As spring sports come to an end, the athletes from the Class of 2015 complete the final sporting events of their high-school careers. While for some IHS athletes these final competitions are their last on a varsity sports team, many students from a variety of sports have set their sights on competing in varsity sports at the college level.
Cecile Browning ’15: Swimming, University of Chicago
Browning is an 11-time Southern Tier Athletic Conference All-Star and a 14-time sectional champion. She was a state qualifier all four years of her high-school career, and she was part of a team that went undefeated in all dual meets. Next year, Browning will be attending the University of Chicago, which she described as “the perfect fit.” She chose Chicago because of its great academics and team. Her goal is to make Division III Nationals.
Clara Karastury ’15: Crew, Northeastern University
Karastury is a multi-sport athlete at IHS, competing in both crew and hockey. She has participated in Nationals in crew. After graduating, Karastury plans to attend Northeastern University because of its location, crew team, and academics. Karastury hopes to make top boat in college.
Dan Dracup ’15: Cross-Country, Columbia University
Voted future Olympian by his peers, Dracup is one of the most prestigious athletes of the Class of 2015. Dracup is a three-time Section A champion who holds five school records. In Dracup’s senior season, he represented IHS at Nike Nationals in Oregon. Dracup will be challenged academically at Columbia University, a place he fell in love with during his official visit. Dracup strives to break four minutes in the mile and get into graduate school.
Elliot Place ’15: Track and Field, Ithaca College
Place has participated in varsity track and field all four years of high school. He was a state qualifier as a part of the 4×1 relay. While Place has been challenged with multiple injuries in his career at IHS, he hopes to stay injury-free at Ithaca College so he can continue to improve his speed. The physical therapy program at Ithaca College is a major factor in Place’s decision to attend.
Elora Becraft ’15: Soccer, SUNY Geneseo
Becraft helped lead the girls’ soccer team to sectionals in her senior year, which was her second year as team captain and her fourth year starting on the varsity team. She was named to three STAC All-Conference teams, and she has scored 38 goals in her career. Becraft’s future ambitions are to maintain good grades and contribute to the team at Geneseo. She also wants to go to the SUNY Athletic Conference championships.
Hannah Bollinger ’15: Swimming, Cornell University
Bollinger was a part of a swim team that placed fourth at states. She hopes to continue that success at her father’s alma mater, Cornell University. Bollinger said she “fell in love with everything” at Cornell and told me, “Continuing the tradition has been something I have wanted to do since I was in elementary school, when I fell and broke my arm at Schoellkopf Field.” Next year she hopes to swim and get to the finals at Ivies while discovering what to do in the future.
Henry Ellis ’15: Crew, Cornell University
In his own words, Ellis said he “won a lot of very big races,” in high school crew. He considered schools that had lightweight men’s rowing teams and ultimately chose Cornell because it had a culture he connected with the most. Ellis also cited its size and resources as factors in his decision. He looks forward to joining a lightweight team that has been undefeated for the past two years while preparing to attend graduate school.
Jakob Markwardt ’15: Track and Field, Ithaca College
Markwardt was a pole-vaulter on the IHS track and field team and a member of the boys’ swim team. He plans to pole-vault for Ithaca College. In high school, Jakob won sectionals as a junior, and he wants to be a contributing member of the college team by his junior year.
John Peterson ’15: Baseball, Ithaca College
The 2015 spring season was Peterson’s third and final season on the varsity baseball team at IHS. He started playing on varsity as a sophomore and batted over .300. Peterson would bat over .300 again his senior year, after missing his junior season due to shoulder surgery. Ithaca College was John’s choice for college, because he already had a good relationship with the coach and the school has a well-regarded sports media program. John wants to make the Ithaca College varsity baseball team as a sophomore and intern with a professional sports organization before graduating.
Julian Korfine ’15: Wrestling, Cornell University
Korfine had a very successful wrestling career at IHS. He was a section champion, state qualifier, placed second at Northland Youth Wrestling Association States, and was awarded a Brute All-American certificate at Brute Nationals. Korfine chose Cornell because out of all the places where he was accepted, he had the best relationship with Cornell’s coaches. Korfine cited Cornell’s top-ten Division I wrestling program and top-five investment banking program as other reasons for choosing it. Making lifelong connections, becoming a D1 All-American, and learning about specialized areas of study are what Korfine looks forward to at Cornell.
Justin Milner ’15: Tennis, Daemen College
The boys’ tennis team had a stellar season this year, not losing a set as a team all year. Milner was a big part of its success. As a junior, he was a state qualifier and made the Round of 16. When Justin visited Daemen College, he loved the school. He plans to help its tennis team improve and hopes to reach the Round of Eight in the NCAA tournament.
Lauren Trumble ’15: Cross-Country and Track and Field, University of Vermont
Trumble will be a multisport athlete in college, just as she was in high school. In cross-country, Trumble is a four-time state qualifier and a three-time MVP. As for track and field, she is a three-time state qualifier, three-time MVP, and Girl MVP for the 2015 Ithaca Relays. Trumble also holds the school record for the 3k and the 1500-meter run events. Lauren wants to “score points and be a contributing member of the team as a freshman” at the school where she “fell in love with the campus, the people, and the team.” She looks forward to researching and majoring in biology.
Lili Delotsang ’15: Volleyball, Skidmore College
Delotsang was a two-year varsity starter for volleyball at IHS. She also played varsity lacrosse. Skidmore College is her destination next year due to its good location and academics. Delotsang wants to do well in school so she can get a job after college. She also looks forward to playing volleyball and wants to continue to improve at her sport.
Marci Huddle ’15: Lacrosse, Onondaga Community College
Huddle won sectionals with the girls’ lacrosse team as a junior. She was part of a team that strived to do the same again in the 2014–15 school year. Huddle will attend Onondaga Community College, where she plans on playing lacrosse and maintaining good grades.
Paige Johnson ’15: Lacrosse, University of Tampa
Johnson has made an all-star team every year that she played varsity lacrosse. She won a sectional championship with the varsity team as well. Johnson chose the University of Tampa because she likes the campus and because the school has a good government and world affairs program. She hopes to be an Academic All-Conference lacrosse player.
Richie Burke ’15: Wrestling, Baldwin Wallace University
Burke holds the record for the most Section 4 titles in IHS history with five of them to his name. He placed fifth, fourth, and fourth in the state during his sophomore, junior, and senior year. Burke finished his high-school career with 213 varsity wins. He will attend Baldwin Wallace University. He said, “It felt like home as soon as I got there,” and “The team is very close and bonds all the time.” At Baldwin Wallace, Burke wants to become a national champion and “make his hometown proud.” He also wants to take advantage of the academics at his school to become a good businessman or athletic trainer.
Sammy Meminger ’15: Basketball, Ithaca College
Meminger made sectionals in both basketball and baseball his senior year, but plans to only play basketball at Ithaca College. During his final year at IHS, Meminger was part of the basketball team that beat Binghamton High School, on the road, for the first time in 25 years. He was also named STAC Division All-Star for basketball. Meminger’s appreciation for the variety of career options at IC, along with his love for Ithaca, was an important factor on deciding to attend. He plans to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA.
Samwise Caward ’15: Lacrosse, Adams State University
Caward was named captain of the boys’ varsity lacrosse team his senior year, his second year on varsity. Caward was accepted by multiple schools for lacrosse, but chose Adams State University because it was his favorite school that he visited. He wants to reach the championships with the team while balancing sports with academics.
Thomas Johnson ’15: Lacrosse, Cornell University
Johnson was a captain for both the IHS football team and the IHS lacrosse team during his senior year. For football, Johnson spoke of a night during his freshman year when “we beat Vestal by two on their senior night. This win came in a rainstorm, being down by double digits in the fourth quarter.” As for lacrosse, Johnson was a part of multiple state playoff runs. He chose Cornell because “a Cornell education, along with being part of a blue-collar athletic program that has a long history of championships and winning while staying in my hometown was something I could not pass up.” In college, he will strive to maintain excellence both in the classroom and on the field.
Thomas Moesch ’15: Lacrosse, Baldwin Wallace University
Moesch will receive his third varsity letter this year for lacrosse. He has started on the team since his junior year and was a section champion his sophomore year. Moesch was accepted by Baldwin Wallace University, and chose the school because of its marine biology program and the comfortable, friendly feel. Joining the ROTC and the military are Moesch’s plans for the future.
Zach Johnson ’15: Lacrosse, Nazareth College
Ever since his first year playing lacrosse at IHS and going undefeated in JV, Johnson had the support of his teammates to continuously improve the team. Johnson will be attending Nazareth College next year, where he can remain close to home and take advantage of the school’s academic programs. He felt welcomed on his visit and hopes to be successful in both lacrosse and school.
There are many talented athletes in the IHS class of 2015, but unfortunately, not everyone could be included in this article. There are more IHS students who will be playing sports in college next year and they, too, deserve recognition for their accomplishments. However, this compilation shows the quality of athletes IHS produces every year.