GWC CELEBRATED transferring athletes. Photo courtesy GWC Athletics Department
By Adam Stites
Western Sun executive editor
With their signatures, 34 Golden West athletes officially decided which four-year universities they would attend in the fall at a National Letter of Intent – Signing Day event hosted by the GWC Athletic Department on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
“To me, it means that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” said GWC athletic director Albert Gasparin. “We’re having students come in here, participate and transfer to a four-year school. That is the most important thing we can do.”
Of the 34 athletes that signed their LOIs (letters of intent), 17 came from the Rustlers football program that won the Central Championship Bowl in Nov. 2011. Highlighting the group are running back Michael Pierre and offensive tackle Keifer Neal, who are heading to the University of South Florida and East Carolina University, respectively.
The state champion men’s water polo team had 10 players sign LOIs on signing day, an impressive number for a sport that features no more than seven players on a given team in the pool at a time.
“They’re going to class, doing what they’re supposed to be doing, taking the classes they’re supposed to take and transferring successfully,” Gasparian said.
Jacquelene and Juliana Powell, twin sisters on the GWC track & field program, signed to different schools, California and Hawaii, respectively.
Rounding out the rest of the 34-person athletic class are two women’s volleyball players, two women’s soccer players and one baseball player. “We’re going in the right direction,” Gasparian said.
