Within the upcoming 2013 graduating class of Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School, many seniors plan to continue playing a sport at the next level as a Varsity Athlete in college. At the current time, these seniors are: Alexandra Cimino, Connor Carlstrom, Rebecca Fasano, Ryan Galloway, and Kenneth Reilly.
Galloway, Carlstrom, and Reilly each plan to further their football career in college. Cimino will be pursuing her winter and spring Track and Field career at the next level, while Fasano will be continuing her soccer career in college.
Cimino has committed to the Division I University of Maryland Track and Field team in which she hopes to continue to excel in the 400 Meter Sprint, Intermediate Hurdles, and 100 Meter Hurdles. She also has high hopes of running in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, in which the Maryland coach was last year’s United States Olympic Track team coach. Before Cimino’s freshman year of high school, she planned on focusing on soccer and the arts: she said, “I never imagined or planned on excelling at track. Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without it.” Cimino is still considering her decision on what she wishes to major in, and is undecided on whether to pursue bioengineering, business, or social work.
Carlstrom will be pursuing his athletic career on the Division III Wilkes University Football team as a linebacker. He has been playing football since second grade as a Falcon, and he has always known that he wanted to pursue his football career in college at a Division III school, where he would have the most amount of playing time. He said, “My coaches have always been there to add to my passion for football, and my parents have always been great supporters of the sport. I couldn’t imagine football not being a part of my life.” Carlstrom will be working towards a degree in engineering.
Fasano will be attending Rowan University to play Women’s soccer at the NCAA Division III level as a defensive back. Fasano’s love for the sport has grown each year since her freshman year in high school, where she started on varsity. She said, “Soccer is something that I love dearly. I couldn’t picture myself not playing it, especially in college.” Not only does the sport help Fasano stay active, but it also allows her to stay organized and stay on task in general. She is excited to play soccer at the next level because “everyone has the same passion.” Fasano is currently undecided on what she wants to major in, but she hopes that her first year at Rowan will open up her eyes to new things and new passions.
While Galloway is still undecided on which college he will be attending to play football, he is deciding between University of Maine, Rowan, and University of Delaware. Galloway has been playing football since third grade, and he hopes to continue his position as a running back. He said, “I can’t imagine my life without football; every summer and off season was spent on football, and every Friday in fall was spent looking forward to play that night.” Galloway is also undecided on his major, although he is considering health studies.
Reilly plans on attending Pace University in Westchester and will be playing on the Division II level football team as a defensive back. While he loves the sport, he said, “Football has taught me responsibility and lessons regarding hard work—lessons that expand outside of the world on athleticism.” Reilly hopes to become a better athlete while working hard at the next level. While he is not entirely sure on which path he wants to follow regarding majors and his career, he is leaning towards the accounting field.
Although these few elite players are moving on to the challenging world of college sports, many other seniors at Westwood High School will be joining club and intramural sports—enjoying their time at college while being a part of a sports team.