Signing Day at Odessa-Montour: 4 Grizzlies senior athletes make college choices
Odessa-Montour's tiny senior class is poised to make a large imprint at college athletic programs across New York.
Four of O-M's 36 seniors, representing four different sports, were celebrated during a signing ceremony Thursday at Odessa-Montour High School.
Signees were Hannah Nolan to SUNY Cortland for soccer, Victoria (Tori) Brewster to Houghton University for track & field, Daniel Lewis to Alfred State for baseball and Jon Spencer to Rochester's Roberts Wesleyan College for swimming.
They were joined by family, friends, school staff and coaches whose contributions were recognized by Brewster. Her dad, Burton Brewster, has coached her at O-M in soccer and track.
"I think it speaks to our environment and the coaching staff we have and the teachers," Tori said of one-ninth of the senior class putting pen to paper Thursday. "They really care about the students and a lot of our teachers are also coaches and also parents."
Odessa-Montour duo dazzles: What makes Nolan and Brewster a potent combination
Victoria Brewster
Athletic achievements: She holds O-M team records in the 100-meter dash, 200 and 400 relay. Last year she placed fifth in the Division II finals at New York State Public High School Athletic Association Track & Field Championships. Brewster was a first-team Interscholastic Athletic Conference pick in soccer during the fall and a key member of O-M's IAC South Small School champion girls basketball team. Brewster is the career leader in assists for O-M girls soccer.
On attending Houghton: She said she liked the Christian environment of the private school and its small size. There's also family history. Her dad competed in track & field there and her brother, Noah, recently graduated from there. "I kind of knew I always wanted to go to Houghton because I've been visiting it since I was little and I've gone there so many times," she said.
On her final season of O-M track: "I'm so excited. I just can't wait to make more memories with my teammates. I can't wait to run with Hannah Nolan. She hasn't done track in a couple years, so I can't wait for the relays and all the events we can do together."
Daniel Lewis
Athletic achievements: Lewis, a pitcher, was a first-team IAC all-star last season for the combined Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour team after batting .353 and posted a 2.39 ERA on the mound. He excelled at quarterback in the fall for the Storm football team, which won the independent division championship in Section 4. Lewis also played basketball for the Grizzlies. He poin
On attending Alfred State: The atmosphere surrounding the team and the coach were big draws for Lewis, who was intent on playing baseball at the college level. "Baseball's always been my passion," he said. "I've played it since I was like four. My coaches have helped me along the way. Coach (Jason) Westervelt, my travel coaches, coach (Jim) Russ from the Finger Lakes Falcons, they've pushed me along the way. It's been a long journey and I'm glad it finally happened."
On favorite baseball memories: "Playing with my teammates and playing with my friend Alex (Holmes). We've been playing since we were in Little League, so that's a big joy," Lewis said.
Hannah Nolan
Athletic Accomplishments: She earned Class D all-state honors in soccer for the second time as a senior and finished as the program leader in goals scored with 86. Nolan was Most Valuable Player of the IAC South Small School Division this past season in basketball.
On attending SUNY Cortland: Nolan, who plans to major in conservation biology, pointed to the combination of academics and athletics in choosing Cortland, which last season finished with a 13-1-5 record and made its 14th appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. "This past year they hosted the NCAA Tournament, which was really awesome," she said.
On playing college soccer: "I've been playing soccer since I was four. I started basketball in third grade, so soccer has just always been there and I really enjoy it." Nolan pointed to getting a chance to play soccer with Brewster since they were 5 or 6 as a highlight of her high school days.
Jon Spencer
Athletic achievements: He helped the combined Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour team to a runner-up finish this season at the Section 4 Class C championship meet. At sectionals, Spencer placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke, third in the 100 butterfly and helped the Storm win the 200 medley relay and take second in the 400 freestyle relay.
On attending Roberts Wesleyan: "I chose Roberts because it's a good Christian college and I love the campus there. My parents, they all went there," he said. "It's going to be hard. I talked to the coach there and she already said it was going to be tough, but I think I'm ready."
On competing for the Storm: "When we merged with Watkins, for both of our programs we definitely improved. Coach Westervelt has helped all of us so well with his extensive training."
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Odessa-Montour High School holds Signing Day for four seniors
