Student athletes from Wakefield celebrated this past February as four athletes signed with their intended Colleges and have taken the final step in their recruiting process.

These students go through a long recruiting process in order to pick their intended colleges and seal the deal by signing a document called a “National Letter of Intent.”  These students included soccer player David Adams, signing with University of Memphis; football player Charley Morris, signing with Davidson College; soccer player Katherine McDonald, singing with Duke University; and soccer player Alexis Feely, signing with Lees-Mcrae College. In charge of the event is Coach and Athletic Director Dexter Cooley, who has seen his fair share of student athletes take their next step in the process.

“We were excited this time because we had Kat McDonald signing with Duke University,” said Cooley. “All the students are a good fit for their schools and having one go to play division one in the ACC to play soccer was special for her, so we tried to make her feel a little bit special.”

Making these athletes feel special is what signing day is all about. Students are allowed in the event to support their friends who are signing and athletes are given a chance to be recognized for all their hard work.

“Going into signing day I was a little nervous but really excited to make my next step in life and go to college,” said Adams. “Playing college soccer is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

By taking this final step Adams has fulfilled his dream of playing college soccer. However, picking the right place to sign can be tricky. Once an athlete signs with a school there’s, in most cases, no going back.

“I signed with Davidson because I toured the campus and I really liked it,” said Morris. “The coaches are all really nice and it seemed like the perfect fit for both my education and football career.”

Athletes understand the importance of selecting the right college for them both academically and athletically.

“Overall, Wakefield has had very good signing classes,” said Cooley. “We put a lot of kids in Division I, Division II, and Division III schools and this year hasn’t been much different.”

Wakefield has thrived in the athletic department and has sent many former athletes to prestigious universities to pursue their athletic career.

“Signing day was definitely a great way to end the long recruiting process,” said Morris.