TC athletes heading to next level

Posted Apr 17, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Apr 17, 2012 at 12:59 PM

Tampa Catholic’s track team is not only enjoying one of its best seasons in years, several Crusaders athletes are heading to college because of the sport—and their academic achievements.

Crusaders track coach Aaron Prather announced this week that senior pole vaulter Annie Harwig, one of the Class 2A state leaders in the event, has received a preferred walk-on offer from Florida State University. Harwig recently cleared 11 feet to win the 2A-District 9 meet and is tied for the No. 1 seed heading into this week’s regional.

Two other TC standouts, Daniel Fasani, who was part of the Crusaders’ second-place 4x400-meter and 4x800 relay teams at the 2A-9 meet, and miler Adam Williams, have also received preferred walk-on offers from the Seminoles.

They will be headed to the next level with other Crusaders track athletes who have earned their way to the collegiate level through another sport: sprinter/jumper Tyree Holder, who is going to Ball State on a football scholarship; thrower Taylor Timmons, who is going to play football at New Mexico Military Institute; sprinter Kai Jones, who will basketball at the University of Tampa; and throwers Savannah Rohde and Monica Docobo, who are going to the University of Central Florida and UT, respectively, to play softball and cheer.

Prather said one of the key factors leading to his athletes landing preferred walk-on status was their grades. He said college coaches are often willing to take arthletes with less-than-national-level performances if their academic achievements are exceptional.

“That’s the message I’m trying to get across to my kids: that you may not be the best at your event, but you can still compete in college if you’re a hard-worker, show promise and have good grades,” Prather said. “That’s very attractive to some coaches. They know that if you come on to your squad, they don’t have to worry about your grades or conduct. They can coach you and develop you on the track without those outside issues.”