Several Chagrin Valley Conference student-athletes late last month signed a National Letter of Intent to continue their educations and athletic careers at the college of their choice.
Grand Valley basketball player Carly James signed with Lakeland Community College.
“It is very exciting to be able to continue my passion for basketball and to play with other girls that share the same love for the sport as I do,” James said. “This is something I have dreamed of since being a little kid.”
James was drawn to Lakeland for a number of reasons.
“A few things that set Lakeland apart from the others is the quality of education in my selective field of study, a small campus with many four-year and post-grad bridging options as well as the Lakers basketball program and Coach (Ornett Gardenhire’s) style of coaching. Also, Coach O telling me, ‘I have plans for you,’ showed me his dedication to wanting me as a future player.”
Lakeland recruited James as a guard and she plans to continue producing at the position the same way she did at Grand Valley, where she scored 714 points with 361 rebounds, 176 assists, 245 steals, and 37 blocked shots on her way to earning All-CVC and all-district honors in each of the past three seasons.
As excited as she is about her future at Lakeland, James always will remember her time as a Mustang.
“I will miss the girls that I played with, especially the other seniors,” she said. “We played basketball for seven years together. We have a good bond with each other on and off the court. I will also miss being able to have my cousin, Kaelyn Hart, by my side on the court. Some advice I would give my former teammates and future Mustangs is to take in every single moment and play your heart out every game. Set individual and team goals and achieve those goals. You can do anything you set your mind to.”
James plans to major in criminal justice with the goal to become a U.S. Marshall.
Three Chagrin Falls student-athletes also signed a Letter of Intent.
Jackson Beavers will continue his education and football career at Ohio Wesleyan University. A two-year letter winner, Beavers was an all-conference selection as a senior. He plans to major in chemistry.
Charlie Frederick is headed to Wittenberg, where he will play lacrosse. Frederick is a two-time all-region selection in lacrosse and he also earned all-Ohio honors in football.
Andrew Nachtwey will play soccer at Denison University. He is a three-year letter winner at Chagrin Falls and a four-year letter winner in tennis, earning all-conference honors in both sports. Nachtwey plans to major in Economics and Spanish.
