Many high school athletes dream of competing at the collegiate level. Of the eight million students that play high school sports, fewer than five hundred thousand will have the chance to play in college. As the Sixth Form completes their time on the Circle, a small handful of Groton standouts are planning to continue to compete next year. Here is a look at nine seniors that plan to hope to make a meaningful contribution in their first-year campaigns:

Tyler Forbes (Lacrosse): Tyler will be playing lacrosse next year at Middlebury College. Middlebury’s lacrosse team had an up-and-down season last year, finishing 9-9. However, they made it to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Finals, where they lost 8-9 to a powerful Wesleyan. This year, the Middlebury Panthers are currently 9-7 and sixth in the NESCAC. Tyler is a captain of the Groton lacrosse team and has been a valuable player throughout his career. Sports media outlet Inside Lacrosse praised his shooting ability, and wrote that he “demonstrates the ability to quarterback and lead a very young offense.” Forbes hopes to bolster a strong Middlebury team and make an early impact as a freshman.

Alyna Baharozian (Basketball): Next year, Alyna will playing basketball at Middlebury College. The Middlebury women’s basketball team is finishing their season 17-5, having lost 62-63 to Wesleyan in the NESCAC quarterfinals. The NESCAC is a notable powerhouse in Division III basketball, featuring many strong teams including that of Amherst College (33-0 this season). Alyna was a standout for Groton throughout her career. She delivered two buzzer-beater defeats of Groton’s rival St. Mark’s in her sophomore and senior years. The most recent buzzer-beater was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter with an interview. While she will be missed by our Athletics Department, she will undoubtedly be a strong contributor to a talented Middlebury squad.

Richie Santry (Crew): Richie will attend Dartmouth College next fall where he will row crew. Dartmouth’s crew team is a perennial powerhouse with a storied history and a very strong team. The Big Green, as the school is commonly called, has succeeded in recent Head of the Charles regattas. In addition, Dartmouth bested heavyweights Columbia, MIT, and Georgetown during their season. Richie rows on Groton’s first boat and is a captain of the boys crew team. Having rowed for four years in the competitive ISL, Richie has a great foundation and is poised to be a difference maker at Dartmouth..

Noah Aaron (Football): Noah will be playing football at Yale University. Yale had an excellent season last year, compiling a record of 9-1, including a lopsided 24-3 victory over rival Harvard. Their only loss was to Dartmouth, 27-28, who made a stunning comeback after Yale led 24-7 at halftime. Noah plays wide receiver and defensive back for Groton. In addition, he served as captain for both the football and basketball teams. Leading the team with expertise and grit throughout a 4-4 season, Noah was selected to the All-ISL team as a junior and senior.

Mary Sabatelle (Lacrosse): Mary will be playing lacrosse next year at the University of Hartford. This spring was the  inaugural season for Hartford’s women’s lacrosse program. As one might expect, their debut year was a tough one, ending with a 1-12 record overall including an 0-7 finish in the America East. Mary is a defender on the girls varsity lacrosse team. She is also a dual-sport threat, and served as a captain on the girls varsity basketball team. In her Athlete of the Week nomination, coach Annie Kandel praised Mary’s leadership skills and work ethic. Mary looks to help create a winning team as University of Hartford launches their sophomore season.

Angelina Joyce (Hockey): Angelina will be playing hockey next season at Bowdoin College. Bowdoin had a roller coaster of a season, finishing 13-9-3 and losing to Hamilton in the NESCAC semifinals. Bowdoin’s team consists of numerous prep school graduates, including players from Nobles, Deerfield and St. Paul’s, among others. Angelina led the girls varsity hockey team to a respectable 10-12-1 in the tough ISL, where she earned All-ISL Honorable Mention. Angelina was team captain along with Layne McKeown and Min Shin ’18.

Cam Schmitt (Hockey): Cam will play hockey at Babson College in the upcoming winter. Babson had a very good season last year, finishing 15-9- 3 before losing to Hobart 2-3 in the New England Hockey Conference semifinals. Notably, Matt Pompa ‘14 is the goaltender for the Babson Beavers. Cam led the boys varsity hockey to a solid 11-12-3 record as team captain. He was selected to the All-ISL Eberhart team for his stellar defensive play.

Joe Collins (Basketball): Joe will continue his basketball career at Bates College. Bates finished this year with a record of 12-12. They finished ninth in a very competitive and logjammed NESCAC, only three games out of first place. Joe led the Groton team this season through an injury-plagued rebuilding year in the competitive ISL. Joe served as team captain along with Noah and Garvel Cassamajor ‘18. He impressively reached the 1,000-point mark.

Greg Segal (Football): Attending McGill University next year, Greg will return to his home country of Canada for his college education. McGill suffered a tough season last year, finishing 1-7. The Redmen finished fifth in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), a Canadian student sport federation. McGill is notable for producing Canadian NFL talent with alumni such as Kansas City Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. This year, Greg led the Groton team as quarterback, inspiring his teammates with his leadership and passing ability. Greg was chosen for the All-ISL team, one of three Groton players selected.

Nine great athletes. Nine competitors that all will look to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level in the 2018-2019 season. We have been fortunate to have the chance to watch them complete and lead, and we will be rooting for their ongoing success as they graduate to the next level of competition.