Marysville High School student-athletes sign letters of intent to play their respective sport on the collegiate level. They are from the left, Jaimeson Bigler (wrestling), Cassidy Franciso (basketball), Michael Powers (football), Rachel Poling (swimming) and Gavin Stromp, Max Brennan and Mason Taylor (soccer).
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
––––
Marysville High School student-athletes recently took the next steps to playing sports at the collegiate level.
They made official commitments to their school of choice during a college signing ceremony at Marysville High School.
A total of seven athletes playing in five different sports signed letters of intent.
Jaimeson Bigler will continue his wrestling career at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio.
He will join a Gray Wolves squad that recently won the 2019 NAIA national championship.
Despite suffering a season-ending ACL tear his senior year, Bigler is the type of athlete that puts in the extra effort because of his work ethic and determination, said Monarch wrestling head coach Shawn Andrews.
Cassidy Francisco will continue her basketball career at Ohio Christian University in Circelville.
She will become a member of a Trailblazers team that finished the 2018-19 season with a 3-25 record in the NAIA.
Francisco was a three-year varsity letter winner with the Lady Monarchs.
Rachel Poling will continue to swim at Findley University.
The four-year letter winner had a strong senior season, despite a nagging knee injury.
The knee problem plagued her entire season, according to coach Craig Faircloth. Poling set four school records during her time with the Monarchs in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and as a member of two relay teams.
She will join a Division II NCAA swim team at Findley that had a solid season with several All-American swimmers in 2019.
Gavin Stromp will continue his soccer career at Urbana University.
Stromp is joining a Blue Knights club that went 8-7-3 in the Mountain East Conference, which is an NCAA Division II conference that encompasses Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia.
Stromp was determined to get on the field his senior year and determination is what led to solid playing, said head coach Terry Smith
Max Brennan will continue his soccer career at the University of Tampa, which is
a part of the Sunshine State Conference, a Division II NCAA affiliate.
Smith said that after Brennan suffered an ACL injury in game one of his senior year, he took on a silent leader role, leading by example.
Brennan was also a part of the most winning four-year class for the Monarchs, according to Smith.
Mason Taylor will continue his soccer career at St. Louis University.
He will join a team that is apart of the NCAA’s Atlantic 10 Conference.
Taylor had a solid career with the Monarchs, setting a school and state record for the most shut-outs, according to Smith.
He posted 30 shutouts in 68 games.
Editor’s Note: Michael Powers also signed to play football for West Virginia University on the same day.
Powers was profiled in a previous edition of the Journal-Tribune.
...For the full story, select an option below.