Just a few weeks ago, fifteen Minnetonka Seniors signed their national letters of intent, commiting themselves to their respective colleges and universities to play sports. One of the select few students to sign a letter of intent this year was senior Meredith Kelly. She is also one of the only senior so far to sign for rowing. A coxswain for Twin Cities Youth Rowing, Meredith signed a letter of intent for the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, earlier in the month. Meredith has been involved in rowing since the end of 8th grade, taking part in regattas all over the Midwest. As a coxswain, she has a lot of things to worry about. When the team is on the water, Meredith has a lot on her mind. She makes sure her teammates are keeping up the right pace, and she also has to communicate with the other boats on the water to avoid any accidents. On top of that, she also has to worry about the navigation of the boat. “Wherever that boat goes, it’s my fault” Meredith told me. Despite all of her duties, she loves her team and without them, her job wouldn’t be possible. “We can’t make the boat go forward unless everyone is giving their all.” She said. Meredith is looking to study labor relations at the Carlson school of business. She looks forward to the new experiences that college will bring, and of course she’ll be pursuing her love of rowing for her collegiate year.
Griffin Powell, a senior here at Minnetonka, has committed to playing baseball next year at Minnesota State University Mankato. Griffin has been playing baseball for eleven years. When he’s not out on the field, Griffin enjoys listening to rap music. He says that it also helps give him excited and energized before his games. Becoming a professional baseball player in the future would be a dream for Powell, but he shared with me that he is “just taking things one at a time and not trying to get ahead of [himself].” Griffin shared that the college he will be attending next year, Minnesota State University Mankato, completely won him over because of the school’s high level of intensity and high expectations, which is something Griffin really appreciates. Graduating in a matter of months, Griffin admits that he will miss being a student at the high school. However, he is also eager to be leaving Minnetonka and to see what will come next in his life.
Laura Bowman, who plays hockey at the school, signed her letter of intent last Wednesday to Penn State University. Laura has been playing hockey for eleven years. She’s played soccer in the past, and plays golf for the high school team, too. Unfortunately, there’s no professional hockey league for women that gets paid, but Laura says that she would like to keep hockey a part of her life in the future. The past four years have gone by quickly for her, but she also shared that she still has her senior year to enjoy. Bowman says that she will miss the familiarity of Minnesota and all of her teammates who she has gotten to know extremely well, but that she is also excited to live somewhere different and meet her new team.
Senior Riley Dearring signed a letter of intent to play collegiate basketball at the University of Wisconsin next year. The fans and the athletics that the University of Wisconsin has to offer is the main reason Riley feels the college is the perfect fit for him. In his spare time, Dearring shares that he loves to draw anything from cars to cartoons. Transferring to Minnetonka his junior year was a difficult change for Riley in the beginning, but once he arrived, he felt that everyone was welcoming towards him. Leaving Minnetonka will be challenging for Dearring because he says that he will miss his fellow classmates and his friends and family who have helped him along the way. Riley says that he remembers his freshman year like it was yesterday, and that he will never forget the people who have helped him throughout his journey.
Joe Martinson, a senior, plans on playing baseball next year at the University of Minnesota. If given the opportunity, Martinson would be thrilled to become a professional baseball player someday. Besides baseball, Joe enjoys aquatic hobbies such as fishing and tubing. He’s also played football in the past. Martinson also says that he would love to have an opportunity to play professional baseball in the future. Being away from his family will be a difficult change for him, because he says that is what he will miss the most while he is away for college. These are only a few of the Seniors who signed their letters a few weeks ago, the rest are:
Amy Petersen- Girls Hockey-
Penn State University
Sidney Morin- Girls Hockey- U
of M Duluth
Hannah Behounek- Girls
Hockey- Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI)
Sydney Rossman- Girls Hockey-
Quinnipiac University
Joanna Hedstrom- Girls Basketball-
U of M
Jacques Wilson- Boys Golf-
University of Kansas
Noah Busch- Boys Swimming-
U of M
Amelia Schilling- Girls swimming-
University of Illinois
Ellie Crowell- Girls Soccer-
Cornell University
Jimmy Schuldt- Boys Hockey-
St. Cloud State University
