From early morning practices to out-of-state tournaments, six amazing senior athletes, Sophia Tovar, Jacqueline Ward, Charlotte Rodriguez, Lily Waggoner, Ava McGarry, and Mika Kaneko-Grun, are officially taking their talents to the collegiate level. Whether their next chapter leads them to the beaches of Hawaii or the streets of England, each athlete has earned these opportunities through years of hard work, sacrifice, and determination.
Sophia Tovar will continue her soccer career at University of Texas at El Paso while majoring in Biomedical Sciences. Tovar said the path to becoming a Division I athlete was far from easy.
“I think it’s hard because some people don’t understand what we have to sacrifice,” she said.
From losing friends to missing events, Tovar’s dedication to soccer was costly, as she shared that the journey demanded tough choices. “I needed to put myself first over others,” she explained. Still, every sacrifice paid off the moment she committed, calling it “one of the best feelings.”
Now, Tovar is looking forward to new adventures and offered advice to younger athletes chasing the same dream: “If you want to make it to the college level, you have to have a strong mindset, and you have to be able to respond to criticism,” she said. “Just take care of yourself. Balance things.”
Jacqueline Ward has committed to rowing at University of Tennessee while majoring in Sports Management. Over the past four years, Ward balanced academics, athletics, with early mornings on the water. Her dedication reflects years of discipline and determination, and she now looks forward to trading high school regattas for SEC competition. GO VOLS!
Charlotte Rodriguez will continue her soccer career at University of Hawaii at Hilo while majoring in Communications. Rodriguez said she first became interested in college athletics after training with older players who talked about recruitment. “I looked up to that,” she said.
When searching for the right college, Rodriguez had a clear vision: warm weather and beach views. “Hawaii checked all those boxes,” she said. Like Tovar, Rodriguez’s commitment to athletics often meant missing events and weekends with friends. However, Rodriguez said the moment she committed made everything worth it. “It felt like all my hard work paid off.”
Lily Waggoner will continue her water polo career at Marist University. Wagoner’s dedication reflects the persistence and time management needed to succeed as a student-athlete. As she heads to the collegiate level, her hard work shows that dedication in the pool can open doors far beyond it. GO RED FOXES!
Ava McGarry has committed to play soccer at Santa Barbara City College while majoring in Economics. McGarry’s achievement is the result of years of hard-work, balancing school, and staying committed through every practice, game, and workout. She now looks forward to continuing her growth both on the field and in the classroom.
Mika Kaneko-Grun will continue playing soccer at University of Gloucestershire while majoring in Architecture. Taking on both collegiate athletics and a rigorous academic program, she now prepares to swap local fields for international opportunities as she begins her next chapter overseas, even rejoining her sister Sachi Kaneko-Grun ‘24.
These senior commits leave behind more than stats and highlight reels, they leave a legacy of perseverance, school pride, and countless hours of hard work. While their high school careers may be ending, they are only getting started!
