Pine Creek takes different approach in celebrating ‘next-level’ athletes
A celebration honoring student-athletes heading to college without signing letters of intent?
Only at Pine Creek.
“Pine Creek has been at the forefront of everything, trying something new and not be afraid to take risks,” school assistant principal and athletic director Eric Hulen said. “We actually didn’t do any signing. We have a video montage on all of our seniors, and we wanted to bring everybody together and celebrate it.”
Held at 11 a.m., the entire student body was able to file into the school’s gymnasium, where they witnessed 20 Eagles seniors as they were introduced one by one in four groups and heard interviews via projector as each described great moments at the school and advice they’d give their younger teammates and friends.
In the past, Pine Creek, along with several other District 20 schools, held separate ceremonies based on the time of the year when the National Letter of Intent sets dates to start respective signing ceremonies.
This year, that changed, with a combined celebration scheduled to where the student body of Pine Creek could get the chance to see their classmates.
“I thought it was really cool and nice to have everyone here to see it,” said Pine Creek volleyball player Kaitlin Cid, who’s headed to the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. “It was amazing to have all the students come celebrate with us. I think the students here finally will know that it’s not just signing a paper or getting noticed by college coaches. It’s about all the hard work that goes behind it.”
Pine Creek chose to put aside the cliché simulated letter signing and put its attention instead of bringing together the high school student body to celebrate together.
“I actually signed in October or November,” Cid said. “But when I heard that all the seniors were going to have a ceremony together, I was really excited about it.”
That was the point, to maximize the amount of peers and family that could attend and take part in a combined event, much like other D-20 schools have transitioned to over the past few years. TCA, Rampart and Air Academy routinely hold one combined event in the spring.
“We did get together with other schools in the district and created a consistent procedure and policy on how we wanted to do our college signings,” Hulen said. “We all made concessions and compromises. We wanted to set a different standard, and we wanted to bring everybody together and celebrate it, to do this in front of the student body.”
Hulen hoped the first edition of the school’s first Next Level Athlete celebration will spur other events.
“We’d like to grow this and bring in other groups, not only athletics, but academics as well,” Hulen said. “We want to celebrate all the kids to have made the choice to go to the next level. That’s the thought.”
Those who were feted included Cami Beatty (track to UCCS); Daniel Bone (football to CSU-Pueblo); Braden Dedrick (baseball to Dodge City CC); Myah Isais (soccer to New Mexico); Janya Sims (volleyball to Eastern Wyoming); Parker Gregory (baseball to UCCS); William Hibbard (track to Florida Tech); Jackson McKeehan (basketball to Midland University); Chandler Nelson (volleyball to McCook CC); Ashley Starkey (lacrosse to Campbell); Adam Weaver (football to Neb. Wesleyan); Riley Cornelio (baseball to TCU); James Hibbard (cross country to North Alabama); Joshua-Ryan Lujan (swimming to Ottawa University); Brittany White (lacrosse to Lee University); Grant Wilkinson (basketball to Western Colorado); Kaitlyn Cid (volleyball to St. Louis College of Pharmacy); Scharl DuToit (rugby to West Point); Mitchell Frost (soccer to Central Christian College of Kansas); Kyle Moran (baseball to Northwestern Oklahoma); and Charles Nnantah (track to UCCS).
Pine Creek hosted a traditional signing ceremony in November for students committing to compete at the collegiate level. Last week, the school ditched traditions and hosted the entire student body in the school’s gymnasium, where they witnessed 20 student-athletes heading onto college careers as they were introduced one by one and shared memories and insights with their fellow students and teammates. Pictured: Myah Isais (University of New Mexico), Parker Gregory (University of Colorado Colorado Springs), Cami Beatty (UCCS) and Charles Nnantah (UCCS). Not pictured: Riley Cornelio.
The student body of Pine Creek was on hand for the school’s first Next Level Athlete celebration, held May 7 at the Eagle gymnasium.
