Navigating the Playbook

The Academy’s Approach to Helping Student-Athletes Find Their Perfect Fit

No college recruitment process is exactly alike, which is why having a great support team is important.

Three members of the Class of 2026 had vastly different recruiting experiences, but all credit the cohesiveness and care of the Academy's Athletics and College Counseling offices as key to a successful outcome.

For Govs lacrosse player Tripp Schuhwerk ’26, the process took an unexpected turn. After committing to Rutgers University at the beginning of his junior year in Byfield, he was working in the Bill ’67 & Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center early in his senior year when a stunning opportunity came his way.

"I was actually in the marsh, and I had three missed calls from both my parents, a few missed calls from my club coach, and a bunch of texts," said Tripp. "I got back to my room, looked at the texts, and called my parents back. They told me that a spot had opened up for me at Brown if I was interested and that the school wanted to check out my grades."

Considering a new college when you are already committed is a delicate path. For Tripp, having coaching and academic mentors who could help him and his parents consider their options before making such a big move was key.

Brown University let Tripp know that he would need to make two adjustments if he wanted to leap to an Ivy League school, and Director of College Counseling Heather Shows P’29 and Associate Academic Dean Gary Satow helped him navigate those changes.

"I had a meeting on a Thursday with Mr. Satow about changing my English class, and on Monday, I started my new English class," said Tripp. "Then Ms. Shows helped me schedule the SAT, and she worked on sending my transcripts."

Tripp felt supported through what was a hectic time.

"Honestly, how quickly Ms. Shows helped me get all of my stuff was amazing," said Tripp. "I couldn't have done it without Mr. Satow either, who helped me change my schedule, as well as my coaches and the rest of College Counseling."

Tripp's twin brother Cooper ‘26 will also be playing college lacrosse, but took a different route. He committed to Division III Dickinson College and signed his letter of intent in an on-campus ceremony on May 12, along with 15 others at the Division I and Division III levels. In total, 23 members of the Academy’s Class of 2026 are committed to playing college athletics (see the complete list at the end of this story).

An accomplished athlete in both hockey and lacrosse, Cooper learned a lot from both his and his brother's college recruitment process.

"I learned that being patient is really important," said Cooper. "Everyone is on their own path. It helped me realize that I can’t compare my timeline to anyone else’s, and that trusting the process is a big part of finding the right fit."

Division III has its own timeline and processes. Between his coaches and the College Counseling office, Cooper felt he had useful partners while in his quest to find the right spot for college academics and athletics.

"The College Counseling Office gave me clear steps to follow, helped me communicate with coaches, and made sure I stayed on top of deadlines. They also checked in with me and helped me think through my options, which made everything less stressful."

For Eve Bennett ’26, who will play Division III college field hockey at Bates College, she found four sources of guidance. In addition to Athletics and College Counseling, her own teammates and coach were helpful on her recruiting journey.

"My coach (Katie White) was so helpful," said Eve. "She helped me research and reach out to schools. She helped me draft some emails and guided me through what to say. I had an idea of what I wanted, but she really helped me narrow it down. She also pushed me to challenge my idea of what I wanted. My teammates and my captains also really helped me a lot. They gave me that honest advice that maybe I wouldn't tell myself."

Early in her time at Govs, Eve was not sure if she wanted to pursue the Division I or Division III path. After her support network helped her establish her priorities, both the Athletics and College Counseling offices helped her create a list of schools that would support both her academic and athletic goals.

Eve visited several schools during her junior year, and "ended up loving" Bates. The College Counseling office helped her assemble the paperwork needed for the Division III process, which sees students essentially submit a draft of their college application in the spring or summer before their senior year for an initial review.

Eve, like the Schuhwerk brothers, found the collaboration between Athletics and College Counseling offices at Govs exactly what she needed to navigate an important process.

"It can be daunting at first," said Eve. "Between my coach and the College Counseling office, they made everything so much more manageable and organized. You've got so many people on your side that you don't have to worry about it. It's all going to work out in the end."

“At Govs, we are incredibly proud of our talented student-athletes who aspire to compete at the collegiate level and find the perfect fit for their academic and athletic ambitions,” said Director of Afternoon Programs and Athletics Claudia Asano Barcomb. “While every player's recruiting journey is unique, each one is fully supported and guided every step of the way by our dedicated coaches and college counseling team."

23 members of The Governor’s Academy’s Class of 2026 have committed to playing NCAA Division I, II, and III athletics next year.

Elodie Anderson – Field Hockey, Bryn Mawr College

Evangeline Bennett – Field Hockey, Bates College

Callen Beveridge – Football, Boston College

Alia Bezzari – Soccer, Bentley University

Joey Calderara – Hockey, Elmira College

Will Fuller – Track and Field, Middlebury College

Toby Grenier – Lacrosse, Gettysburg College

Trey Hanson – Golf, Colby College

Caroline Justicz – Hockey, Wilkes University

Jeff Luchsinger – Baseball, St. Michael's College

Elizabeth Luong – Field Hockey, Colby College

Johnny MacDonald – Lacrosse, Tufts University

Matthew Mariani – Baseball, Dickinson College

Angelina Moroz – Softball, Case Western Reserve University

Landon Ray – Lacrosse, St. Lawrence University

Cole Riehl – Lacrosse, Dickinson College

Parker Roenick – Hockey, Endicott College

Cooper Schuhwerk – Lacrosse, Dickinson College

Tripp Schuhwerk – Lacrosse, Brown University

Hawk Stickney – Baseball, U.S. Naval Academy

John St. Phard – Soccer, University of Central Arkansas

Ford Sullivan – Lacrosse, Boston University

Molly Vana – Soccer and Lacrosse, Harvard University