By: Krissy Hetherington and Colin Watamura
On February 6th, 2019, 6 Redwood seniors signed their national Letter of Intent to further their athletic and academic careers post high school in front of their peers and families. Get to know the Class Of 2019 signees:
Hunter Bryan- Baseball- Fresno State
Bryan verbally committed to the NCAA DI Bulldogs summer going into Junior year and yesterday was able to finalize his commitment to play baseball. He also plans to major in Physical Education at Fresno State. Although he will be going to Fresno, he told us he’s going to miss being close to his family and friends and not being able to see them everyday. His motivation to commit as he said was, “it was a good fit for me and I got a really good offer and it’s pretty close to home so that was the deciding factor.” He said he would like to thank his family and friends and coaches for helping him get to that point and he’s looking forward to getting started and all the opportunities that await.
Megan Ridenour- Swimming- Fresno State
Ridenour officially signed to further her swimming career into college for the Bulldogs and plans to major in nursing. Fresno State Swim is DI and is a part of Mountain West. Ridenour is excited to start her journey but is scared that she won’t be able to balance school and practices but she said knowing that counselors and tutoring for athletes will be really nice. Signing before her peers for her was, “scary because your making a huge commitment in front of everyone but it’s nice to see all the support you have in front of you.” She felt her coaches and teammates pushed her towards this decision because, “They always help and motivate me to become a better swimmer.” She’s most looking forward to being a part of the team because she felt so much energy on her first official visit. Ridenour would like to thank her parents, families, teammates, coaches, friends for all the support along the way.
Jill Nelsen- Soccer- Cal State East Bay
Nelsen over this year decided CSU East Bay was the perfect fit for her and signed to play soccer and further her education in Kinesiology. The East Bay Pioneers are Division II and located in Hayward, California. She said what she’s going to miss the most about being away from home is “my mom’s home cooked meals, not having real dinners just fast food, and being by myself without her.” Being able to sign in front of her friends and whole soccer team, she said, “It feels great, they’ve been there for the whole ride and it feels great for them to support a big moment in my life.” She also said wanted to play college soccer for years but junior year was rough for her.Once she received offers and started to play more, she decided to commit and felt like East Bay was the one for her. Nelsen is most excited for continuing playing soccer for another 4 years. She ended the interview with, “I would like to thank anyone who has been with me during this journey, I would like to thank my coaches, all the teammates I’ve had, and my mom and sister.”
Emilie Hernandez- Softball- Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho)
Hernandez signed to play softball DII Softball as a Nighthawk and also plans to major in Kinesiology. A major part about college especially in a completely different state, is being independent and she explains that she’s scared she won’t be able to be once she’s basically forced to. But she’s glad she has softball to get her through. Being able to sign in front of her friends and family was really cool for her but she said, “I try to stay humble about it because it truly is a big accomplishment for me.” Picking her school was simple for her: Get out of California, start over, meet totally new people, and learn how to be independent. She said she would like to thank her coaches, friends, family, because although it was a hard journey she’s so thankful they all helped her get to the point she’s at now.
Jordyn Montoya- Softball- Merrimack College (Massachusetts)
Montoya made the decision to commit to Merrimack College to play softball at Division II and further her learning in rehabilitation sciences. Although she feels like the weather change from sunny California to harsh conditions in Massachusetts, she’s excited to experience it. Signing in front of her friends was exciting for her since they were there for her through the entire recruitment process. Making her decision was based on “the area she really liked, her teammates and the coaches, just being around the softball field I knew I wanted to play at the next level so when I got the opportunity I knew I had to take it.” She’s most looking forward to a fresh start and being able to experience new things. Her thanks go to, “my parents, my grandpa, Mr. Rooney, he’s coached me for as long as I remember and always there to get extra ground balls or at bats, my teammates for encouraging me to get better.”
Brian Perez- Soccer- Cardiff Metropolitian University FC (Wales)
Perez signed to play soccer for the Archers of Cardiff Metropolitan University Football Club at in the Welsh Premier League Division One. This means he’s going to further his athletic career playing soccer in the United Kingdom. Perez is going to miss being with his family and friends everyday but signing in front of his friends was exciting because he had his friends around him to support his big accomplishment. His decision to commit was based on his love for soccer and how long he’s been playing, he said, “Being able to go to a school that will let me keep playing and do what I want.” He said he’s most excited to meet new people in a new environment and wants to thank his friends and family for just being there for him.
Krissy Hetherington
Krissy ('21) is a senior and this is her third year as Editor in Chief. She has been in Journalism since beginning of freshman year and has a strong passion for sports journalism. Outside of the Gigantea, Krissy is a part of the Cross Country, Basketball and Track teams. She is also in her third year as an intern writer for the Sun-Gazette. You can reach her by email at krist.he0076@vusd.us
Tags: Baseball, central valley, college, commitment, csu, fresno state, futbol, girls soccer, high school, letter of intent, merrimack, redwood ranger, redwood rangers, Redwood Soccer, Signing day, soccer
