On May 19, students gathered for NCAA’s official signing day. As you walked into the auditorium, tables for the signees were set up on stage with flags and merch. Students were wearing shirts representing their college, and they had colorful balloons in their school colors. AD Arrington began the ceremony with a speech, celebrating the work of the 19 student athletes committing to college. 

First up was girls’ basketball player, Andrea Hardy. Affectionately named “Grandma” by her teammates, she is known for taking care of the entire team, both on and off the court. She is playing basketball at Virginia University of Lynchburg next year. 

Next, Coach Rio reflected upon Nathan Liebman’s time playing lacrosse at JR. According to Coach Rio, Nathan has led the team in a “Nathan way” and is committed to Haverford. 

Coach Ricks called Celia Joldersma the girls’ lacrosse weapon. She highlighted Joldersma’s resilience and aggressiveness on the field.  With over 100 goals in four years, Celia is committed to Wooster. 

Next were the two track and field signees: Olivia Purce and Eva Okoobo. Purce, who committed to Hampton University, was named the “prayer warrior” of the team for helping to bring her team together to count their blessings. Okoobo, a standout athlete, was a force to be reckoned with. A back-to-back MVP, she is committed to Princeton University. 

Next was Alex Ouzts, a decorated wrestler since freshman year, who has “won just about every DC tournament.” When we asked Ouzts what he loved most throughout his career in wrestling, he stated that he enjoyed “beating up on private school kids,” which was a common sentiment shared throughout the athletes. Ouzts will be going to Shenandoah University in the fall.

Swimming Coach Kelly praised Claire Yoder for always being the first one in the pool with a smile on her face. Yoder is committed to Rochester. 

With five athletes, soccer was the sport most represented at the signing. First was boys’ soccer led by Coach Jean-Claude who reflected on the loss of three beloved team captains. Jonah Beers, the championship game MVP, is committed to Rochester University. Coach Jean-Claude reflected on Beers’ time on the C team of his soccer club which forced him to put in the work to make the A team. Next was Charlie Hall, who joined the team as a junior after Coach Jean-Claude told him he had to “go eat some McDonald’s, get big, get strong” before playing. Hall will play for Macalester. Lastly, Alex Anagnostopoulos was highlighted for his passion and high expectations of the team. He is committed to St. Mary’s in Maryland. 

Next up was Coach Kelle who celebrated girls’ soccer stars, Rylee Jarman and Sonora Hale. Jarman, a defensive anchor who transferred to JR for her senior year, integrated quickly with the team. She will attend Iona University. Coach Kelle praised the elite level work ethic, perseverance and leadership of Hale who was selected as the DCIAA girls’ soccer player of the year.  Hale will be going to Case Western Reserve University in the fall. When we asked Hale about a hardship she faced in her journey, she told us about how she was offered a position on a higher team for her club. However, the team had an abusive coach, and she had to make the hard decision to turn down the offer and prioritize her morals.

The next students to be honored were JR rowers, Willa Frillici and Riley Macclellan.  At the championship regatta, Frillici and Macclellan crossed the finish line together, qualifying for finals for the first time in their high school careers. When we asked Macclellan about a fun moment from her high school career, she remembered her time on a training trip to Florida when she and her teammates sunk a boat and had to haul it back to land. Frillici committed to Wisconsin University, and Riley Macclellan will be at Ohio State.

For boys’ crew, there were also two commits: Angus DeBoer signed with Columbia University, and Gideon Brosowsky committed to Dartmouth. They were praised for their extremely hard work, unbelievably high expectations, and readiness for this next leap in their careers. 

Finally, four baseball players signed to colleges this year. Derek Riddick committed to Community College of Baltimore County Essex, Nelson Hayes signed to Georgetown, Ben Shapiro committed to Knox College, and Theodore Benach signed with St. Lawrence University. These players are the 2026 DCSAA Baseball Champions, and when Coach Robbie asked his players in the crowd to stand up, the entire team was there cheering them on.

To close, AD Arrington asked for the athletes to officially sign their Financial Aid Agreements on the dotted line. She closed with a reminder that “Greatness is built day by day,” and sent the athletes into their next chapter of their lives with family pictures, smiles, and cake. •