By Moses Leos III.
Amid friends, family, coaches and teammates, three Hays High athletes signed their names to continue playing into college on Wednesday.
Jill Borreson, basketball, Sydney Pareadeaux, volleyball, and Tyler Woodmansee, baseball, will play Division I
Hays volleyball player Sydney Paradeaux signed her letter of intent to play for Texas State University on Nov. 13, where she will receive a full scholarship. Pictured are Paradeaux’s coaches, who are (top row, left to right) Allison Castillo, Melissa Griffin, Emily Herrin and (bottom row) head coach Erica Walther. (Photos by Moses Leos III) | |
Hays baseball pitcher Tyler Woodmansee (right) poses with head baseball coach David Null during signing day on Nov. 13. Woodmansee signed on to continue his baseball career at Texas A&M University in College Station. | |
Hays High basketball player Jill Borreson (center, bottom row) signed on to play for Columbia University in New York. Joining her was (top row, left to right) are siblings Colin and Brooke Borreson and (bottom row) parents Paul and Diane Borreson. |
sports at the collegiate level.
Borreson will attend the Ivy League school Columbia (NY) University. She said she worked hard on her SAT scores to gain acceptance.
“I’m so unbelievably humbled that I get to attend a university like [Columbia],” she said. “It’s a chance of a lifetime.”
She will continue her career under the tutelage of new head coach Stephanie Glance. Borreson was impressed by Glance’s optimism.
“She is very convincing when she says she’s going to win,” Borreson said. “I want be part of [her program], because I think she is going to win championships.”
Paradeaux will continue her career at Texas State, where she signed a full-ride scholarship. She will be under the guidance of Karen Chisum, who is the sixth winingest coach in Division I volleyball.
The Hays volleyball standout was excited to see her career stay close to home. It was one of the mitigating factors in her decision.
“It’s a blessing to sign a scholarship with Texas State,” Paradeaux said. “[Staying close to home] was one of the big main reasons [for choosing Texas State]. I like to be around my family.”
Paradeaux said she looks to study animal science. She finished her career at Hays with 1,584 kills, 1,087 digs, 133 blocks and 187 aces in 327 total sets played.
Woodmansee signed to play baseball at Texas A&M, which is part of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
He will work under current head coach Rob Childress, who has guided the Aggies to six straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the College World Series in 2011.
Getting to this day was a surprise for Woodmansee and his family. With other schools looking at him, including Texas State, he did not believe the Aggies would extend him an offer. The excitement of the moment left him somewhat speechless.
“I wasn’t really expecting an offer from (Texas A&M),” he said. “I never dreamed of going to such a great college, let alone an SEC school.”
Wodmansee said he plans to major either in accounting or business administration while in College Station. But now he eyes the chance to continue his career while in Aggieland next spring.
“Next year, it’d be awesome to show what I can do,” Woodmansee said.
