Carlmont athletes gathered in the quad for signing day on Wednesday, May 22.
Signing day is when the athletes who attend Carlmont are recognized for their accomplishment of being recruited to play college sports. Athletes get to take photos with their former Carlmont teammates, family, and coaches. It is a day of celebration for athletes when they embark on their next journey.
One athlete who participated in this Carlmont tradition was Izzy Won. Won is a Carlmont softball player committed to Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. She plans to major in biomedical engineering when she attends next year. At the end of Won’s senior year, Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) named her a co-player of the year and listed her on the first team of the all-league roster.
“Definitely having a good attitude on the field and also having a high GPA was important during my recruiting process,” Won said.
Although it is the athletes who go through this process, it also affects their parents and families. “I think it’s awesome. It’s just the best of both worlds. She gets to focus on her engineering and still get to play softball,” said Won’s mom, Dorothy Won.
Another athlete who was involved in signing day was Leila Velez. Committed for lacrosse in February of her senior year, Velez plans to major in kinesiology at Cornell College.
“My grades, extracurriculars, and time management helped me through the process. As a year-round athlete, it was hard to find time to do my work, so any opportunity I got between lacrosse, I would immediately get my homework done,” Velez said.
Putting the event together was Patrick Smith, Carlmont’s athletic director, who has been essential to the success of many Carlmont athletes.
“The happiness for the kids and their families is the biggest thing that’s really rewarding for me,” Smith said.
With over 20 varsity sports teams, Carlmont athletes have many opportunities to represent their school and showcase their abilities. The nine students who participated in signing day will take the lessons they learned from being a Scot and continue their education and career in athletics.
“Being a Carlmont Scot means you’re going to represent our school academically, athletically, and as a leader in a positive way. It means that you want to pursue victory with honor, win with pride, lose with dignity, and ultimately, enjoy your time here and bring positive things to the school and our community,” Smith said.
Lillian Fox (Volleyball) – Williams College
Izzy Won (Softball) – Stevens College
Sean Murphy (Volleyball) – Kean University
Leila Velez (Lacrosse) – Cornell College
Evelyn Welton (Volleyball) – Oberlin College
Kylie Rouspil (Soccer) – Linfield University
Emily Gehrlein-Allen (Soccer) – San Francisco State
Kelsey Leung (Swim) – UC San Diego
Sydney Niles (Swim) – UC San Diego
