South Kitsap signing day event features diverse group of athletes
PORT ORCHARD -- At one point during Monday's college signing event at South Kitsap High School, a photographer asked coaches to join athletes to gather for a wide-angle shot inside the school's theater. In order to fit everyone in frame, the photographer took several steps backward, being careful not to take a painful plunge off the stage.
The scene spoke to the size of the gathering, which featured 18 student-athletes. It was a diverse group as well: 12 girls and six boys representing nine different sports. The colleges/universities they'll be attending include three NCAA Division I schools, two NCAA Division II schools, four NCAA Division III schools and six community colleges.
"Very proud of my graduating class," wrestler Phil Chobot said. "I've known some of these kids for years. I'm super happy everyone is able to continue their careers."
Chobot, who'll attend Arizona State University, was one of two D-1 wrestlers on the stage. California Baptist University commit Mitchell Neiner was the other. Chobot and Neiner both captured state titles at Mat Classic in February, helping the Wolves finish second in the Class 4A team standings. Neiner's career record of 145-5 makes him the winningest wrestler in program history.
Chobot is in position to become the first South Kitsap wrestler since two-time state champion Brent Chriswell to compete at Arizona State. Chriswell is one of the most decorated wrestlers in West Sound history. The 2006 graduate finished 107-3 with 88 pins for the Wolves before winning three Pac-12 in college while competing for three different programs: Purdue, Arizona State and Boise State.
South Kitsap wrestling coach Conner Hartmann said Chobot was on Arizona State's radar a bit during his junior year, but a torn hamstring cooled the Sun Devils' interest. Chobot hurt his hamstring again two months before Mat Classic, but it didn't prevent him from pushing himself to be a state contender at the Tacoma Dome.
"I've wanted that title ever since I started wrestling," Chobot said.
Chobot ended up defeating 2022 state champion Christopher Neal 5-1 in the 182-pound final — and Arizona State was paying attention.
"They called the next day," Chobot said.
With a preferred walk-on offer, Chobot knows he'll have to prove himself in order to stick with the Sun Devils. He said it's the same situation he found himself in when he began competing for South Kitsap as a ninth-grader, which is routinely one of the top programs in the state.
"I want to push myself," he said. "I don't expect to just blow everybody over at all. That's what I expect to happen to me. That's the same thing that happened to me when I came here as a freshman."
There were plenty of soccer players on stage Monday, led by University of Washington commit Gabe Fernandez. The former Sounders Academy player is only a junior, but said he plans to graduate from high school and enroll at UW early so he can begin his career with the Huskies.
A left-footed outside back, Fernandez only played one season at South Kitsap but enjoyed his time suiting up for the Wolves.
"It was good to get that experience," he said.
Like Chobot, Fernandez was impressed with the talent that joined him on stage at the signing ceremony. Other boys soccer players were Parker Medina (Earlham College) and Luke Ellis (Thomas More University) and girls soccer players Shannon Grogan (Coe College), Maya Foster (St. Martin's University), Katherine Kent (Whitworth University) and Rubi Serrato (Centralia Community College).
"It's really cool to see where everyone is going in their lives," he said.
Other student-athletes celebrated on Monday were softball players Elyssa Barnett (Pierce College), Brooke Jett (St. Martin's University) and Emma Stamp (Yakima Valley College), baseball player Kaden Ecklund (Edmonds Community College), basketball player Aly Loudermilk (South Puget Sound Community College), volleyball players Abby Gilder (Olympic College) and Jayden Strutz (John Jay College), golfer Kate Peterson (Olympic College) and dance team member Jiselle Javier (University of Washington). Track and field/cross country runner Makayla Jackson (Olympic College) could not attend.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: South Kitsap signing day event features diverse group of athletes
