With pens hitting paper, student-athletes’ dreams came true across the country on Nov. 13. Thirteen of those student-athletes were Griffins, and with their family and friends surrounding them, they participated in National Signing Day, officially completing the last step in becoming collegiate athletes.
At 7 a.m. signees lined the gym floor at individual tables with friends and family gathered around, watching the athletes complete the final step towards their collegiate careers. At each table, athletes wore shirts or sweaters to signify the colleges they would be signing to, along with a flag at the head of each table showing the college’s logo.
As family and friends filled the gym, students who were signing, each announced their name and the college they selected to those in attendance. After the announcement, students signed their official commitments.
“It was a relieving feeling,” golf signee senior Calvin Zabloudil said. “The decision was weighing on me for a while and to finally sign and make it official, felt good.”
This year’s signing day at the school featured an athlete from both boy’s golf and girl’s lacrosse, three athletes from volleyball, and eight athletes from girl’s soccer.
“It was exciting,” Addison LaRock said. “We’ve all worked so hard with each other and have been through so much with each other.”
LaRock was one of eight soccer players signing on Nov. 13. She will join two other Griffins at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. All three Mavericks signed on the 13th.
However, the 13 athletes who participated in the National Signing Day are not the only ones who have committed to play collegiately. Some, like seniors Nolan Green, Braden Loftquest and Tyler Gilliand committed after the National Signing Day in a more private setting. Green, signed on Nov. 19, to play baseball at Cloud County Community College; Loftquest signed on Nov. 20, to continue his track and field career at Duke University and Gilliand signed to play soccer at Midland on November 21.
“Here at Gretna East, we celebrate any student who would like to make a public signing event on that particular date,” Athletic Director Ryan Garder said. “We [also] celebrate students who want more of a private signing event, or more of an individual signing date.”
With the first official signing day completed in school history, the school looks forward to the next signing day which will take place in April.
