Senior Sarah Day has made it official. The cross-country star inked her name on the dotted line during a signing ceremony in the media center on Wednesday — National Signing Day — the first day that high-school seniors can sign a binding National Letter of Intent with a school that is a member of the NCAA. Day is only the second West Shore student to sign an athletic scholarship with a Division 1 program. In 2008, Toni Pressley, who currently plays professional soccer in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, signed with Florida State where she finished her career third all-time in school history with 96 appearances as a defender, scoring 11 goals.
In addition, soccer midfielder Erin Berube signed to play for Armstrong Atlantic University, a Division II school located in Savannah, Ga.
Day looked into 10 schools, ranging from the distant University of Colorado to nearby Florida State University, her sister’s alma mater, but found UF to be the most inviting. One of the biggest factors was the cross-country team.
“Coach [Paul] Spangler’s positive attitude and ability to relate to us runners is one of the main reasons why I decided to choose to commit to UF,” Day said. “Along with the top-notch coaching, the entire team was beyond welcoming and made me feel at home. I had the opportunity to spend time with the girls [cross country team] and to go out and socialize with them all on my visit, and I felt like I fit in perfectly. It’s safe to say that I was under the treatment of a rock star for the time frame of 48 hours.”
On a two-day visit to “Gator Nation,” Day also found other reasons besides running that made her ultimate choice attractive.
“Being on campus for a relatively short amount of time, I was still able to experience the college atmosphere and see what being a student athlete at UF would entail,” Day said. “I was looking for a well-rounded school, with academics, athletics and a good environment, and UF seemed to meet my requirements perfectly.”
Fellow girls’ varsity runner Lauren Dietl said Day’s signing didn’t surprise her.
“I’m ecstatic for her,” Dietl said. “She worked hard constantly. She knew where she wanted to go, and she kept training and maintaining her goal.”
Roar staff report
