About 50 Chattanooga-area high school athletes will be taking the next step to becoming college student-athletes in the next week.
Beginning today, they will be signing college scholarship papers during the fall signing period to schools as close as Lee University and as far away as Denver and New Hampshire.
They’re going to play for schools as big and well-known as Tennessee and North Carolina and as small and unknown as Trevecca Nazarene and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
It’s an accomplishment for all of them.
“I’ve looked forward to this week a lot – like a lot, a lot,” said Soddy-Daisy multisport star Tre Carter, who will be signing to play baseball at Tennessee. “I really didn’t do a lot of thinking. Do I want to have the experience of playing pro ball or go to college first.
“I want to have fun with my friends and work to make it to the national championship game in Omaha.”
Carter is heading just up the road to continue his career as an athlete. Most of the others signing this week also will stay within an easy day’s drive of Chattanooga.
Kinsey Liscio, a softball player from Calhoun, will sign with Western Carolina. Baylor basketball star Kaleigh Clemons is headed to Vanderbilt. Walker Valley basketball star Kenny Benton is signing with Lipscomb. Signal Mountain track sprinter McKenzie Ethridge will sign Friday evening with Mississippi State, and Girls Preparatory School swimmer Susanna LaRochelle plans to sign with North Carolina.
Ethridge won multiple state titles as a freshman, and after missing out on the state meet as a sophomore she returned to lead the Lady Eagles to the Class A/AA team championship last spring, when she won the 100- and 200-meter sprints and anchored the state’s fastest 4×100 relay team.
Baylor golfer Oliver Simonsen politely declined offers from Southeastern Conference schools to stay close to home and play for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Other area seniors have made similar decisions to stay and play for area colleges such as Soddy-Daisy baseball player Colin Kearny with Bryan College and Central basketball star Shawna Anderson with North Georgia.
“Being a Division I athlete has been a dream my entire life,” said Simonsen, who dedicated himself to golf instead of baseball three years ago. “I wanted to get away a little bit instead of living more with my parents, and Coach (Mark) Guhne said I could stay in the dorm. That was the deal-sealer.
“I’m not living at home, but I’m close to home.”
Other signees are leaving the South.
Signal Mountain golfer Bethany Burns has committed to Dartmouth in New Hampshire. Haven Bethune, who can set a volleyball with grace or slam it with ferocity, will be signing to play for Army at West Point. Zach Hutchco, a McCallie lacrosse player, will be signing with Denver, the reigning national champion.
“This is a very big week,” said Hutchco, who grew up in Charlotte. “I’ve been anticipating this week for a very long time and I’m excited.”
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/Uchiyama CTFP.