Committed senior athletes at Aliso are ready to officially sign to play a sport at the college of their choice next year. These varsity athletes have verbally committed to a school to play athletics at a collegiate level.
Varsity athlete Katie Dunakin (12) has committed to The University of Tulsa for softball. Dunakin is a pitcher and a hitter and has been playing softball for 12 years.
When asked about what solidified her final decision to commit to Tulsa, Dunakin says, “I ended up loving it. I went on the campus and I absolutely adored it. I love the coaches there, that was probably the biggest reason.”
Dunakin plans on majoring in media studies and pursuing a career in sports television. With support from her peers, Dunakin is ready to move on to the next four years at Tulsa.
Neveah Mendez (12) is a varsity volleyball player and has committed to play volleyball at Vanguard University. Mendez has been playing volleyball for six years. She started out as an outside hitter and proved herself to be a strong libero.
Mendez says, “I wanted to stay in state and it was close enough to home. I bonded really well with the girls on the team, and I really liked the coaching there.”
Mendez is considering a major in architecture and interior design. Mendez says her main support is from her mom, and that she has been extremely supportive of her decision.
Kate Wilson (12) is a varsity soccer player that is committed to Utah Valley University. Wilson started playing soccer when she was four years old, and was taught to play by her dad. Wilson says that committing to Utah was not an easy decision to make because she had a few other options.
When asked about the main deciding factor, Wilson says that, “Utah University had always been one of my top schools for where I wanted to be. Something that really stuck out to me about their program was their sense of family and community… seeing how they loved each other on and off the field was a huge factor for me.”
Wilson hopes to have the opportunity to play soccer professionally, if provided with the opportunity.
Ayden Sanchez (12) is a varsity lacrosse player that has committed to Mercer University. Sanchez started playing lacrosse in seventh grade and is a defender. Last year, Sanchez was named Best Defensive Player of the Year. Sanchez says that choosing was not an easy decision for him to make.
When asked about what helped him finalize his decision, Sanchez says that, “I visited about six different schools… and it was definitely not an easy decision to make. The coaching was the biggest part. The coaches seemed to like me the most and they were the most enthusiastic with me.”
Sanchez plans to major in business or finance at Mercer. He says that his family has stood by him and has provided him with their full support on his decision.
These Varsity athletes, along with a few others, will be officially signed to their college of choice after signing day this November. All of these athletes have trained long and hard to gain the opportunity to commit to a college and play their sport at a college level.
