The first national signing day of the 2021-22 school year came and went, and a handful of area runners inked their futures with various colleges around the country.
Iowa State University was the big winner when it comes to KC area runners this year. The Cyclones scooped up three female runners, with one of those officially signing her letter of intent.
Blue Springs South senior Mya Trober, who is less than a week removed from finishing fifth at the Missouri Class 5 state cross country meet, signed with Iowa State on Thursday.
Minutes after the Jaguars celebrated winning their first-ever state championship on Nov. 5, Trober talked about what was her commitment to ISU at the time. She said the Ames, Iowa, campus was an instant fit for her.
“I love Coach Amy (Rudolph),” Trober said. “She was very inviting to me. The first time I talked to her, I thought this is where I want to do. It was the only visit I went on. I clicked with the team, and it seems like a super good environment and one I think I’ll go far it.
“I’m super excited. It’s fun that I’l have a new chapter of life ahead of me, but I’m just trying to enjoy the moment right now.”
Two other area runners are committed to the Cyclones. Kaylee Tobaben, of Olathe North, and Makayla Clark, of Lee’s Summit West, will be signing with the Cyclones in the next two weeks.
Tobaben finished fifth at the Kansas 6A state meet this fall. Clark placed 18th, but won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs last spring at the state track meet.
Trober wasn’t the only Jaguar to sign a letter of intent this week. Amy Woolsey is headed to the east coast, as she signed with Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Woolsey was the fourth Jaguar to finish at the state meet. She finished 35th overall, helping the team win the state title.
Here are a list of other signees or runners who committed to continue their athletic and academic careers:
Drew Atkins, Staley, will be running at Northwest Missouri State. He finished seventh at the state meet last weekend, in a time of 15:33. He set a school record with his time and became the highest-placing Staley runner ever at a state meet.
Adam Ducey, Shawnee Mission North, signed with Missouri Western State in St. Joseph, Missouri. Ducey was the second SM North runner at state, finishing 34th overall.
Ethan Lee, Liberty North, will be staying in state, as well. This year’s state runner-up, who set a personal record by more than 30 seconds with his time of 14:59.7, is going to the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Drew Mason, Blue Valley Northwest, made his decision official when he signed with Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Mason placed 39th at the Kansas Class 6A meet.
Mackenzie Mayer, Eudora, will be competing in track and field for Missouri Southern University in Joplin, Missouri. In addition to being a distance runner for the state champion Cardinals this fall, Mayer finished ninth in the Kansas Class 4A state javelin last spring.
Aidan Reyna, Olathe West, led the Owls this fall with his eighth-place finish at the Kansas 6A state cross country meet. Reyna will be staying in state for college, as he signed with Wichita State University.
Logan Seger, St. Thomas Aquinas, announced his verbal commitment to a Big Ten school shortly after the state meet. Seger committed to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He capped his senior season with individual and team state titles at the Kansas Class 5A meet.
Amanda Seggerman, Liberty, will be continuing her academic and athletic career at Northwest Missouri State University next year. She ended her senior year at Liberty with a 41st place finish at the Missouri Class 5 state meet.
Katherine Soule, Blue Valley West, was the lone representative of the Jaguars as the Kansas Class 6A state meet at the end of last month. Soule placed 17th, earning a state medal. This week, she signed with Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
– story by Jimmy Gillispie
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