The 2022–2023 school year is coming to a close, which means that senior athletes are going off to college. It’s time for Park seniors to assess if they are going to play sports in college or give up on sports entirely. 

Senior Antonio Speed said he is very eager to transition to college basketball at Peru State, away from the high school level.

“I just feel exhausted especially after COVID and I’m just ready to go to college and play basketball,” Speed said.

According to senior Rachel Katzovitz, she is still stuck in the mission to transition, wondering if sports are in the question at all for her future.

“I’m still deciding if I want to ski for the St. Olaf Nordic team,” Katzovitz said. “They ski D3, so that’s still up in the air.”

Senior Zach Johnson said he is ready to play football at University of Minnesota Duluth, but is nervous of the obstacles that he will face on his journey.

“I know it’s going to be kind of a big change from high school,” Johnson said.

Speed said he is ready to play against the greats in basketball.

“I just was praying I can compete like training with a lot of great players right now,” Speed said.

Katzovitz said she appreciates the way her mentors pushed her to be the best athlete she can be.

“I’ve definitely grown to love and appreciate the coaches and the way they have shaped me and the athlete I’ve become,” Katzovitz said.

According to Johnson, it’s a struggle to move on from high school sports.

“I’m sad because high school sports are fun,” Johnson said. “Because I just get a mess around the whole time, especially in football.”

Speed said it’s time to push forward and do his best to succeed in college, even if it means leaving high school behind.

“Life is like a staircase — you just have to keep stepping, and I don’t really care about leaving. It just has to happen eventually.” Speed said.