Buhach Colony High School celebrated four of its athletes as they signed their national letter of intent to accept athletic scholarships during a ceremony in the new stadium on Monday night. Family, friends, teammates, coaches and staff were on hand to share the special moment with Thunder seniors Taylor Martin, Chisa Wood, Carter Chapman and Pedro Ramirez.

 

Making her college choice official and sharing it with friends and teammates made for a memorable moment for Martin, a Thunder track star headed to Stanislaus State. “It’s very special, it was a milestone, for sure,” Martin said. “I'll never forget this. I love that we did it all together, because it really recognizes athletes at Buhach, and I feel like they haven't done this in the past. I think it's cool to do it together, because we all have different stories. We all have different points in our lives when we chose our sport, and I think it's very cool to do it together.”

 

Chapman is headed to UC Irvine on a track scholarship. Wood will play soccer at U.C. Merced and Ramirez will play football at Azusa Pacific University. Coaches, parents and the athletes all took their turn at the podium to speak to the crowd during the ceremony. “We’re all supportive of each other,” Chapman said. “Buhach is just a good school and all the athletes support each other.”

Ramirez played his senior year at Buhach Colony with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. When he visited Azusa Pacific he felt a connection with former Merced High coach Mark Speckman, who is the offensive coordinator at Azusa Pacific. He liked that the coaches were willing to be patient with his recovery from the knee injury. “Azusa was caring with me,” said Ramirez, who plans to major in kinesiology. “They were going to take their time and medical redshirt me. They are going to get me back to where I was before and that’s what I like.”

 

Ramirez had another school interested in him in the midwest but staying closer to home in California played a role in his decision. 

Chapman didn’t know if college athletics would be in his future but U.C. Irvine came into the picture for track. “They have very strong academics, and they have a good track program that can develop me as a person,” said Chapman, who plans to major in biology. “It’s a D1 program, they're a good program, they're competitive, they're helpful, they're encouraging, it’s just a great overall program and school as well.”

 

Chapman says it’s nice knowing what his immediate future looks like. “I’m happy and relieved that the next four years are certain and I don’t have to wonder where I’m going to go,” he said.

Wood said it was overwhelming seeing all the people who showed up to share her moment. “It's been a dream of mine and it's just crazy to me, I’m so excited to be able to play soccer at the next level,” said Wood, who plans on majoring in literature at U.C. Merced. “I’m so happy to see everyone here that showed up. I've never felt so loved in my life.”

 

Wood helped lead the Thunder to their first Central California Conference championship in school history this past winter. She said it’s going to be an extra bonus that she’s staying close to home and her family can watch her games. Wood can also now focus on the rest of the track season this spring without the stress of choosing her college weighing over her.

 

“It's kind of a relief, you know, the recruiting process can be really hard and difficult and unsure,” Wood said. “But now having signed, knowing where I'm going, knowing what I'm going to do, I’m really happy.”

Like Wood and Chapman, Martin is a multi-sport athlete who chose track over volleyball and soccer. “It really took just choosing what was best for me, what I enjoyed the most,” Martin said. “And although I enjoyed all three, I chose track, ultimately, because I met the best people I've ever met. And it just really was good for my body, physically and mentally, track just kind of resets my brain.”

 

Martin plans to major in biology at Stanislaus State and she ultimately chose the Turlock campus because she felt at home there. “Stan was the choice for me, because it ultimately came down to where I was most comfortable and what program I wanted to be married to for four years, and the other schools that I visited just didn't do that for me,” Martin said. “Stanislaus really felt like home.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.