The class of 2013 has been an outstanding class for athletic recruiting. With four football athletes going to top Division 1 universities and five lacrosse athletes committed to various universities already, the class of 2013 is undeniably stacked. Over the last few months, four more exceptional Jesuit athletes have joined the ranks and committed to top universities across the United States in their respective sports including lacrosse player Carson Buell ’13 and golfers Josh Radcliffe ‘13, Thomas Allen ‘13, and Michael Valletti ‘13.
Carson Buell, an all-district midfielder for the Jesuit lacrosse team, recently committed to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, becoming the sixth Jesuit athlete from the lacrosse team to commit to a college or university. Despite receiving offers from Salisbury University and Furman University, Buell ultimately decided that Rollins is the best fit for him after visiting the campus and interacting with fellow Rollins students, who “share a lot of the same qualities as [him]”. Buell is excited to bring his lacrosse talents to Rollins, saying, “I think that playing in college will be a whole new experience. Coach Surran has really prepared me well and I think it will be a lot of fun.” Now that Buell has committed, he is shifting his focus to the upcoming spring lacrosse season, where Jesuit is widely expected to perform very well during the post season. Buell shares that confidence in his team saying, “If we play our cards right, I can see us going on a very long post season run.”
Along with the lacrosse and football teams, the Jesuit golf team has also had multiple team members commit to various colleges. Golfer Josh Radcliff recently committed to the University of Texas at Arlington, a top 50 Division 1 program, ending talks with Abilene Christian College, the University of Houston, and Purdue University. Despite the interests of other schools, Radcliff is confident in his decision and extremely excited to take his golf career to the next level, saying, “The guys on the team are very friendly and hard working, so I feel like I will be very welcomed when I get there and I know that they will help make me a better player.”
The great attitudes of coaches also aided in making Radcliff’s decision, “The coaches at UTA treat their team like a family and work to make their golfers the best players that they can be.” UT Arlington also practices at top-notch facilities across North Texas such as Texas Star and Waterchase, including Waterchase’s excellent short game area, the Jim McLean Center, which lured Radcliff to the program. Overall, he is thrilled for the opportunity to play at UT Arlington: “I am very excited about really improving my game, hopefully to a level where I can compete competitively after college on the pro level.”
Fellow golfer Thomas Allen also had multiple options including Bethany College and Johnson and Wales University, but ultimately decided on Newman University in Wichita, Kansas after serious consideration. “I felt that Newman University was a good fit for me, because I desired to attend a small university and it was a great fit for me academically,” commented Allen. He is really looking forward to his upcoming tenure on the Bethany golf team, saying, “I am most excited about traveling farther distances to tournaments and hopefully getting to a national championship with the team”.
Rounding out the most recent golf recruits, Michael Valletti committed to Loyola University Chicago, turning down offers from Newman University, Dallas Baptist University, and Abilene Christian University. After looking at his various options, Valletti ultimately decided on Loyola Chicago because of its “nice campus, good golf team, and ideal size” as well its rigorous academic program. “I’m excited to play Division 1 golf at a university where I know I will fit in and be able to compete,” added Valletti. Having finished the recruitment process, Valletti is turning his full attention towards the fall golf events, saying, “It makes it a lot more special because I know I will continue to play in college and can now enjoy my final season without any worries.”
With three exemplary seniors and future collegiate players, the Jesuit golf team is bound to have a great year. “I feel that our team is the strongest that it has ever been,” commented Radcliff, “and our depth gives us a very good chance at beating the best teams in the state.” Allen completely agrees, adding, “If we play to our potential, I know we can make it to state.”
With these new commitments, both the lacrosse and golf teams are prepared for great seasons, with aspirations of competing for state championships, and the class of 2013 now has an impressive fourteen commitments for sports scholarships.
