Tatum Boehnke always wanted to swim Division I, and she wanted to be productive right away.
Boehnke got her wish recently when she signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.
Also moving on to the next level are golfer Jonathan Singer (Adelphi University) and baseball players Brett Valley (Treasure Valley Community College) and Kyle Stone (Feather River College).
A flier in the mail is what attracted Boehnke to Northern Colorado, which has only been a Division I program for a few years.
"I didn't want to be sitting the bench," Boehnke said. "I knew I would fit in well there (after my visit) and I knew I could be competitive. It's a good fit."
Boehnke also visited Youngstown State in Ohio, but decided it was too far from home.
Boehnke's new coach is Kelly McClanahan, and the two haven't met in person yet. They have communicated by phone, however.
McClanahan has Boehnke slated to swim the 100 and 200 butterfly plus the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle races.
"The distance events is where we have the biggest hole," McClanahan said. "She will add depth to both our distance and butterfly events.
"We're going to rely on her to fill the 200 butterfly role. The times I have for her she's strong in the 100 fly. I know in high school she doesn't have the opportunity to swim the 200 fly."
Boehnke embraces the idea of swimming the longer three events, none of which are offered at the high school level.
"I'm not really a high school swimmer," Boehnke said. "I prefer freestyle (and longer distances). A former coach got me into the butterfly. I was pretty decent at it, It's a little more variety."
Singer, the Senators' top golfer the last couple of years, only
considered schools on the East Coast because he has so many relatives there. He looked at several schools before deciding on Division II Adelphi.
"All my family is from back there," said Singer, who also considered Rutgers. "I like the East Coast better than the West Coast. I've spent most of my summers back there.
"My original goal was to go to Maryland. The golf coach left me a message and asked me to stay in touch. I kept playing better, but he didn't stay in touch. I like where I ended up."
Adelphi is an up-and-coming program which is ranked in the top-50 in the country among Division II schools. Singer said that there will be an opportunity to play Division I schools during the season. Adelphi is joining the Northeast 10 Conference.
Singer sent a video of his swing to the Adelphi coaching staff. On his visit, he shot a 78 at Cherry Valley Country Club, which impressed coach Tim McAleer.
"I didn't want to go to a place where I would practice 24-7 to play just my senior year," Singer said. "They have five scholarship players and three non-scholarship players. They are losing two scholarship players, and they brought in me and a freshman from Westchester (New York)."
Right now, Singer's focus is on the upcoming 4A regional tournament which is being held at Thunder Canyon where he is a member.
"It's at my home course, so I have a good shot I feel," Singer said. "I didn't play well at Silver Oak or Eagle Valley (West), and I was only eight shots behind." And, obviously the big prize would be to make it to state as a team or as an individual.
Valley, who has done an outstanding job as the Senators' leadoff hitter and been superb in the field, will journey to Ontario, Oregon and play for Rick Baumann, who coached current Carson High head coach Cody Farnworth for one season.
Baumann likes what Valley brings to the table - speed, versatility and strong character.
"Cody recommended Brett to us," Baumann said. "We brought him in for a visit and had him work out for us. I was impressed with Brett as a person. We see him as a guy who can play infield or outfield; a couple of different positions. I see him playing middle infield, but I think he has the arm strength to play third base, too. We're excited about Brett coming to play for us."
Treasure Valley plays in a wood bat league, but that doesn't bother Valley.
"Over the summer, that's all I hit with," Valley said. "It makes you a better hitter. I'll use wood in practice (sometimes)."
Valley had decided quite a while ago to attend TV, but just signed his letter of intent recently. He said that Baumann has called several times to check on his progress. Valley said he isn't concerned where he plays, he just wants to be on the field. No doubt his versatility will help his chances.
Stone, who has been bothered by injuries to both knees, is excited about going to Feather River, which is currently 37-3 and set to host regionals next week.
"I liked the small town feel when I visited," Stone said. "I liked the coaches. They seem nice and cared about me a lot.
"They are recruiting four middle infielders, and one of them is from Galena. I think I have a very good chance of winning a starting spot. I think shortstop (is where they want me). That's the only thing they've said."
Stone said this has been the most frustrating season of his life."
Last summer, Stone slid into a base and dislocated a kneecap and suffered cartilage damage. While re-habbing the injured knee, he tore cartilage in his other knee. He hasn't played anywhere near full strength this season, and had to miss games occasionally early in the season.
"It's been pretty hard to deal with," Stone aid. "I feel like I'm finally turning the corner."
Terry Baumgartner, FRC coach, said he's not concerned about Stone's knee injuries.
"We like him," Baumgartner said. "We'll keep him healthy.
"I like Kyle for his ability to handle the bat. He can bunt and hit behind the runner. Eight of our nine starters are sophomores, so Kyle would be stepping into a real good situation. Short or second is where he'll play. He's a good kid."