Three Windham High School seniors have signed college athletic letters of intent.
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| Windham seniors Oakley McLeod, left with WHS softball coach Darcey Gardiner join Nealie Morey and Myla Vercoe with WHS track coach Jeff Riddle during a college athletic letter of intent signing at Windham High School. PHOTO BY MATT PASACRELLA |
Their college commitments were made during a ceremony at Windham High School on Wednesday, May 27.
Oakley McLeod
McLeod would like to become a high school teacher and coach after college.
She said wanted to be part of the letter of intent signing because she wanted her family to be there. It really good for McLeod to sign her letter of intent. It’s taken her a lot of hard work and sacrifices, but she’s glad she’s finally completed her signing.
“She keeps things light and entertaining on the field but also has a fire in her that makes her the most competitive person on our softball team,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “She is my utility queen; she has gone from first base to outfield to second base back to first base, over to third base and beyond that, in preseasons I ask her to catch for us. I’ve watched Oakley set goals for herself since the very beginning of her freshman year. Every day since she has put in the time to reach those goals.”
When McLeod was 7, she began playing softball, and by 15 or 16 she knew she wanted to play college softball.
“Athletics have taught me to have fun, not be hard on myself and also love your friends and family,” said McLeod. “I would like to thank my dad, (family), my coaches and my friends.”
Nealie Morey
Morey would like to become a nurse after college. She wanted to participate in this signing to celebrate with everyone that supported her and her accomplishments; she’s proud of herself and the college she is committing to.
“I started track in eighth grade, mainly did high jump,” said Morey. “Track is like no other sport, it’s so welcoming – people say it’s an individual sport, but it’s really a team sport; it’s all done together. I’m really grateful; it’s opened so many doors for me. It’s taught me perseverance, navigating hard things, and what you put into athletics is mainly what you get out of it.”
Windham High track and field coach Jeff Riddle said Morey chose an event, the high jump, that ends in failure. The mental fortitude and capacity to know you are always going to end in failure is unprecedented in the concept of sport. Riddle said Morey was never satisfied and would attend USA Track and Field events in the summer to extend her capacity and push herself more. She’s passionate and takes care as a captain of her team.
She would like to thank Coach Riddle and her friends and family who have always supported her.
Myla Vercoe
“Our job as coaches is to create tremendous opportunity and then push and push and pause and then create more opportunity,” said Riddle. “We have a stellar teammate in Myla who we often put in a position to coach up her fellow teammates, block starts, jumps ... her future is really, really bright both academically and her athletic pursuits.”
Vercoe says she would like to maybe become a geriatric nurse after college.
“This signing pulls everything together as a final event. Everything these athletes and I have worked so hard for, it brings acknowledgement to everything and pulling it all together,” said Vercoe.
She began running track in the eighth grade because a friend of hers didn’t want to do it alone. Vercoe quickly fell in love with the sport and the environment that came with it.
It was a relief for her to complete her college commitment as she felt acknowledged. Her advice to underclassmen is to stay true to what you want, regardless of how difficult things get, believe in yourself and keep persevering.
She would like to thank her mom, her step-dad Johnathan, her siblings and her sister Vienna. <
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