8 Summit girls rugby players commit to playing at the collegiate level

WIth a little over three weeks left in the 2022-23 academic school year,  seniors at Summit High School have officially turned their focus to their senior summer and the start of their freshman year of college.

After winning a 15th straight state rugby title in the fall, eight Summit High School girls rugby players announced their commitment to collegiate rugby programs during an athlete signing event on Tuesday, May 9, in the Summit High School library.

Three athletes signed with Division I or Division II programs, while the remaining five athletes committed to collegiate rugby club teams. 

Among the trio of DI and DII signees, Paola Arredondo officially inked her name to the Ivy League’s Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire; Joselin Roque Lopez signed with DI Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri; and Linda Chavira signed with DII Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.

Pelham Wagenseil signed with Colorado Mesa University’s women’s club rugby team, Katie Mckernan committed to the club team at the University of Oregon, Morgan Fields will be a member of the University of Utah’s women’s club rugby team, Lili Wiethake will join the women’s rugby team at California Polytechnic State University, and Citlali Licea committed to the club rugby team at Grand Canyon University. 

For Arredondo, Lopez and Chavira, the opportunity to pursue their sport at the collegiate level is an exciting opportunity they all hope to make the most of over the next four years.

“It is definitely very exciting and a little intimidating,” Chavira said. “I am excited to see what the game can bring on and all the experiences it is going to continue to give me. I only started playing rugby my junior year here at the high school and started focusing on playing at the collegiate level when I was able to travel to nationals with the team last year.”

Arredondo is especially excited to represent her family. She is a first-generation college student who hopes to excel under the rigorous course load of an Ivy League school. 

“It is something that is really valuable to me because I am a first-generation student,” Arredondo said. “It is something that is unimaginable, and I can’t wait to represent my family in that way.”

Overall all eight girls are excited for what their futures hold.

“I am definitely excited to get better,” Lopez said. “It is going to be tougher and it is going to be harder.”

“It is exciting to be on a team where everybody there has the same motives,” Arredondo said. “Everyone wants to challenge themselves and everybody else equally….