Seven Saints Commit to College Athletics Next Year

The Office of Athletics, along with family, faculty, teammates, coaches and friends, recently celebrated seven seniors who committed to continuing their academic and athletic careers next year.

Chris Clarke will be attending and playing soccer for Johns Hopkins University. Boys' Varsity Soccer Coach Brandon Chambers talked about how Chris challenged himself over the last few years. "The one defining thing about Chris is that he accepted that when I started coaching him, I wouldn't accept anything from him other than greatness," said Coach Chambers. "He started to apply himself differently in practice, even though he had the same facilities he had before, and he went to the same school. He just started to look at things differently, as advantages instead of disadvantages. I'm so happy he has chosen Hopkins because I think it has a balance that will challenge him on the soccer field and in the classroom."

Tyree Claxton will be attending and playing baseball for the College of Southern Maryland. Varsity Baseball Coach Joey Seal said when he thinks of Tyree, he thinks of his work ethic. "There has never been another kid that I've coached that I've had to, countless times, kick out of the batting cage because it was too dark, it was too cold or it was too wet," said Coach Seal. "Tyree lives in the batting cages. He is the hardest worker I've ever met, and he has been the heartbeat of our program."

Page Henry will be attending and playing lacrosse for Christopher Newport University. Varsity Girls' Lacrosse Coach Connor Mathews reflected on Page's athletic abilities and her character. "You want someone like Page on your team as players, and you want someone like Page on your team as coaches," said Coach Mathews. "She truly leads by example. I am thrilled for her to go to CNU. It is a great program, and it is local, so we can follow her and see her thrive. I can only see her succeeding and getting better and better."

Jase Howell will be attending and playing baseball for Hampden-Sydney College. Coach Seal said he knows, no matter what, he can always count on Jase. "I don't think that I've ever coached a baseball player that has been more consistent, not just with his abilities and his accomplishments on the field, but with his leadership, with the way that he treats his teammates, with the way that he exudes sportsmanship," said Coach Seal. "Jase just really has been a staple in our program for consistency, and that's why, over his last five years, we've had some incredible success on the field."

Ty Howlett will be attending and playing baseball for the University of Lynchburg. Coach Seal commented on Ty's commanding presence on and off the field. "Ty has transformed himself into probably one of the most incredible leaders that I have seen and had the opportunity to coach," said Coach Seal. "We're really excited for him to go on and play for Coach Lucas Jones and Coach Beazley over at Lynchburg. It's going to be a great opportunity for him, and I'm so proud of him."

Max Russell will be attending and playing lacrosse for Franklin & Marshall. Athletic Director and Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Coach T.W. Johnson '92, who has known Max since Lower School, said he is proud of the player Max has become. "Max has never been afraid of competition," said Coach Johnson. "He's never been afraid to play up. I've seen him and his dad jump in a car after a game and drive through the night to New York for a clinic. He's gone all over the place and never shied away from competition. When we've had older players come back in the summer or during the winter, Max has always wanted to jump in the goal to play against a higher level of competition and stretch himself. As he did that, he took steps as a player to get better, and he made our program better." 

Liam Shughrou will be attending and playing baseball for Virginia Wesleyan University. Coach Seal said Liam has used every opportunity he has had on the field to his advantage. "Liam has never allowed any failures on the field to affect his confidence," said Coach Seal. "To be a successful baseball player, you truly have to be able to have confidence in yourself and confidence in your teammates, and you have to be able to stress that to everyone around you, and Liam has done that since the moment he stepped on the field in an NSA uniform."

Congratulations, Chris, Tyree, Page, Jase, Ty, Max and Liam! We wish you the best of luck next year! Your NSA family will be cheering you on!