Mauldin High Athletes Sign College Letters of Intent

Beaming parents, enthusiastic friends and teammates, and proud coaches looked on Wednesday as seven Mauldin High student-athletes signed national letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level next year.

Sitting at a long table in the school gym, as about a hundred or so people celebrated their sports accomplishments, the athletes joined thousands of others across the nation, signing their official commitment letters and later faxing them to their respective schools.

"We're very proud of these kids," said Mauldin head football coach Doug Shaw, whose star offensive tackle, Chris Sullivan, was among the signees. "These are good athletes and they should be commended for their efforts — not only on the field but in the classroom. I hope the best for them when they go off and hope they do well."

Those signing commitment letters on Wednesday included:

• Chris Sullivan — Football, Charleston Southern University
• C.J. Asmus — Lacrosse, Ferrum (Va.) College
• Gina Cardenas — Soccer, UNC-Greensboro
• Haley Dunham — Soccer, Troy State University
• Tera Dolan — Soccer, Anderson University
• Emily Praktish — Soccer, Samford University
• Amanda Young — Lacrosse, Columbia College

"For a coach to see a kid and come and develop from maybe as early as 7th grade, that's just a tremendous feeling [for us coaches]," Shaw told Patch.

"It's really a great thing, a thrill, to have Chris and these other guys, these ladies, that play these other sports," he added. "They're just really great ambassadors for Mauldin High School."

"They put in four years playing for our team, going to practices, going to workouts, and pouring it out on the field," said athletic director Steve Frady. "So this is a special day for them. Thy're getting ready to end one journey and start a whole new one. We want it to be special, because we appreciate what they did for us while they were here."