Aliso Niguel High School held its annual spring semester signing ceremony on April 29 for the student-athletes who will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.
“Signing Day” used to be the day where student-athletes sign their binding National Letters of Intent or financial aid agreements with colleges and universities. Signees were locked into the agreement/university unless they were granted a release from their aid agreement (or if they entered the transfer portal after enrolling). Signing Day formalizes the verbal commitments made by student-athletes prior to signing.
The NCAA officially eliminated the National Letters of Intent program in October of 2024. Despite this, Aliso, among many other high schools, has continued the tradition of having students sign with fake letters.
Signing Day celebrates the achievements of the students, and the accolades they have received will be announced, including GPA, NHS/CSF, clubs, future majors, goals, etc. The families of the signers are present to celebrate their achievements. Many bring balloons, hats, signs and mascots to go along with posters provided by the school.
Principal Dr. Mahindrakar and Athletics Director Mr. Mashburn were present to speak on the ability and character of the student athletes who are being celebrated.
A record high of 17 students were signing this spring: Evie Scherffius, Tyler Bird, Max Fraizer, Chad Alderman, Owen Holtzer, Henry Drews, Hayden James, Josephine Rettich, Kainani Libunao, Dane Malloy, Karson Brunke, Eddie Hocking, Parker McAdam, Laurel Thurman, Liesl Merkh, Corey Lewis and Finley Torrico.
Our student athletes are heading all across the country to 16 different universities. Baseball, Football, Softball, Track and Field, Wrestling, Dance, Water Polo and Cross Country were all represented this spring. Our athletes will play at the Division I, Division II and Division III levels, at schools such as Cal Poly, University of Chicago, Concordia, West Point and many others.
University of Chicago Softball commit, Evie Scherffius (12) says, “The recruiting process has been somewhat difficult for me; there have been a lot of ups and downs.” College recruiting for softball officially begins in September of a player’s Junior year.
Scherffius goes on to say, “My sport has always been in the back of my mind, and as I got older, it became more stressful.”
She picked UChicago in her senior year, saying, “The campus is absolutely gorgeous, the people are so nice and humorous. The [softball team] was having fun, and it just felt like a really familiar environment that from day one, I saw myself in.”
Scherffius advises other athletes not to “rush the process and don’t compare yourself to others.”
Josephine Rettich (12), a wrestler committed to Chadron State College, says, “the recruiting process was honestly confusing…”
Rettich advises athletes to “[look] at out-of-state colleges,” as California is not always the base for every sport. This mindset helped Rettich choose her school, a college located in Nebraska.
On picking Chadron, Rettich says, “I never thought this is where I would’ve ended up, but I couldn’t be happier. I took a trip to Chadron, and I love how small the town is and how still everything feels.”
Both Scherffius and Rettich thank their families for their continued love and support, the long drives, late practices and confidence in them. They are representative of the hard work and dedication that is needed to continue their sport at the collegiate level.
