Eight Arroyo Grande athletes sign National Letters of Intent
Trent Schachter never imagined this day would come. Just two years after the Arroyo Grande HIgh School senior started to swim competitively, Schachter – alongside seven other Eagles athletes Thursday – signed a National Letter of Intent inside the school’s gym to compete at the college level.
“I want to thank (swim coach) Russell Peterson because swimming in college wasn’t even on my radar freshman year, but you got me here, so thank you,” Schachter, who will swim at LSU, said to the large group of family and friends gathered in the gym.
A standout junior season in which he placed in the top five in the 100 fly and 200 free at the CIF-Southern Section meet, set school records in the 200 free, 100 fly, 100 back and as part of the 400 free relay team, earned him looks from a number of schools. In the end, Schachter – The Tribune’s County Swimmer of Year last spring – couldn’t turn down the SEC squad currently ranked No. 17 in the nation.
“You cant compare it to anywhere else,” Schachter said before the ceremonial signing. “The team itself, the facilities, academics and the culture, ust everything about it is really cool. It was just everything I wanted.”
Schachter, whose sister swam for Tulane University just down the road in New Orleans, said he expects to swim in the freestyle and butterfly events when he arrives in Baton Rouge.
Football Friends
On the long table filled with athletes, Arroyo Grande football standouts Sam Ness and Matt Sill wore identical maroon and gold shirts Thursday.
The teammates who trained and played football together through their youth will continue to play together next season, even though they will attend different schools. Ness, a senior linebacker, signed with Harvey Mudd, while Sill, the Eagles’ top wide receiver this season, signed with Claremont McKenna. The Division III football team combines under a three-school collective known as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS).
Ness, who received an early offer from Cornell, said he ultimately decided he wanted to stay on the West Coast after experiencing a hot and humid East Coast summer. In Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna, the friends will attend two of the top 20 liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. It’s an added bonus to play with a high school teammate.
“It was super cool. It was a good surprise,” Ness said. “We won’t be going to the same school, but it’s literally like a three-minute walk to his dorm.”
The two will take the field together, possibly for the last time, when Arroyo Grande takes on Westlake in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs Friday.
Other Signings
A diverse group of seniors made up the rest of the Arroyo Grande athletes who signed Thursday.
The Tribune’s 2015 County Golfer of the Year, Jack Avrit, signed with Santa Clara, 2015 County Swimmer of the Year Hannah Parson signed with Cal Baptist, soccer player Cate Boller signed with Cal Lutheran, and softball players Kacie Burger and Julie Lewis signed with Colorado Christian and Iowa State, respectively.
“It was insane. It happened really fast. Never saw myself going to Iowa,” Lewis said of the recruiting process. But following a trip to Ames, the pitcher chose ISU over California State Monterey Bay and Toledo.
Avritt said he chose Santa Clara over Rice and expects to compete for a starting spot when he joins the team next year.
This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Eight Arroyo Grande athletes sign National Letters of Intent."