14 Owatonna Athletes Make College Sports Commitments

Owatonna Activities Director Ryan Swanson said he believed it was a record-setting day at OHS as 14 athletes and their families and friends gathered to recognize their commitments to college sports teams. The afternoon had the feel of a pep rally as the student-athletes were introduced two-by-two to sign their Letter of Intent and get a round of applause.

Athletes signed to all three levels on NCAA sports. Peyton Robb will wrestle for the Division I South Dakota State and major in exercise science. Four made Division II commitments. Tucker Alstead will attend St. Cloud State, play baseball and study criminal justice. Terrell Connor will play football at the University of Sioux Falls and study business. Sydney Schultz recently decided to play basketball at Concordia of St. Paul with a major in biology. Sarah Spears will play soccer at Southwest Minnesota State while pursuing exercise science.

Nine OHS athletes Wednesday confirmed their Division III plans. Margo Achterkirch will play soccer and run track at St. Bendict and study nursing within the ROTC program. Sophie Amundson is one of several students going to Wisconsin-Lacrosse, where she will play soccer and take a pre-physical therapy path. Jamie Davison will play hockey at Wisconsin-Superior and study biology.

Jacob Dub will play lacrosse at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul and study criminology and linguistics. Braeden Meier will also play lacrosse while attending Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio and studying business. Zach Mensink will play football for Lacrosse and study business.

Ben Stelter will swim for Lacrosse and study bio-chemistry. Kenna West will play soccer at Gustavus Adolphus College with an education major and business minor. Jenna Zeman will play basketball at Wisconsin-River Falls and is undecided on her major.

The ceremony also included the presentation of the Gatorade Player of the Year award to junior Jason Williamson by OHS football coach Jeff Williams, who pointed out that his father, former Rochester John Marshall coach Snuffy Williams, presented the first-ever such award to Darrell Thompson in 1985. Williamson is just the second junior to earn the honor and has committed to the University of Minnesota.