Eight Seniors Commit to College Athletics Next Year

 

Aidan Conway will be attending and playing baseball for Hampden-Sydney College. “I couldn’t be prouder of Aidan. He is extremely hardworking and puts everything that he has into his goals. Whether it's academics or athletics, I have found that the Conways will exhaust all of their resources and their abilities toward that goal,” said Varsity Baseball Coach Joey Seal.

 

Emma Johnston will be attending and swimming for Dickinson College. Varsity Swim Coach Allison Bolton praised Emma for her leadership and for her hard work and dedication, both in the classroom and to swimming. “Emma has been on the swim team at NSA since she was in the sixth grade. You don’t know how good she is until you have actually seen her compete. She is the most modest, hard-working young lady that I have ever coached, and she deserves all of the recognition for her dedication throughout the years,” said Coach Bolton.

 

Marlin Price will be attending and playing lacrosse for Sewanee: The University of the South. Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Coach Connor Carson said that Marlin is someone she noticed from day one. “I don’t think that I have ever coached an athlete with her level of intensity and passion. She sets the tone for the team, and she is a star,” remarked Coach Carson. J.P. Henry served as Marlin’s coach in her early career and echoed Coach Carson’s sentiments. “Marlin is fierce. Nothing is deserved in sports. You have to put in the work. Marlin is here because of her hard work and dedication. Sewanee is incredibly lucky to have her, and I’m really excited to see what she will do there,” said Coach Henry.

 

Teammates Dominic Bevilacqua, Holden Shank and Christian Townsend will be playing football at their respective schools next year. Dominic will be attending Saint Francis University, Holden will be attending Bridgewater College and Christian will be attending Christopher Newport University. Varsity Football Coach Mike Biehl said, “I can’t imagine our program without these three. Dom has done everything possible to give himself this chance and this opportunity. He represents so many positive things about what it means to be a student-athlete, and his willingness to put in the time and the effort to be successful will take him far.” Coach Biehl continued, “If I were going into a game, I’d want Christian next to me. He is our captain, and in every single game that we won, he made a huge play. He rises to the occasion each and every time, and I know that he is going to keep this same mentality at Christopher Newport next year.” He then commended Holden for his hard work. “Holden has worked incredibly hard and has come such a long way as a student and an athlete during his time at NSA. He came to NSA with the goal of earning the opportunity to play college football. Although it was far from easy, he has done just that, and I am proud of him.”

 

David Russell will be attending and playing lacrosse for Hamilton College. Athletic Director and Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Coach T.W. Johnson ’92 said that he was able to build a relationship with David long before he started playing varsity lacrosse in the eighth grade. “This relationship that I value tremendously started with camps and clinics when he was in the Lower School and continued through Middle and Upper School with JJV and JV basketball, advisory as well as a strength training course. While I am happy to see what his career as a student-athlete at Hamilton brings, selfishly, it’s also a bittersweet moment, because I know that his time at NSA will come to a close. David is an incredible person with a college-level work ethic. He will elevate your program, and I’m truly excited to see what he does at Hamilton over the next four years.”

 

Brady King will be attending and playing golf for Virginia Wesleyan University. Assistant Athletic Director Brittany Thornburg ’08 and Varsity Golf Coach Tom Harry both remarked how special it is that Brady is in the position to be able to play golf at the collegiate level since he just started playing. “Most of the time when we have these celebrations, the students have been playing all throughout their lives and their high school careers. I am excited to see where Brady will go when he is focusing solely on golf. The sky is the limit,” said Coach Thornburg. Coach Harry agreed and said that Brady has really progressed over two years as a result of his hard work and dedication. “It’s been my pleasure coaching him, and I am very proud of him. I will be following him next year,” said Coach Harry. 

 

These eight student-athletes are among 11 NSA seniors who have committed to continuing their athletic careers in college, representing 13 percent of the senior class. Congratulations, Dominic, Aidan, Emma, Brady, Marlin, David, Holden and Christian! We wish you the best of luck next year! Your NSA family will be cheering you on!