This year, seniors moving on to play a sport in college is not out of place; it is becoming more and more common.

With a record number of seven football players signing, head coach George Radell can see how it can impact the program.

“It gives young kids a realistic expectation that if they work hard they can have the opportunity to gain scholarships and play college sports,” Radell said.

Radell believes that they will be tested by different coaching styles, but that they will be able to adjust to it.

Different coaches will be more demanding and a lot less patient,” Radell said. “The coach will probably not deliver the message in such a nice way, but they’ll get used to that aspect of it.”

For senior Tyler Gude, the coach was a main reason he chose to sign with Ottawa University for both track and cross country.

“He’s a great guy. He makes you feel comfortable and he genuinely cares about me,” Gude said. “And [my future teammates] are very friendly and they made sure to make me feel welcome.”

Senior Jenna Wells signed with Allen County Community College for soccer after she met the coach and was able to tour the campus.

“I liked the homey feeling when I was down there and the coach was really nice,” Wells said.

Senior Austin Muckenthaler, who signed with Bethel College to play basketball, took academics into consideration when choosing a college.

“I wanted engineering and it was one of the few places I could play basketball and do engineering,” Muckenthaler said.

Gude stuck with both track and cross country not only for the fun, but also to get scholarship opportunities to further his college plans. Through personal connections, Gude found out about the openings on the teams. He chose Ottawa once he checked into certain programs.

“I want to major in information technology and I really like their program,” Gude said. “And I worked with the coach’s father and he got me interested.”

Muckenthaler says he will be able to handle the transition to the next level, but it may take a little time.

“[The hardest part] will be having to adjust to everyone being a lot bigger than in high school,” Muckenthaler said. “I’m not going to be one of the biggest kids out there anymore.”

Gude also expects greater competition and is ready to improve himself.

“When I went from middle school to high school, my times decreased significantly,” Gude said. “I’m looking forward to college to try and get them to drop also.”

Signing with Pittsburg State University for pole vaulting, Ashley Bowman is only apprehensive of one thing.

“Just getting used to a new coach and a new vaulting style,” Bowman said.

On the whole, Bowman says that she is ready to move on to the next chapter of her life.

“[I’m looking forward to] meeting my new team and making Pitt my home for the next four years,” Bowman said.

Senior Luke Lawyer has signed for baseball with Oklahoma University and is excited for the automatic fan base and energy that comes with college athletics.

“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere,” Lawyer said. “And it’s going to be the gateway to reaching my ultimate goal of having baseball as my career.”

Wells will miss the camaraderie with her teammates.

“I’ve played with most of them for three or four years and I know how they play,” Wells said. “And I love how open we are with each other.”

Lawyer sees nothing holding him back, except for his mother’s home-cooked dinners.

“I’m not really [dreading anything]. I’ll be a little homesick; I’ll miss my mom’s meals,” Lawyer said. “I love my mom’s cooking.”