, University of New England, Football

• Alayna Rooney, Stonehill College, Volleyball

• Lucy Swanson, Salve Regina University, Volleyball

• Amelia Veara, Gordon College, Field Hockey, Lacrosse

Mashpee

• Owen Balfour, St. Michael’s College, Lacrosse

• Hunter Bohnenberger, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Football

• Chris Dostilio, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Football

• Callia Eaton, UMass Boston, Soccer

• Kayden Eaton, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Football

• Thomas Hogan, Nichols College, Football

• Jack Howard, St. Leo’s University, Lacrosse

• Brady Johnston, Nichols College, Football

• Samantha Kersey, Fairfield University, Soccer

• Erich Menke, Endicott College, Football

• Samantha Morry, UMass Lowell, Lacrosse

• Olivia Oliveira, Anna Maria College, Volleyball

• Samantha Rozum, Fitchburg State University, Field Hockey

• Colin Spencer, University of Connecticut (UConn), Golf

• Julia Tenore, St. Anselm College, Lacrosse

Monomoy

• Caroline DiGiovanni, Babson College, Field Hockey

• Maddie Silvester, Keene State College, Field Hockey

• Jake Burnie, Lasell College, Lacrosse

• August Hand, University of New England, Lacrosse

• John Michael Canto, Rivier University, Baseball

• Nantucket Justin Bloise, Sacred Heart University, Football

• Zayvion Stanley, University of New Haven, Football

• Emma Davis, Sacred Heart University, Swimming

• Emily Dussault, Merrimack College, Swimming

• Sam Wisentaner, Monmouth University, Swimming

• Mimi Belanger, Walsh University, Lacrosse

• Riley Williams, Mercy College, Baseball

Nauset

• Zoe Bates, Bryant University, Field Hockey

• Lauren Knight, Quinnipiac University, Field Hockey

• Caroline Keeffe-Jones, Brown University, Sailing

• Brynn Morris, UMass Amherst, Swimming

• Benjamin Calsson, Plymouth State University, Track & Field

• Noah Clarke, Bridgewater State University, Baseball

• Max Dio, Bates College, Baseball

• Julia Weiner, University of New England, Ice Hockey

• Riley Holmes, Plymouth State University, Lacrosse

• Camden Viprino, Maine Maritime Academy, Lacrosse

• Brady Deschamps, Mass Maritime Academy, Soccer

• Emmalynn Schnitzer, UMass Dartmouth, Soccer

• William Schiffer, Roger Williams University, Soccer

• John Szucs, Springfield College, Swimming

St. John Paul II

• Matt Garrett, Sacred Heart University, Football

• Jake Walman, Maryland University, Football

• Richie Marchand, Colby Sawyer College, Baseball

• Brian Mitchell, Colby Sawyer College, Soccer

• Harrison Hicks, UMass Dartmouth, Football

• Alanna Dailey, St. Leo University, Lacrosse

Sandwich

• Daniel Bader, Vassar College, Lacrosse

• Caroline Barrett, Salem State University, Ice Hockey

• Sierra Brigham, UMass-Boston, Basketball

• Brady Campbell, UMass-Dartmouth, Baseball

• Conner Coutinho, Curry College, Football

• Matthew DiGiacomo, University of Mary Washington, Lacrosse

• Emma Dintino, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Lacrosse

• Ray Milburn, Ithaca College, Rowing

• Claire Moniz, Elon University, Lacrosse

• Alex Marancik, Hobart and William Smith College, Baseball

• Joey Morrison, UMass-Boston, Baseball

Mike Richard can be contacted by email at mikerichard0725@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod student-athletes celebrate step up to college-level sports