Two Smith Academy athletes will stick close to home for their college careers.
Senior field hockey player Karlie Guimond will play at Smith College, while senior soccer player Morgan Neal will join the team at Mount Holyoke. Remaining in the Pioneer Valley was critical for both Falcons.
“When I started this process, I knew I wanted to stay in the New England area. I’m really close to my family,” Guimond said. “One of my mantras is ‘family is everything.’ I’m excited for them to be there and see me grow as a player.” Her mom, Katy Guimond, will be able to keep a close eye. She works in facilities management at Smith. Karlie realized playing for the Pioneers was her path during a visit junior year. She watched Smith beat MIT for the school’s first NEWMAC championship in 2018.
“That made me think ‘I could be a part of this if I want to.’ One of my goals as an athlete has always been being successful and winning a championship,” Guimond said. “I didn’t get to do that in high school, and if I keep working hard, I can do that at Smith College.”
The Pioneers were 4-14 last fall.
Neal, meanwhile, will join a long tradition connecting Smith Academy and Mount Holyoke. Former Smith Academy athletic director and state champion field hockey coach Sherry Webb is an assistant with the Lyons field hockey program, and current Smith Academy athletic director Allison Slysz played basketball at Mount Holyoke.
“I initially applied to Mount Holyoke because when I walked through campus my freshman year of high school I felt at home,” Neal said. “When I met the team, I felt like part of the family, and they had just met me.”
She’ll be joining a program finding its way back on track. The Lyons went 2-16-1 last season and haven’t been above .500 or made the NEWMAC Tournament since 2015.
“The program is not at its best right now, but (coach Kanae Haneishi) is looking for people to build it back up,” Neal said.
Both also mentioned the importance academics played in choosing their schools.
“I committed to Smith College because I was really interested in getting a really good education while still pursuing the sport I love, field hockey,” Guimond said. “I knew going to Smith was the best way for me to do that.”
Granby senior Logan Gray has his college plans settled before his senior lacrosse season begins.
The defender will play at American International College after signing a letter of intent at Granby on Friday. He’ll join a strong western Massachusetts contingent on the Division II squad, as eight players are from the Pioneer Valley or Berkshires.
The Yellow Jackets went 0-16 last season and won one game in each of the previous three years.
Four Western Massachusetts football stalwarts know where they’ll continue their college football careers.
Amherst senior quarterback J.B. Mills will go under center at the University of Rochester. He’ll be able to step in and compete for playing time among a group of young quarterbacks. The team went 0-10 last season and has won four combined games the past four years.
Mills’ left tackle, Jack Nagy, will play for his father, E.J. Mills, at Amherst College. Nagy took some FCS visits over the summer and had a preferred walk-on offer at UMass. Amherst went 4-5 last season.
South Hadley’s do-it-all senior Hunter Carey will play at WPI. The Engineers were 10-1 in 2019 and defeated Western Connecticut in a Division III New England Bowl Series game.
Northampton quarterback Tom Jacques will matriculate to St. Lawrence in Canton, New York. He’ll join a program that went .500 last season but won its final two games.