Many high school student-athletes have been dreaming of continuing their path through college since they have stepped foot into the life of their sport; for various DGS seniors, that dream came true this year.

Senior Jack Blazevich is committed to Northern Illinois University to play Division 1 baseball. According to Blazevich, he knew he wanted to play baseball in school since he was about four years old.

“As long as I can remember, ever since I started playing the game, [I wanted to play in college]. I fell in love with the game at a very young age. [This] is what I have wanted to do my whole life,” Blazevich said.

Senior Erin Reidy is going to the University of Minnesota for track and cross country. In addition to excitement regarding college, Reidy expressed what she is looking forward to and what she is leaving behind.

“I would say getting to know my teammates more … I am definitely looking forward to bonding with them. … The saddest part is that I’m leaving all of my best friends … they are all going different places,” Reidy said.

During the recruitment process, according to DGS commits, there are difficulties that come along with this. Many high school student-athletes start the college search early, Reidy spoke on this process for her.

“Emails were really hard before I narrowed down everything. I emailed every college from Oklahoma up. … I would say the easiest [part] was talking to the coaches, they are super nice and they tell you really good information,” Reidy said.

In addition to the decision-making process, senior Topher Gory said his college search started in full swing the summer going into senior year after attending camps at schools. Gory is committed to play baseball at Red Lake College. According to Gory, there is a level of excitement and development in continuing a sport in college.

“There are a lot more opportunities [playing in college],” Gory said.

Going into junior and senior year, student-athletes face decisions based on what college experience they aspire to have. This includes Division 1, 2, 3, or club sports. Athletic director Randall Konstans says that committing to a team is a dream come true for many. He speaks on his perspective of the committing process.

“I can only imagine [what it’s like]. … I can imagine it’s quite stressful. The only advice I would give to kids is [that] it’s fun — embrace it. It’s a testament to your talent, it’s a testament to your hard work,” Konstans said.