Six of our graduating students have officially committed to playing their sports at the collegiate level—a feat achieved by only 7% of high school athletes nationwide. Reaching this milestone requires more than just talent; it takes years of hard work, sacrifice, and an unwavering passion for the game.

During our recent Senior Signing Day celebration, with friends and families in attendance, Coach Eliot Smith posed questions to these seniors about their time at LWHS and the new chapters ahead. Their reflections prove that the most valuable part of the journey isn't the final score, but the character built along the way. Here is some of what they had to share:

Lauryn L. '26 — “I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned throughout my journey is that you have to make mistakes, you’re going to fail. I feel like that’s all part of the process; my main advice is to trust the process.” 

Lauryn will play basketball at Occidental College.

Maxine H. '26 — “Improvement is not a steady slope. There are going to be days you do really bad; there’s going to be an entire season when you do really bad. But you have to keep pushing through it and realize you’re not going to get better until you’ve had that day.”

Maxine will play volleyball at Macalester College. 

Lizzi B. '26 — “The biggest lesson I’ve learned at Lick is definitely that when things get really hard, that’s when you get to see yourself push through it, and I feel like that’s the biggest reward: being able to achieve something you didn't think you could, and pushing through the hard times.”

Lizzi will play volleyball at Colorado College.

Austin S. '26 — “Something that was big for me was taking classes that I knew I would have fun showing up to everyday and building good relationships with my teachers, because we’ve all had classes where you don’t really want to show up, and that makes that day, or that homework so much harder. So building good relationships with your teachers and taking classes you enjoy learning in are definitely ways to get through it.”

Austin will play basketball at Occidental College.

Ella M. '26 — “Trust the process but also learn how to enjoy the process. If you aren’t having fun, all the sacrifices aren’t going to feel as worth it.. I’m excited for the new community and especially the new routine I’m going to have. It’s very exciting to be able to step out of my comfort zone and see how far I can go.” 

Ella will run Cross Country & Track at Vanderbilt University.

Ana C. '26 — “Take time for yourself because things can get really overwhelming. Surround yourself with people who can support you, because asking for help isn’t always easy, but is very necessary in the process. I’m excited to push myself, learn new things about myself, and compete at the highest level I can.”

Ana will row crew at Princeton University.

We are incredibly proud of these six students for putting their feet in the circle and competing with heart. Congratulations to Ana, Ella, Austin, Lauryn, Lizzi, and Maxine!