Six Republic athletes committed to college programs during a National Signing Day ceremony Wednesday. We talked to all six about their decisions.
Ethan Anderson – Arkansas-Rich Mountain – Baseball
RTS: Why Arkansas-Rich Mountain?
Ethan Anderson: It just feels like a good program, and when I was down there with all the coaches and players, it just felt like a good spot to be.
RTS: What are you looking forward to the most about playing ball in college?
Ethan Anderson: Definitely playing, but just kind of being away from everything and just experiencing a new adventure.
RTS: And what do you think you’ll take with you from your time playing baseball growing up and being around Republic that you’ll carry with you?
Ethan Anderson: Working hard and battling through adversity is probably the best thing I’ve learned from here, and (to) keep doing what I do, and it’ll pay off eventually.
Evan Buchanan – Southwest Baptist University – Football
RTS: Why SBU?
Evan Buchanan: That was a big decision, obviously. It was between them and Evangel. Both really good colleges, in my opinion. It was a goal of mine to play college football for a while, so I guess playing time was a really big thing. Their [defensive] end room, they don’t have anybody returning. They offered me a little bit more, and I feel at home there. I have connections to people there. Gunner (Ellison) obviously plays there. It was definitely somewhere I would have looked at before and was excited to go there. So when they offered me, I was really excited and ready to get to work.
RTS: What are you looking forward to the most about college football?
Evan Buchanan: I’m just excited to see how they can train me differently. It’ll be definitely different, and I’m not sure how different it’s going to be, but I’m just excited to get ready to work. Playing at a whole different level like that is exciting.
RTS: And what do you think you’ll carry with you from your experience here at Republic?
Evan Buchanan: I would say to play as a team, not yourself. I think when (Coach Ryan) Cornelsen came in, that was a big thing that he taught us was… it’s not about you. It’s not about your stats individually. It’s about winning as a team, and I think this year, going to state like that, proves that that’s exactly what he meant, and it shows, so that’s something I think I can carry through — do my job and don’t worry about anybody else.
Lauren Chastain – Lincoln Land Community College – Girls Basketball
RTS: So why Lincoln Land?
Lauren Chastain: I really like the campus. It’s a large campus, and they’re always ranked in the top 25 in the nation for junior colleges, so that was really exciting, and it was appealing. And I really like the coaches. I got an instant connection with the coaches and met some of the girls on my first visit up there, and I instantly knew that that’s where I wanted to go.
RTS: What are you looking forward to the most about playing in college?
Lauren Chastain: I think the competitiveness, because if you’re going to college to play basketball, obviously it’s your dream, and it’s something that you’re really passionate about. I think being surrounded by everyone who also has the same dream of playing college basketball is really important, and it’ll make it really competitive and fun.
RTS: What do you think you’ll take with you from Republic that you’ll carry with you?
Lauren Chastain: I think the last three years I’ve played varsity, we’ve been battle-tested constantly, and we’ve come up with some really big wins, and we’ve also had some really tough losses, and there’s been a lot of learning from it. I think it’s something that’s helped me develop a lot as a player mentally, and that will help me in college.
Alex Price – Evangel University – Girls Basketball
RTS: Why Evangel?
Alex Price: I really wanted to stay local, so that’s why I chose Evangel. I really just wanted to be closer to my family because I’m really attached to my family and I love them a lot.
RTS: What are you looking forward to the most about playing college basketball?
Alex Price: I’m excited about getting to know new people and getting to really experience college basketball. I’m curious to see if it would be any different from any school ball that I’ve played in my life before, so I’m really excited about that.
RTS: What are some things you’ll take from your experience playing here at Republic that you think will carry over with you?
Alex Price: Definitely the leadership that I’ve learned from my coaches and my teammates. I think that I’m going to be able to carry that over to the next level, which will help me a lot.
Xavier Ulshafer – Drury University – Boys Soccer
RTS: Why Drury?
Xavier Ulshafer: I liked how competitive it was. The coaches seemed nice. I love the facilities that they have. Everyone there bought me in, and it seemed like an incredible culture that I wanted to be around, and I just loved it.
RTS: What are you looking forward to the most about playing soccer in college?
Xavier Ulshafer: What I’m looking forward to the most is making new friends, and hopefully making the national tournament in the next few years. That’s our goal for these years, so that’s what we’re trying to do.
RTS: What are you going to take with you from your time here that you’ll carry with you to college?
Xavier Ulshafer: From here at Republic to Drury, I’ll probably take all the memories I have and apply them into college. All the things I’ve learned, like hard work and dedication, I’ll add those to college soccer and to my studies as well.
Avery Zinter – Drury University – Dance
RTS: Why Drury?
Avery Zinter: I really love their environment of the actual campus, and then I love their dance team and coach. It’s really good for me, and I’m excited to just continue dancing.
RTS: What are you looking forward to the most about dancing at the college level?
Avery Zinter: Mostly just continuing to do what I love. I’ve been dancing since I was three, and it’s my most favorite thing in the world, and just continuing to dance is what’s really exciting me.
RTS: What do you think you’ll carry with you from your time here dancing that you’ll take with you to Drury?
Avery Zinter: My sense of teamwork. I really feel like I’ve learned a lot about leadership and teamwork this year, and knowing that I can bond with just about anybody.