Three SPASH students sign letters of intent
By Robert Whitmire
Three SPASH students have signed letters of intent to continue their athletic pursuits at the college level.
Mason Piotrowski will attend Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri and play soccer. The Crusaders are members of the NAIA Division 1 and Heart of America Athletic conference. The soccer program, just two years old, finished the 2017 season with a 5-13 record.
“The campus looks amazing and the atmosphere there is just for me,” said Piotrowski. “I believe that I bring a positive attitude and a passion for the game which I hope becomes contagious and I’d like to thank my parents. They always believed in me when others didn’t and thanks to all my coaches who worked with me and helped to develop my skills.”
John Hyland will take his running talents to NCAA Division 1 Marquette University. Hyland was the 2017 Wisconsin Valley Conference individual cross country champion with a time of 16:24.2.
“I was attracted to the business program, specifically the finance program,” Hyland said. “I’m also attracted to the running program due to the coach. He is a young guy and looks to bring some variation into my normal training.”
The Golden Eagles cross country team, members of the Big East conference finished its season 14th out of 26 teams in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
Hyland said one of his favorite moments at SPASH involved a conference win in cross country as a senior; also winning sectionals in the two-mile during track as a junior to qualify for the state championships.
“SPASH has offered quite a bit of help for my transition to college,” he added. “I’ve taken a lot of hard courses and received some great coaching along the way and I look to carry that into my future at Marquette.”
Andrea Cherney will carry on her playing and academic career at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Members of the NCAA Division 2 and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference,the Wolves finished the 2017 season with a 29-26-1 record.
“While touring NSU I learned of all the exciting things going on including replacing some of their older dorms, future expansion plans for constructing a brand new school for the blind and visually-impaired and new athletic, recreational and an on-campus regional sports complex,” she said. “I’m considering biology and nursing as my major but will be entering as undecided.”
“The ones I really owe for their support and my success would be all of my past coaches, teachers, friends, and supporters from the Point/Plover community—but most importantly my parents,” Cherney added. “They saw my love for softball before I ever saw it myself and pushed me to become the athlete I am today.”