The Athletics Department recently hosted luncheon ceremonies for seven senior athletes who have committed to continue playing sports in college. The first ceremony honored Georgia Arnold, Natalie Geisler and Lauren Reppert.
Georgia Arnold will continue to play lacrosse for Occidental College. "Georgia’s incredible work ethic has allowed her to succeed on the lacrosse field. She has a true passion and love for the sport and her energy and spirit will be greatly missed next year," says Girls Lacrosse Program Head Eva Martire.
Natalie Geisler will join the track and field team for Trinity University. Girls Track & Field/Cross Country Program Head Cheryl Mitchell says, "Natalie is relatively new to the sport of distance running and has already proven herself to be a strong competitor in a wide range of races. Natalie is competitive in the 800m dash through the 5k cross country race. She has just begun to scratch the surface of what she is capable of accomplishing - it will be fun to watch Natalie continue to grow as a runner! She is competitive, hard-working, a positive teammate, and an analytical thinker - all attributes that will allow her to continue to experience success on the track at Trinity!"
Lauren Reppert will extend her volleyball career and play for Amherst College. "Lauren has had a great four years at Kinkaid, and I am excited to continue following her career at Amherst. I am glad she gets to stay in Purple! She is the perfect example of hard work paying off," says Girls Volleyball Program Head Jennifer Peyton.
The second ceremony honored Nikki Ereli, Sara Jane Gage, Ali Jamal and Garrison Meeks.
Nikki Ereli has decided to continue her field hockey career at Sewanee: The University of the South. "Nikki puts the needs of her team ahead of her own and she has a way of making everyone feel like an important part of our team, no matter what grade, ability level or role they played. Nikki was team captain and was the calming force in our backfield during intense competitions and her presence on the field made her teammates feel more confident and connected. I am so happy she has decided to continue her field hockey career," says Field Hockey Program Head Jackie Ciconte.
Sara Jane Gage will advance her success as a swimmer at Scripps College. According to Swimming Program Head Erica Meyer, "Sara Jane was a major contributor to the success of Kinkaid’s Swim Team. She set team records in the 500 Free and 100 Breast and was selected to the All-SPC Team 2013-2015. Additionally, she was named to the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (TISCA) All State Teams. Sara Jane was determined, dedicated and passionate about swimming, and she was a leader in and out of the pool. Her Senior year, she was a team captain who was compassionate, supportive and motivated. We will miss her skills and talent and wish her well in her college career."
Ali Jamal has opted to play tennis at Rhodes College. "Ali has an exciting adventure ahead of him at Rhodes. He has worked hard over the past few years to improve his ground strokes and fitness in order to compete at this level. Ali has tremendous team spirit and will be a significant asset to the Rhodes team in this regard as well. We wish him all the best in his college tennis career," says Tennis Program Head Anne Buckingham.
Garrison Meeks will join the Tigers football team at Trinity University. "Garrison epitomizes what it means to be a team player. His selfless attitude and unmatched work ethic are what we want all of our young athletes to aspire for," says Football Program Head Nathan Larned.
(L-R) Lauren Reppert, Natalie Geisler and Georgia Arnold make it official they will continue their sports in college.
(L-R) Nikki Ereli, Sara Jane Gage, Ali Jamal and Garrison Meeks announce they will continue sports at the next level.