Out of this year’s five seniors on the Wayne Valley boys lacrosse team, four are committed to play at the next level. We caught up with three of these student athletes to talk about their commitments, and what their processes were like in being recruited to play in college.
The first of the seniors we talked with, is Ryan Schmitz, a senior Midfielder, who is committed to play at Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA. In his junior year, he earned: First Team All-County, First Team All-League, and was named Honorable Mention All-State. When asked about why he chose Muhlenberg, Schmitz stated, “I really just felt a great connection with the coaching staff and team, and the academics with the level of lacrosse is great.” Schmitz added, “the distance is definitely a bonus, and the feeling of team comradery.”
Our next player is Jason Sykes, a senior attackman. According to NJ.com, Sykes managed a total of 21 goals and 12 assists during his junior year at Valley. Sykes looks forward to continuing academic and athletic careers at Georgian Court University, in Lakewood, NJ.
Jakob Kirz is a Senior Defenseman. In his junior year, Kirz was named Second team all-county. He committed to Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA where he plans to continue his lacrosse career as a Defenseman. Kirz explained,“I think that the recruiting process is tough but you have to just take a step back sometimes and enjoy the process and being able to see so many different colleges and get help through the college decision process.”
The next player we spoke with is Colin Daroch, a senior Goalie, committed to Ursinus College, in Collegeville, PA. Colin earned First Team All-County, First Team All-League, Second Team All-North Jersey, and Honorable Mention All-State in his Junior Season. Daroch said that the most difficult part of his recruiting process was the decision process of picking a school that was best for him in all aspects. Additionally Daroch added, “If you are looking to play in college, individual events like showcases are really good to get exposure, and help show how you play outside your normal team.”