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Six Mustangs sign letters of intent
  
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By Benn Farrell
The latest crop of student athletes from Ponderosa High School to sign letters of intent to play their chosen sport at the collegiate level almost came in pairs.
Two wrestlers, two lacrosse players, one soccer player and one tennis player from Mustangs programs were recently announced as signing commitments to selected colleges or universities.
From the Mustangs wrestling program, two-time state champion Daniel Kelly and three-time state placer and two-time regional champ Stephone Kling put pen to paper. Both of the grapplers, who helped Ponderosa to a state record setting seven consecutive team championships, signed to take their skills to Alamosa to wrestle for Adams State.
“I signed with [Adams] because it has an amazing wrestling team, and I like the environment,” Kelly said. “I will miss the crazy team that I had here in Ponderosa. We bonded very well.”
Kelly said his two state gold medals at 145 pounds and the team’s seventh straight title were the highlight of his high school career. Kling also said the seventh championship was his favorite memory with the Mustangs. He signed with Adams because of its program and its close to home. Kling said he will miss the bond they Mustangs had as a team as well.
From the Ponderosa lacrosse team, locally infamous for its history with elevators, produced two more college-bound athletes this season in Kyle Griese and Tyler Kirby. Griese made his commitment to play lacrosse at Nichols College in Massachusetts, while Kirby will head off to Fontbonne in St. Louis.
Griese said his favorite high school lacrosse moments would be a toss up between the team getting stuck in an elevator during a tournament in Grand Junction last season, and helping lead the team to its first playoff game this year.
The four-year varsity, two-time captain said he’s signing with Nichols because of the team and a chance to get playing time early. Plus, they offered him the most money.
“I’m going to miss the entire team [at Ponderosa],” Griese, who received first-team All-League honors this season, said. “We were all really close and had a lot of fun together.”
Kirby is a one-year varsity player who’s favorite high school lacrosse moment was this season after a fourth-quarter comeback against Parkway West during competition in Missouri. In addition, receiving All-League honors this year was a surprise to him.
“I decided to play at Fontbonne because I felt I fit in with the players as well as with the school, and the coaches there are awesome,” Kirby said. “I am going to miss all my brothers on the [Ponderosa] team next year and also the coaches, and definitely the team dinners.”
Kirby received second-team All-League honors as a midfielder this season. His team awarded him as Most Improved Player as well.
The U.S. Air Force Academy is going to be feeling the Love, as Andrew Love from Mustangs boys soccer signed his commitment to play for the Academy. He signed with AFA to be a part of its soccer program and take advantage of the opportunities presented there. His favorite moment of Ponderosa soccer was playing the playoffs his sophomore season, when the Mustangs went to the final four, and scoring the winning goal against Denver East on their way there.
“I will miss all of the other players from high school who made the last four years such a great time,” Love said.
Love has received first-team and second-team All-League honors in his high school career.
From the two-time state runner up Ponderosa tennis team, Chelsea Snow will play at the post-secondary level for Colorado Christian University. A four-year varsity player, she said one of her favorite moments with the Mustangs was becoming a captain for her senior season and placing third in her bracket at the Class 5A state championships in 2008.
Snow said she signed with CCU because of its education program and the atmosphere in Lakewood, as well as the program’s tennis coach. Like the others, Snow said she is going to miss her Ponderosa racquet sisters.
“They’ve become my closet friends,” Snow said. “We really are a family, and I’m going to miss them.”
Snow has received multiple All-League accolades over her four seasons and was a regional champion twice.
Two wrestlers, two lacrosse players, one soccer player and one tennis player from Mustangs programs were recently announced as signing commitments to selected colleges or universities.
From the Mustangs wrestling program, two-time state champion Daniel Kelly and three-time state placer and two-time regional champ Stephone Kling put pen to paper. Both of the grapplers, who helped Ponderosa to a state record setting seven consecutive team championships, signed to take their skills to Alamosa to wrestle for Adams State.
“I signed with [Adams] because it has an amazing wrestling team, and I like the environment,” Kelly said. “I will miss the crazy team that I had here in Ponderosa. We bonded very well.”
Kelly said his two state gold medals at 145 pounds and the team’s seventh straight title were the highlight of his high school career. Kling also said the seventh championship was his favorite memory with the Mustangs. He signed with Adams because of its program and its close to home. Kling said he will miss the bond they Mustangs had as a team as well.
From the Ponderosa lacrosse team, locally infamous for its history with elevators, produced two more college-bound athletes this season in Kyle Griese and Tyler Kirby. Griese made his commitment to play lacrosse at Nichols College in Massachusetts, while Kirby will head off to Fontbonne in St. Louis.
Griese said his favorite high school lacrosse moments would be a toss up between the team getting stuck in an elevator during a tournament in Grand Junction last season, and helping lead the team to its first playoff game this year.
The four-year varsity, two-time captain said he’s signing with Nichols because of the team and a chance to get playing time early. Plus, they offered him the most money.
“I’m going to miss the entire team [at Ponderosa],” Griese, who received first-team All-League honors this season, said. “We were all really close and had a lot of fun together.”
Kirby is a one-year varsity player who’s favorite high school lacrosse moment was this season after a fourth-quarter comeback against Parkway West during competition in Missouri. In addition, receiving All-League honors this year was a surprise to him.
“I decided to play at Fontbonne because I felt I fit in with the players as well as with the school, and the coaches there are awesome,” Kirby said. “I am going to miss all my brothers on the [Ponderosa] team next year and also the coaches, and definitely the team dinners.”
Kirby received second-team All-League honors as a midfielder this season. His team awarded him as Most Improved Player as well.
The U.S. Air Force Academy is going to be feeling the Love, as Andrew Love from Mustangs boys soccer signed his commitment to play for the Academy. He signed with AFA to be a part of its soccer program and take advantage of the opportunities presented there. His favorite moment of Ponderosa soccer was playing the playoffs his sophomore season, when the Mustangs went to the final four, and scoring the winning goal against Denver East on their way there.
“I will miss all of the other players from high school who made the last four years such a great time,” Love said.
Love has received first-team and second-team All-League honors in his high school career.
From the two-time state runner up Ponderosa tennis team, Chelsea Snow will play at the post-secondary level for Colorado Christian University. A four-year varsity player, she said one of her favorite moments with the Mustangs was becoming a captain for her senior season and placing third in her bracket at the Class 5A state championships in 2008.
Snow said she signed with CCU because of its education program and the atmosphere in Lakewood, as well as the program’s tennis coach. Like the others, Snow said she is going to miss her Ponderosa racquet sisters.
“They’ve become my closet friends,” Snow said. “We really are a family, and I’m going to miss them.”
Snow has received multiple All-League accolades over her four seasons and was a regional champion twice.
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