Slideshow • 6 Photos

Photo by Kate Connors

The swimmers sign their contracts.

Wednesday, Feb. 7 was National Signing Day for the class of 2018. Athletes and their supporting teams and parents packed into the Field House to celebrate. There were 11 athletes committing from five different sports. Playing sports at the collegiate level is a big dream for athletes and now that they are officially signed, their dream will become a reality.

Swim and Dive:

Jacob Stubbs: Trinity University

Staley Varozza: Oklahoma Christian University

Sam Caro: Colorado College

Ashlyn Carroll: Boston University

“When I went to visit, the coach met me at the airport and introduced me to the team and made me feel at home,” Varozza said. “Today I made a choice to swim in college which will enable me to reach my lifelong goal to become an Olympian.”

Soccer:

Sarah Frank: Texas Lutheran University

Claire Gottardi: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Asha Samson: Ouachita Baptist University

Caroline Gillispie: Houston Baptist University

“I got an offer from the coach, but I wasn’t sure and then I went to visit the campus and I fell in love with it. I loved the nature, people, and the whole environment,” Samson said. “The school is really sound academically and they have what I want to study, so that was an important part of my decision.”

“I am proud of the girls. After you spend four years working with them every day it is very rewarding to see all pay off,” Coach Malcolm Framjee said. “The most important thing I could do as a coach besides help get them ready to play at the next level, is guide them in the application and recruiting process as far as reaching out, emailing, sending film, and just staying on top of it.”

Football:

Cameron Thomas: Boise State University

“Honestly it was the environment when I went to visit Boise. The people there, they treat you like they’ve known you for their whole life,” Thomas said. “The players at Westwood made me do more from what they did because they knew what I was going to do in college was going to be way harder.”

Volleyball:

Cassie Jackson: University of Texas at Tyler

Softball:

Hailey Popelka: Boston University

These athletes will finish out their senior year of high school and remainders of their season, then move onto college next fall. Go Wood.