Congratulations to five Holton seniors for their commitment to play NCAA Division III athletics next year in college! Nina Carter '19 will row at Bates College, teammate Ava Mendelsohn '19 will row for Tufts University; Hadley Nolan '19 will also attend Bates College and play lacrosse; Asha Romaine '19 will join the track and field team at Vassar College; and DJ Taylor '19 will continue her volleyball career at Kenyon College. These girls join classmates Olivia Jubin '19, Stephanie Hong '19, Maddie McCormick '19, and Jing-E Tan '19 as NCAA-bound student-athletes.
For Nina, Ava, Hadley, Asha, and DJ, the recruitment journey started earlier than the normal college process. All four girls knew they wanted to compete at the collegiate level well before this year. These athletes took their training seriously, giving up other sports, sacrificing free time, dedicating long hours to practice, and perfecting their craft. The girls dedicated themselves to hours of practice, and hours of recruiting work, including emailing and calling coaches and visiting campuses.
Celebrating their commitment is not just about the day; it is a culmination of years of hard work. We are proud of Panthers who have found a place where they can both compete in their sport and continue to get a great education.
Read more about each of these student-athletes and their respective athletic journeys below:
Nina Carter, Bates College, Rowing
During her sophomore year, Nina decided that she wanted to pursue rowing in college. After some research and talking to college coaches, she decided that schools at the Division III level would meet both her academic and athletic needs. As with many recruiting journeys, Nina's wasn't an easy ride. It took time, patience, and resilience to follow up on phone calls and emails, withstand the pre-read process, and communicate with college coaches. In the end, it came down to Bates and Trinity College. Nina felt like the coaches, team, and everyone she met at Bates sealed the deal for her.
Nina feels well prepared for life as a collegiate student-athlete. "Holton has prepared me very well in terms of academics," she says. "I have learned how to manage my time and workload with my practice schedule. I know how to use my time given during the day to do work, so after practice I can relax and go to bed earlier, rather than having to stress about more work."
Off the field, she credits much of her growth as an athlete to her coaches. Nina says, "Holton has given me the correct fundamentals as I've continue to grow as an athlete. My coaches have done a lot for me; Coach Acerra, Coach Piacenza, and Coach Wilde have all helped me grow into the rower and person I am today. Coach Wilde has seen me grow since sophomore year, as she was my field hockey coach, my ice hockey coach, and my rowing coach. Coach P. went to Bates and rowed there, and she has helped me prepare myself for what is to come. Coach Acerra especially has always been a great coach, helping me through tough times and always ready to help me with whatever. I would like to thank them all for helping me get to where I am today."
Ava Mendelsohn '19, Tuft University, Rowing
Ava was interested in rowing in college because of the love of her sport and teammates. However, she wasn't sold on the whole recruiting process because she didn't want to sacrifice finding the right fit just for rowing. As she went through her college process, she knew she wanted a DIII collegiate experience because, as Ava says, "It is competitive, but I can also do it. I enjoy keeping a nice balance in my life."
Unlike many athletes, Ava's road to Tufts was smooth sailing. From day one, it was her top choice for both rowing and academics. "I chose Tufts because I loved the school from the beginning for the academic and arts programs...but I decided it was definitely where I wanted to go after I stayed with one of the girls on the team and got to see what her life was actually like and loved the people on the team," Ava says.
Ava feels well prepared for college, especially "in terms of academics, because I have had to figure out how to get all my schoolwork done despite time-consuming sports. I've learned how to manage my time and get both things done. The high level of commitment and hard work at Holton sports, combined with the team atmosphere and great people have prepared me for college athletics."
She would like to thank her crew coaches who supported her and helped her navigate the process. She says, "From freshman year, they taught me how to row and inspired me to continue in college."
Hadley Nolan, Bates College, Lacrosse
Hadley began having recruiting conversations when she was in Middle School, as this 12-season athlete knew early on that she wanted to compete in college. However, as she approached her senior year, she took a step back from the process. "I realized that I wanted to make sure that my school would be a perfect all around fit for me," she says. "So I put lacrosse on pause and found my school, Bates! ... The coach heard of my acceptance, and all my puzzle pieces fell into place, as I will be playing lacrosse at Bates next year." Bates was the right fit overall fit for Hadley, especially the tight-knit community.
In addition to excellent time management skills, Hadley says, "One of the many skills that Holton has provided me with is leadership, specifically leadership in athletics. I have been captain of all three of my sports this past year: field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse. Outside of Holton, I had never really been given the opportunity to lead in such a way. I believe that if it were not for athletics at Holton I would not have these leadership skills that I know I will be able to carry into many different parts of my life."
On the field, Hadley credits her coaches with helping her perfect her skills. "I also realized that they give some of the best life advice and are some of my favorite people to talk to about life in general," she says. "Throughout this process, I have had numerous coaches who have seen my potential and wanted to help with my success in any way they can, whether it be reaching out to coaches or helping me with my shot. I could not have gotten to where I am now without my incredible high-school coach and club coaches."
Asha Romaine '19, Vassar College, Track & Field
Asha is excited to be attending Vassar College next year, where she will run track and compete in the long jump! Going into her junior year, Asha decided that competing at the Division III level was her goal. Although at times she was overwhelmed with the options and finding time to visit colleges, she had a fairly clear idea of what she wanted. By the end of the process, she narrowed it down to Wesleyan University, Oberlin College, and Vassar College. Asha says, "Vassar College just felt like the right fit for me. I really connected with all of the members of the team, and I love the Vassar curriculum."
Asha credits Holton with helping her prepare for college, both in the classroom and on the track. She says, "Holton's workload is very heavy, so I had to teach myself how to balance homework and studying with track. My track coaches have pushed me to complete challenging workouts, and I understand the importance of being present and supportive of my teammates at every single meet."
Asha wants to thank both Coach Valmon and Coach Sala, who have been incredibly supportive throughout her years at Holton and during the recruiting process. Asha adds, "They both have pushed me to excel in my events, and they believe that I have even more potential to succeed in track and field. If it wasn't for them, I would not have decided to run track in college, and I wouldn't be the confident athlete that I am today."
DJ Taylor, Kenyon College, Volleyball
DJ started her volleyball career when she was 12 years old, with her mom as the coach. DJ's journey included this initial rec team, then her first club team, and eventually Holton's varsity team for four years. Her next stop: Kenyon!
After looking at lots of schools, she narrowed it down to Williams, Connecticut, and Kenyon College. "I reached out to a lot of schools and visited probably 10 college campuses and coaches," DJ says. "Of course, there were times that were disappointing and stressful, but I knew everything would work out in the end. I went down to watch a volleyball game at Kenyon and while watching the warm-ups and the actual game, I could fully see myself on that court. I got this feeling inside me that knew this is where I was supposed to be."
The academic and athletic experience at Holton is similar at Kenyon. DJ says, "This balance I have learned for the past six years, since I started playing volleyball, will be carried from Holton to Kenyon." As a captain for the past two years, DJ says she is also bringing invaluable leadership skills with her to the next level. She says that through this role, she learned how to be a role model on and off the court and how to work with people of all different personalities and skill levels. Her Holton coach, Coach Cornejo is a big part of this, too, she says. "He taught me the value of being not only a captain, but also someone that he and my teammates could come to for support."
DJ is grateful for Coach Cornejo, as well as her club coaches when she was 14 and 17. "If it wasn't for them," she says, "I would not have made it to the collegiate level.