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Lowndes Academy celebrated the achievements of two student-athletes on Feb. 26, when fans and supporters gathered to witness their commitment to compete at the collegiate level.

Seniors Ashton Yelder and Alice Murchison signed college-play commitments during ceremonies held on campus at 10 a.m. Yelder was joined by his family as he pledged to play baseball for the University of West Georgia (UWG) Wolves. 

“My goal was always to play at the next level,” Yelder said. “West Georgia gave me an opportunity.”

The standout football and baseball player was scheduled to declare his intentions earlier in the school year but delayed the decision to focus on improving his academic performance on the recommendation of UWA coaches.

“The coaches there wanted me to be better,” Yelder said. “I really liked that.”

Jeff Smith, head coach at UWA, said the college is taking steps to enter Division 1. With that in mind, recruiters sought out student-athletes who would fit well within the program.

“My recruiting coordinator did an outstanding job identifying players who fit the skill set and would fit into the plans for us to elevate into Division 1,” Smith said. “He identified Ashton as a player who had all the skills [we sought]. 

“Once we had him on campus, we loved his attitude and his passion. We really enjoyed getting to know him and his family, and I think he’s going to be a great fit for us.”

Murchison executed her commitment to Southern Union Community College’s softball program with the support of her family and teammates. The senior said the opportunity was a dream come true.

“This means the absolute world to me,” she said. “The little eight-year-old me is screaming at the top of her lungs.

“This is probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my life, and I’m very excited to play at the college level and it’s probably been my dream since I was about 11 [years old].”

Chris Steiner Leak, head coach at Southern Union Community College explained her decision to recruit Murchison.

“We try to build our program off of good kids, good character, good work ethic,”  she said. “Right now, we’re in a building phase, trying to build our program from the ground up and we have known Alice for a long time. We know her hard work and dedication, we know how much she loves the sport. We give kids an opportunity to live out their hopes, their dreams, their goals and what their eight-year-old self always looked forward to in life.”

Murchison expressed her desire to hone her athletic skills and said she was grateful for the support of her supporters.

“[My coaches] are my biggest supporters,” she said. “I just could not be any more thankful for what they have taught me and what they will continue to teach me for my last softball season here at Lowndes Academy.

“I expect to win [the season], and if we don’t , I will be just as  happy because [I am playing] with the same girls I’ve played with since JV. It means a lot to me that I get to do this.”