Moving on
After years of hard work and dedication to basketball, senior Christian Rebec announced he will be taking his talents to William Jewell College, a Division II men’s basketball program in Liberty, Missouri.
“It meant everything to me when I signed on signing day,” Rebec said. “The NCAA has so many rules even if you are a guy like me signing to a D2 school. You have to take a step back and realize that everything you do is now under a microscope.”
For Rebec, this opportunity was not simply handed to him, but was rather the product of a life built around basketball.
“I started when I was seven years old in the backyard with my dad, and joined my first [recreational] team in Melbourne Beach around eight or nine,” Rebec said. “When I was there I had a coach tell me I needed to get into a more competitive league so I went and played at Grant Street.”
Throughout elementary school, Rebec continued pursuing his passion playing basketball in the Greater Melbourne Police Athletic League (PAL) on Grant Street. Coming to West Shore in seventh grade, he joined the middle school team which ended 4-4 with Rebec filling the role of a sixth man. In his eighth grade year, his role on the team began to shift.
“A couple of my friends moved up to play JV, but I decided to stay in middle school to try and dominate,” Rebec said. “I ended up having a big role on the team and averaged around 18 points a game, and 20 plus in a few.”
Moving up in the rankings, Rebec played his ninth grade year on JV and began his sophomore year as a sixth man in the varsity rotation. Rebec said his eagerness for improvement led him to keep progressing going into his junior year when his mindset changed.
“There was a senior I was competing for time with, and he told me a couple things that really opened my eyes,” Rebec said. “That summer I went to highschool camps, got a strength coach and joined an AAU travel team which changed my game.”
Earning his starting spot on the floor was not enough for Rebec, he wanted more.
“Anywhere that I could play, I would play,” Rebec said. “I couldn’t sleep knowing that there was probably someone else out there working harder than me.”
Rebec’s work ethic led him to compete for a spot on an Adidas team where he was one of the 15 selected out of 150 players to play on the summer squad.
“There were guys going off two feet, in between the legs, windmill dunks and I was just in there playing with house money,” Rebec said. “I ended up shooting the air out of the ball and performing well in all the drills and made the team, which I played on for the summer. Playing with some of the best players in the world, I was able to develop my game astronomically.”
Rebec was a star player his junior and senior year, making it to the district finals his final year. As evidence of his drive to become the best, Rebec was awarded most improved player both years. Seeking to continue his growth, Rebec began his search for a college program to commit to.
“After my senior season I started emailing schools and got about 17 offers, and a couple scholarships in there,” Rebec said. “William Jewell stuck out because I have family in the area that have been donors for about 50 years so it all ended up working out nicely.”
Upon visiting William Jewell College, Rebec said his perspective on basketball entirely changed.
“There were some of the best D2 players in the country there, and they are just so humble and nice,” Rebec said. “It really opened my eyes because I used to be super arrogant and always think I was better than everyone, but after going there I realized that you can be really good while still being humble and acting like a nobody. This made me change my old ways and is so much more rewarding.”
Now officially committed to William Jewell College, Rebec said he aims to continue his trajectory of progression at the next level.
“There are three types of people: there’s people who like basketball, people who love basketball and people who are obsessed with basketball,” Rebec said. “Only the people who are obsessed with basketball will be great, and I’m obsessed with the game.”
Senior Allie Wright, who has played tennis since childhood, has committed to Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina. Wright said the achievement is more than just a dream come true.
“It was always my dream when I was little to become a professional,” Wright said. “I wanted to play for a D2 or D1 school because my dad played D2 baseball and basketball, so I felt like I needed to match him and get to his level.”
Wright’s tennis journey began when she was young, hitting with her mother, a tennis coach. Playing daily, Wright said she quickly developed a love for the sport. Her passion led her to join the Kiwi Tennis Club’s junior program.
“Unlike my previous training, Kiwi introduced me to match play and preparing for tournaments,” Wright said.
She continued to advance her game at Kiwi, competing in various tournaments. Wright joined the varsity tennis team in seventh grade and played varsity and club tennis until stepping away from school competition to focus on club recruitment.
“I was looking at lists of colleges, looking at the girls on the teams thinking, ‘Could I play at this level?’” Wright said. “I had some colleges reach out to me, but with Belmont Abbey, we were emailing a little bit, and then they invited me down. I stayed with the girls on the team and spent the day with them.”
Belmont Abbey College is an NCAA Division II school. The women’s tennis team finished fifth in the Conference Carolinas during the 2024–25 season. After her visit, Wright said she knew it was the right fit.
“I really just fell in love with the area,” she said. “The coaches basically gave me my offer while I was there, and I accepted it a week later.”
Wright said signing day at school meant more than just officially committing to play Division II tennis.
“I was so appreciative of everyone that came,” Wright said. “I love my friends and their support filled me with so much happiness.”
Living out her elementary school dreams, senior Nicole Riopelle has committed to Florida Southern College as the most decorated female swimmer in school history.
“Signing that paper was surreal,” Riopelle said. “I worked so hard for that moment, and to see it physically and have it be real — not just in my head or in talks with coaches — it was emotional.”
Riopelle’s journey began with infant swimming lessons and developed into a passion when she joined a summer swim team called the Makos.
“Joining the summer team in fourth grade was just my foot in the door as to what swimming was and where I could potentially go,” Riopelle said. “I really enjoyed that summer, so I decided to join a year-round team.”
Swimming year-round for the Brevard Breakers, Riopelle said she began to recognize her potential.
“On the Breakers, I was able to realize what I was capable of,” she said. “I got to meet real professional coaches and see what kind of meets are out there while starting to qualify for things.”
After coming to West Shore, Riopelle continued to swim with her new club, the Roco Rockets, while also competing for the school team. Since then, she has set four school records and attended seven state finals. Riopelle’s drive and determination led her to sign with Florida Southern College.
“Florida Southern just felt like home,” she said. “The coaches are amazing — they made me feel welcomed and excited for the future. It’s not just a school, it’s a community, and I could see myself growing there — not just as a swimmer, but as a person.”
For Riopelle, committing to Florida Southern as the most decorated female swimmer in school history is more than just fulfilling a dream.
“It made every early morning and tough practice feel worth it,” she said. “I had worked so hard for that moment, and to have it be real — not just in my head or in talks with coaches — it was emotional. I remember just sitting there after and thinking, ‘This is it. I’m going.’”