Q: What is your earliest memory of playing your sport? Please describe the scene in detail.

A: My earliest memory of playing lacrosse was fourth grade when I first started at CYLC (Carolina Youth Lacrosse Club), and I was playing for Austin Gilmore’s dad, coach Shawn. He introduced me to the game, and I started playing there.

Q: What made you stick with your sport all these years?

A: I found love in the game of lacrosse because it is such a team sport, and you get to use your teammates to score goals. Overall, it’s just a team sport, and I love that about it.

Q: Was there ever a time when you wanted to stop playing your sport? If so, how did you push through?

A: Yes, there have been times where I go to tournaments and people are better than me, and it discourages me. But always remember that you can always get better and not everything is forever. When you go up there the next time, you can just work harder and try to be better.

Q: Who are some of your athletic heroes, people you look up to in your sport? Why do they stand out?

A: I look up to players like Paul Rabil, because he started a whole new brand in the lacrosse community, and he started a whole new league that grows the league bigger each year.

Q: What factors led you to sign with the college/university that you chose? What made that school stand out?

A: Top three things that made me choose Barton College was how close it is to home, the division the school is, and my neighbor went there and he graduated, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Q: What course of study or major do you plan to pursue at your college or university? 

A: I am majoring in business so I can get my MBA in 5 years because that’s what they do at Barton.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most while playing a sport while attending college?

A: I look forward to having a family right away when I join that college because of the lacrosse team. I also am looking forward to having roommates and meeting people I can grow with and get closer to.

Q: What are you anxious about as you transition to attend and play in college? 

A: I am anxious about the level of play at college because it is going to be a lot different than the high school ball that I play right now, and I just need to get ready for that.

Q: What is one thing you would change about your recruiting/signing process and why?

A: One thing I would change would be deciding a school earlier and making that my goal to go to that school. Instead of keeping my options open, I would’ve like to have decided my school earlier and stuck with it.

Q: It is hard for a school to tick all the boxes a student athlete might have. What are some sacrifices you had to make in order to attend your chosen school?  

A: Yes, there are sacrifices you have to take, one of them being around a big city, which is what I really wanted. But when it comes down to it, most cities are by D1 schools and that’s not what I wanted when I committed D2. I knew I wasn’t going to get the biggest city.

Q: What advice would you give to the next class of student athletes who will go through the process of recruitment?

A: I advise to keep your head up. You are probably not going to get an offer on Sept. 1. Those offers are going to keep coming out, so you need to keep grinding and putting in work. You can get an offer early or even senior year when it’s almost over.

Q: What advice would you give to your past self regarding your athletic career? 

A: I would advise myself to start at a younger age. I also would’ve told myself to keep grinding and keep working., instead of stopping for months then getting back to it.

Q: Who are some people you would like to thank for helping you get to where you are today? How did they assist you?

A: I would like to thank all my travel coaches for helping me by bringing me to the best places to get looked at by the colleges. I would like to thank the college coach. He recruited me and found me. I would also like to thank my high school coaches who always pushed me to be better.

Q: What is your favorite memory as a Cougar athlete? 

A: My favorite memory as a Cougar athlete would be when we beat Millbrook after a close game. That bus ride home was amazing.