Five GHS athletes sign with colleges; White off to Tulsa on track scholarship
May 10—Five Gainesville seniors signed with college athletic programs Tuesday as the Leopards wrap up a successful 2022-23 season.
Aneesa White, the lone girl honored in the GHS gym Tuesday, signed with the University of Tulsa for track and field. Saul Govea signed with North Central Texas College for track and field and cross country. Trevon Bell and Charles Burks are headed to Graceland University (IA) for football and track and field. Javier Fraire signed with Bethel College (KS) for soccer.
Gainesville athletic director and football coach Neil Searcy said sending several seniors across multiple sports to college shows the athletic program is doing its job.
"It's a big honor to these kids, to their parents, to the school," Searcy said. "It takes a community, it takes a whole village to get these kids to this point, and the village did good. We're very proud of these kids and their accomplishments and look forward to seeing them go off to college and take that next step in their life and do great things the next four years of their college career."
White will represent Gainesville at the NCAA Division I level while competing with the Golden Hurricane. After competing at last year's UIL state track and field meet in the 300-meter hurdles, she qualified in both hurdle events this year, including winning the regional championship in the 100-meter hurdles.
White said she is excited to compete against Division I athletes.
"It's a little scary," White said. "But I know I'm going to do well and accomplish big things."
On the boys' side, this spring has been a breakout year for the Leopards in track and field. Gainesville won its first district title in 20 years last month, and sending three athletes to run track in college reflects this year's success. Govea and Bell both competed at regionals.
Although Govea is staying close to home with NCTC, Burks and Bell are headed to Lamoni, Iowa. The pair will play football and run track for Graceland, which competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Burks said while most college athletes focus on one sport, he invites the challenge of playing two.
"I just want to push myself to the limits," Burks said. "Get stronger, faster and be the person I want to be, make my parents proud."
The Gainesville boys' soccer team is used to winning, but the Leopards did a little more than usual this year by reaching the regional tournament for the first time since 2015. Fraire was a big part of this playoff run and scored the winning penalty kick in Gainesville's first-round playoff match.
He will continue his soccer career at Bethel College, an NAIA school in North Newton, Kansas. Fraire said playing soccer for Gainesville felt like a dream.
"We've accomplished a lot," Fraire said. "Although the season didn't end how we wanted it to, it was still just a bunch of memories that I was able to create with this team. I couldn't have asked for a better team to play for."
Additional Gainesville athletes are expected to sign in the coming weeks.
