Whether it’s football, baseball, basketball, softball, or cross country, Har-Ber is on top of their game.
They always have that leader who’s going to get the job done in his or her respective sport. And on April 11, Wildcat Arena displayed their multi-sport talent by having six different athletes sign to play college sports.
Caroline Eubanks (basketball, Arkansas Tech), Brandon Jansen (baseball, Central Methodist), Kelsey Odell (volleyball, Williams Baptist) Jessica Olson (basketball, Kansas Wesleyan), Valerie Reina (cross country and track, Arkansas), and Jon Vaughn (football, Harding) all signed offers during the wee school hours, confirming that their athletic careers are not over.
Reina will be the seventh member of her family, the latest being her father, to run for the Razorbacks.
“It’s exciting to think about running for the Razorbacks. I grew up going to track meets at the U of A,” said Reina. ” I’ve always dreamed about running for the Hogs, and now it’s going to happen.”
Just as Reina learned her talented traits from her father, so did the senior point guard who has started the past three seasons on the girl’s basketball team: Olson.
“I grew up around basketball because my dad was a coach,” she said. “So when the opportunity came up to play in college, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
Olson also believes that her personal dedication, along with the support from home has pushed her to new heights.
“I’ve pretty much always been the shortest player on the court every game, so I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of summers to put in extra work to get me to where I am now,” said Olson.
As for Jansen, he’s been swinging a bat and playing tee ball for as long as he can remember. It’s not just about baseball for the starting right fielder for the Wildcat baseball team, but just life in general.
“It feels great to have signed and to know where my future is headed,” said Jansen. “Without hard work and dedication, none of this would have been possible.”
The push from elder family members and the personal push have put these athletes on the college level.
Including these six, Har-Ber has inked 18 student-athletes this school year.
