Students commit to college for sports

Sara Brownlee, Carter Kangas, Jenna Ho-Sing-Loy, Katie Lew, Lucy Sullivan, and Amy Wang
June 14, 2021

Baseball & Softball

Gerrit Erickson – California State University, Chico

Gerrit Erickson (12) will extend his baseball career at California State University, Chico this fall where he will be a pitcher for the school.

“It has always been a goal of mine to play college baseball and Chico has a super fun atmosphere,” Erickson said.

Junior year is a very important time for high school athletes as college coaches and recruiters tend to focus their attention on students that age. Since baseball is a spring sport and last year’s season was cut short, Erickson had to adjust to COVID restrictions in order to gain visibility from colleges.

He ended up traveling to Florida since California was not hosting any games at the time. He was able to demonstrate his skills for recruiters and collect film to send out to coaches that weren’t present.

Despite the setbacks he faced, Erickson was able to find a college that would let him continue to play the sport he loves while also enjoying the school’s environment.

Luke Ritter – Lewis and Clark College

Lateef Wakil – University of California, Davis

Patrick McLellan – Southwest Oregon Community College

Darren Cho – University of Alabama, Birmingham

Jack Brown – University of Redlands

Julissa Garcia – Canisius College

Basketball

Brianna Jacobs – Santa Barbara Community College

Max Lonneker – California State, San Marcos

Cross Country & Track

Nick Brown – West Point Military Academy

Nick Brown’s (12) dedication to running began as a young child when his mother brought him on her morning jogs.

“Since my mom has been a runner for a while, when I was little I would always go running with her,” Brown said. “It was just something that we did together, for fun.”

What started as a pastime eventually led to his committing to West Point’s Division I track program. As an athlete, running has been an integral part of his life, one that fulfills his competitive spirit, he said.

“I got into running competitively in middle school when I participated in cross country,” Brown said. “I just figured it would be up my alley to participate in high school. After I started, I just worked pretty hard at it in order to improve.”

Usually, during track season, Brown spends hours after school, improving his stride, endurance, and kick. This effort has paid off tremendously, and Brown has been a top distance runner for much of high school. He recently set a personal record in the 1600-meter at the Palomar League Finals on May 29 and hopes to continue improving in college while balancing academics.

“[West Point] has a great D1 program but I’ll need to figure out the workload,” Brown said. “I am planning on running cross country for them, and I’m definitely looking forward to a higher level of competition.”

Brown chose West Point for the fact that it is well known for its excellence in preparation for the army, though he had an offer from Naval Academy as well. While both schools fit his interest in the military, ultimately West Point was a better fit with his long-term interest in the army rather than the navy.

“I have always known that I wanted to go into the military, since I come from a military family,” Brown said. “It was more of a choice between which of the careers I wanted to go into than anything else.”

Outside of future aspirations, the chance to continue striving for victory is one that Brown said excites him. He has long enjoyed the competitive side of track and field, and hopes to continue doing so in college.

“Personally, the thing I aim for in running has always been getting in first,” Brown said. “Running is different from other sports because in other sports, you can still win, but doing so doesn’t give you the euphoria of crossing the finish line before everyone else.”

Alongside the joy it brings, no matter where the future takes him, Brown knows that running will always be an integral part of his life, even as he moves on to college.

“I’ve just learned so much from my experience with running,” Brown said. “Track is the kind of sport that you need to practice day in and day out, rain or shine, so it’s the hard days that define you. If anything, it taught me to persevere, and that the work will pay off.”

Drew Cottingham – University of Arizona

Omar Perez – Brigham Young University

Football

Britton Smith – Benedictine College:

Offensive Lineman Britton Smith (12) has committed to play football at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Reflecting back on his time as a high school player, Smith said he has appreciated the opportunity to form friendships with his teammates and spend time with them both on and off the field.

“At the end of the day, what you take with you as you grow up are those relationships,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t trade my time with my boys for anything in the world.”

Although he will miss Westview, he anticipates meeting the staff, players, and students at Benedictine.

“I’m excited to be part of a team that the administration, student body and community are really proud of and supports morally and financially.”

He said he is excited to see what the future holds for him as a college player, in a new environment.

“I look forward to the support and resources that are put into college programs,” he said.

Hunter Bohannon – Southwest Minnesota State University:

Running back Hunter Bohannon (12) has committed to play football at Southwest Minnesota State College, located in Marshall, Minnesota.

Bohannon said that the greatest challenge he faced in the past year was practicing football without being able to congregate with his team.

“There was a large period of time where no one knew when and how we were going to play [football],” Bohannon said. “It was upsetting that we didnt get to practice as much as we normally would have been able to.”

Additionally, Bohannon said that the past year has allowed him to gain more appreciation for practice time with his teammates.
“[The pandemic] was a time where I really missed being able to be with my teammates,” Bohannon said. “However, I’m really just grateful that I was able to finish out my senior year with the guys I’ve been with for the past four years.”

Bohannon said that he is excited to attend Southwest Minnesota State College as he will have more time to play football and form relationships with new teammates.

“I am super excited for this opportunity and am very much looking forward to playing some more football [At Southwest Minnesota State College],” said Bohannon.

Mandela Tobin – Duke University:

Mandela Tobin (12) began his football career in the seventh grade, but it wouldn’t be until after his freshman year that he realized there could be more in the game for him than just having fun.

“After my freshman year, I really realized my skill and I started to take things more seriously,” Tobin said. “I had gotten into football to continue with the tradition of playing high school football, and I never expected the levels of recruitment that I had. I made a name for myself during junior year, and I am at where I am today because of my hard work and commitment. Working out with my dad, making the varsity team my sophomore year, and surrounding myself with people that care about me and want to further my career were really what made me as successful as I am.”

As a strong-side defensive end, Tobin chose the scholarship offer from Duke University in North Carolina, where he will enter with an undecided major. Tobin received offers from many schools, including University of Nebraska, Fresno State, and Kansas State, but those paled in comparison with the offer from Duke. He cited the high-level academics and the fact that Duke football plays in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), where high-caliber teams compete. Though Duke went 2-9 during the 2020 season, the reputation and successful past of the school’s athletic and academic programs were still enough to sway Tobin’s choice.

“I received offers from a lot of great schools, but for me, there really wasn’t any debate for which offer I was going to go with,” he said. “Duke is an exceptional school with really great academics, and they are considered an unofficial Ivy League school. It’s a really big deal for me and my family that I can go to Duke, and it’s amazing that I can have an experience similar to a lot of elite schools. I’m really excited to get on the Duke campus and begin my college football career.”

Tobin saw his parents, especially his mom, as the people who had most positively impacted his football career. He said they helped him take the sport and his future more seriously.

“My parents were the ones who supported me the most and made sure I made the right choices that would benefit my future,” Tobin said. “My dad helped me build myself up and become stronger. My mom helped me out the most though, making sure everything was safe and supporting all of my decisions, and helping me work towards my goals.”

Along with his parents, Tobin said, his whole family helped him in his journey and the coaches he’s worked with helped him to understand the game better. They had worked with him since he had started his athletic career, and were instrumental in helping and supporting him as his football career grew.

“Everyone around me has been so positive and encouraging, and I really couldn’t thank them all enough,” he said. “The coaches I worked with before high school really taught me the game, and helped me understand my strengths. My brother, Harry, and my uncles Dale and Mike helped me understand my future goals, and were the ones egging me on as I continued to play.”

Lacrosse

Brooke Vafi – Colorado Mesa University

Chris Reed – University of Colorado

Sammy Hernandez – University of Oregon

Soccer

Sofia Vivar – University of California, Santa Barbara

In her sophomore year, Sophia Vivar (12) committed to the University of California Santa Barbara to play soccer as a center attacking midfielder and since then she has grown as a person and athlete on the Westview team.

“It’s truly been a privilege playing here,” she said. “This program has contributed to my growth significantly and helped me gain confidence, become a better leader, and most importantly, remember why I love my sport.”

Vivar considers this last year to be especially rewarding after winning the CIF Championships for Division II, which she said is something she’s dreamt about since before even coming to Westview.

“Just being able to share a huge passion of mine with people I go to school with is something really special,” she said. “I have absolutely loved being able to represent Westview in this way.”

Moving forward, Vivar said she is very excited to bring her sport to the next level at UCSB while studying biochemistry.

“I can’t wait to get started there and be able to showcase my abilities,” she said. “I’m in love with the school, and their soccer program is amazing, so I’m just really looking forward to contributing to their continued success.”

During the recruiting process in her second year in high school, Vivar reached out to many good, potential schools, and attended recruiting camps, eventually landing on UCSB. It was an instant connection, and she felt that she could really succeed in the environment that the university provided.

“It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to visit the school, meet the coaches in person, and attend the ID camp for their program, that I knew it was the perfect fit for me,” Vivar said. “I verbally committed very soon after that.”

Vivar won’t soon forget her years spent on the Westview field as she said that it was some of the most fun she’s ever had playing soccer.

“High school soccer brings in all the best parts of being an athlete,” she said. “It’s going to be really hard not seeing these girls all the time, but I’m really looking forward to coming back home next year and supporting them at all of their games.”