(Chelsea Update would like to thank Allen Wright for the information in this story.)
On Veterans Day, athletes from all over the area gathered in various places to sign their official letters of intent to their prospective universities.
In Chelsea, four girls from the Division 1 State Champion Runners-up Field Hockey team assembled to sign theirs. Surrounded by blue and gold balloons and their historic season hardware, twin sisters Maggie and Meghan Cole, Sarah Mesko, and Gabbie Wink met with their head coach Leslie Fry as they donned their future school colors and took a big step in their bright futures.
Maggie and Meghan Cole, daughters of Jennifer Tracht and Matt Cole, were heavily recruited early on in their young field hockey careers by several colleges. But both girls will be taking their many awards and continuing their illustrious field hockey careers at Michigan State University because they simply fell in love with the campus and the people and it has a close proximity to home.
Both girls are extremely excited yet a little nervous for college, as is to be expected. The sisters are members of the National Honor Society and have very high grade point averages. Maggie plans to study Criminal Justice but says, “that might change after she gets there.”
Younger twin sister Meghan also planned to study criminal justice but after a devastating ACL injury, which has unfortunately kept her from playing sports her senior year, she now plans to study Exercise Science and hopes to someday become a physical therapist.
Sarah Mesko, daughter of Michelle Proulx Mesko and Mark Mesko, will be taking her field hockey skills a bit further north as she signed her letter to be a Chippewa at Central Michigan University (CMU).
Sarah started her field hockey career in 6th grade, and although she excels at other sports and is involved with many things from being on the drum line in band, student council for 4 years, basketball as a freshman, and 3 years of soccer – field hockey has always been her focus and passion and she enjoys it very much. Sarah would travel to tournaments and draw attention from many college coaches but she decided on CMU because it’s the campus she fell in love with. And although it’s a Mid-American Conference School, (MAC) she will still be able play against a high level of competition throughout the country.
Sarah is also in National Honor Society and carries a 3.85 grade point average while taking AP and Honors classes. She plans to major in neuroscience and Pre-Med.
Gabbie Wink, daughter of Jeff and Alison Wink of Pinckney. Gabbie signed her letter committing to be an Ohio University Bobcat. Gabbie has been playing field hockey for many years and would attend showcase tournaments like Disney with her then Pinnacle Head coach Nancy Cox. She also participated in USA field hockey Futures program, which helped her develop skills. She was selected to represent her region at the National futures championship tournament 3 times and 1 other as alternate so she received lots of exposure to college coaches there. She also cross-trained in varsity track her freshman year. In her junior year, she was selected MVP and KLAA All Conference as well as All Academic in varsity soccer.
She chose Ohio University because it offered great engineering options, a beautiful campus, and after getting to know the coach and his philosophies about the team, she felt a strong connection and knew this was the right fit for her.
Like her teammates, Gabbie also is a member of National Honor Society and carries a high grade point average while she takes AP honors classes. Gabbie plans on majoring in engineering, most likely civil.
As each young lady signed on the dotted line, committing to their bright futures, their proud friends and families looked on knowing that these girls will make a positive impact in the world of field hockey and beyond someday.
And to them all, the best of luck.
