A dozen Gloucester High School student/athletes signed letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the college level during a Signing Day ceremony last Wednesday in the school’s main gym, as their peers, faculty, friends and family cheered them on. A 13th senior was also announced making a college commitment, but was not present at the celebration.
Included in the mix were five field hockey players, three baseball athletes, two members of the GHS football team, two track athletes, and one for girls’ volleyball.
Field hockey
The biggest single group came from the GHS field hockey team, which made it all the way to last year’s VHSL Class 4 state semifinals. McKayla Clark, Aurora Duffie, Abigail Junker, Reese Miller and Mackenzi Reece will continue to play the sport in college.
Clark has been a member of GHS field hockey for four years, including three on varsity, playing defense. She has earned All District, All Region, and All State honors. She also earned GHS Academic Athlete Honors and was selected for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic team. She will continue her field hockey and academic careers at Randolph-Macon College, where she will major in psychology.
Duffie, a goalie on the GHS team, has worked with younger players to build their skills and held clinics at the county’s elementary and middle schools. She has earned the GHS Academic Athlete Honors and will be attending Sweet Briar College in the fall, with a double major of environmental sciences and engineering.
Junker has played midfield and defense for GHS for five years, four on varsity. She has earned All District, All Region, and All State honors, along with GHS Academic Athlete Honors. Junker was selected for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic team and has decided to play at the University of Lynchburg where she will major in nursing.
Miller, a four-year GHS varsity forward and midfielder, has decided to continue playing at the University of Richmond, where she will major in business. Miller was selected as Player of the Year for District and Region, and made first-team All State, first-team All Tidewater, and second-team All Region Max Preps. She was also selected for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Team and is a GHS Academic Athlete.
Reece has played forward for the past five years, including four on varsity. She has earned first-team All Region, second-team All Tidewater, first-team All State Honors, and GHS Academic Athlete Honors. Reece has signed with the University of Mary Washington to play field hockey and major in business.
Baseball
Hank Hardaway, Landon Morris and Trevor Richardson will continue their baseball careers in college.
Hardaway, a five-year GHS baseball athlete, has decided to play for Christopher Newport University where he will major in criminology. Hardaway has played in the position of catcher for his four years on the GHS varsity team. He is a GHS Academic Athlete and has earned first-team All District and All Region.
Morris has been a member of the GHS baseball team for five years, playing JV for two and varsity for three, as a pitcher and infielder. He will be attending Virginia Peninsula Community College to play baseball, majoring in criminal justice.
Trevor Richardson, a five-year GHS baseball player, has been on the varsity team as a pitcher and infielder for the past three years. He has earned the honors of District Honorable Mention and second-team All Region for third base. Richardson is a GHS Academic Athlete and will be attending Regent University, with an undecided major.
Football
Trevor Burke and Colby Morris have committed to play college football.
Burke has been a GHS athlete in both football and track and field for the past four years. He has played center and tackle positions on the varsity football team for three of the last four years. Burke has a varsity letter as a thrower on the track and field team. He has committed to being an athlete at Southern Virginia University, where he plans to major in business healthcare administration.
Morris, a five-year GHS football athlete, has been a starter on varsity for the past three years on the offensive line. He is a GHS Academic Athlete and has earned a varsity letter in wrestling and both indoor and outdoor track and field. He has decided to play football at Bridgewater College and major in environmental science.
Track
Gavyn Talbot is a four-year variety track and field athlete who has focused on sprinting. He is a four-time indoor track region qualifier, a three-time outdoor track region qualifier, and a cross country state qualifier. Talbot is a GHS Academic Athlete and has decided to attend Bridgewater College where he will continue with track and field and will major in health and exercise science.
Kayla Turner, a cross country and track and field athlete, has signed to Marymount University for both cross country and track and field and decided to major in criminology. She has been a member of the GHS cross country team for three years and a member of both the indoor and outdoor track and field teams for four, earning varsity letters.
Girls’ volleyball
Keira Tidwell has been on the GHS girls’ volleyball team for the past three years. She is a two-time second team All District and second team All Region and GHS Academic Athlete. Tidwell will be attending Southwest Virginia Community College to play volleyball, and major in radiology.