Continuing On

continuing By Becka Bash, Feature Editor on

Whether they are played in the gym, the pool, on the course, or anywhere else, something a vast majority of high school sports have in common is the ability to play them at the collegiate level. Many students at ZCHS in the past have gone on to play for colleges and that trend is not slowing down this year at all. Across the school students have been working on finding the perfect school for them to play for when they start college.

Lauren Kaltenmark

Senior Lauren Kaltenmark swings her club at a golf meet. photo by Kailee Rockers Senior Lauren Kaltenmark has been golfing since middle school, when she was on the Zionsville West Middle School girls golf team. When she got to high school, she started her golf career as a freshman playing on the varsity team. The team went on to win state the year she joined and were the runner ups her sophomore year. “Golf is a way to escape from school and life and for me to have fun with the people I play with and it’s a way to meet new people and see new places,” Kaltenmark said. Kaltenmark is planning on continuing her golf career in college and has been going through the recruitment process. She started last fall by talking to colleges about things like her golf swing and GPA, as well as the schools they coach at, so she could begin learning about her different options for schools. Her recruitment process has been changed though as a result of the pandemic. “It’s just been different in the sense I can’t visit the colleges or get to meet coaches, but I can still email them and communicate via zooms, text, etc.. but it’s hard to actually get

a grasp on the school when you can’t actually visit,” Kaltenmark said. Students across the country are affected by the “dead period” in which students cannot meet with coaches face to face, only on zoom or through messages. “The NCAA D1 council just extended its recruiting dead period through Sept. 30 which pushes the ability for recruits to visit college campuses in official or unofficial manners for at least another month. The dead period has been in place since the NCAA announced the cancellation of winter sports championships last March,” Athletic Director Greg Schellhase said. As a result, people have had to work to change methods of recruitment. “Coaches are relying more on scouting services, video highlights, social media and game film more than ever before,” Schellhase said. “It is more important than ever that our high school student-athletes are proactive in selling themselves and putting together skills videos that highlight their abilities and workouts in their respective sport.” So far, Kaltenmark’s favorite school has been SCAD because she thought the team seemed very connected and had a positive energy that she really liked. “The important thing for me in a school is first the program I’m looking for. I want to go to a school that would best fit my program and will help me be successful once I graduate college. Then I look at the team and the coaches to make sure it’s a good fit for me,” Kaltenmark said. Kaltenmark hasn’t yet selected a school to attend in the fall, but is on the hunt and excited to start her golf career in college. “I am most excited to be a part of a new team with amazing girls and to also play new courses as well,” Kaltenmark said.

Senior Elyse Heiser proudly poses with her Indiana University sweatshirt. photo provided by Elyse Heiser

Katey Richason

Elyse Heiser started her swim career as a six year old on an Azionaqua swim team. She joined the Zionsville Swim Club two years later and has been at Zionsville swimming ever since. “Swim means everything to me. I have had the best and worst moments of my life through swimming. I’ve met my best friends through this sport and it has greatly impacted my life. Swimming has given me so much in my life,” Heiser said. In her junior year, Heiser was able to verbally commit to Indiana University to further her swim career and will officially be signing on October 17 of this year. Her recruiting process began in June following her sophomore year when she was contacted by school to talk about their programs. “I talked with around 10 schools I was interested in but then narrowed them down to instate schools because I figured out in the process that I wanted to stay closer to home. After visiting Purdue, Notre Dame, and IU, I had finally found a team that felt like family and a campus that felt like home, at IU,” Heiser said. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Heiser wasn’t able to get to the pool the past few months the way she has been used to. “I amped up my weight training and Katey Richason’s recruitment process started when she was in eighth grade, and she verbally committed to Miami University last year in the fall. She will begin attending in fall of 2021. Richason said many factors go into choosing a college as an athlete, including your major, the campus, school population, opinions of former players, and the coaches. “Deciding on your future as a junior in high school is tough, but it really comes down to the team chemistry because you are going to be spending 90% of your time with them,” Richason said. Since Richason had already been recruited and had verbally committed last fall, her recruitment process was luckily not affected by Covid. “The recruitment process is pretty much in the athletes’ hands for girls basketball players from the beginning all the way until Sept. 1 of your junior year when the college coaches can call you back,” Richason said. It’s a very stressful process in the beginning when you’re learning.” Richason started playing basketball when she was in second grade. physically got stronger but mentally I wasn’t doing too well. Not being able to swim was really tough on me because it’s the one thing I could do that didn’t cause much stress in my life,” Heiser said. Heiser is looking forward to starting her career at IU in the fall of 2021. “I am most excited to have a team that I can call a family,” Heiser said. “I’m so excited to go through tough practices and weight training with my teammates but also have the bonding experiences that I know will make these people my friends for the rest of my life.”

Senior Elyse Heiser attends a swim practice in October of 2019. photo by Payton

Burney “I knew it was the sport for me because I was always taller than my teammates. That helps a lot for a basketball player,” Richason said. “Once I started high school I definitely knew I wanted to continue because I enjoyed it so much and I saw my sister go through it as well.”

ZCHS Moments Show Choir Camp Homecoming Court

Presley Beck, 12, practices a dance during RoyStanding with her parents, Lindsey Fletcher, 12, alaires camp, which took place on July 24, 25, 28, cries after being crowned Homecoming Queen. and 29. “We have to wear masks while we sing photo by Ruth Cronin and dance, which makes it very challenging, but I still enjoy being able to have the opportunity to Boys Soccer perform with my friends,” Beck said. In the varsity soccer game against Avon on Sept. photo by Ruth Cronin 19, Charlie Wagner, 12, circles the ball. “We are very thankful to have a season right now, and are Marching Eagles Drum Line doing our best to make the most out of it,” Wagner Alex Fulkerson, 12, Tyler Barnett, 11, and Ian Hedgsaid. er, 12, perform their show during the football game photo by Elizabeth Rexing on Aug. 28. “I was pretty disappointed when I Powder Throw found our that we would not be having a compeThe ZCHS student section organizes a powder tition season this year. It is a lot less motivating throw during halftime of the Homecoming football without competitions, but we still need to get better game against Noblesville on Sept. 18. for next year,” Barnett said. photo by Logan Seiler photo by Logan Seiler