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Big commitments: Half dozen Marquette Senior High School students commit to various Midwest schools Wednesday

From left, Marquette Senior HIgh School athletes Jacquie Cammarata, Hannah Detmers, Rebecca McNamee, Izzie Peterson, Lyndsey Welch and Bryant Bouchard sign national letters of intent to various colleges and universities on Wednesday afternoon at their school. (Journal photo by Rachel Oakley)

“I’m not sure if we have ever had six kids sign with schools in one day before.” — Blaise Simmer, athletic director, Marquette Senior High School

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MARQUETTE — On Wednesday afternoon, six Marquette Senior High School seniors signed their national letter of intents to colleges around the Midwest after four years of success in Marquette’s track, swimming and football programs.

Athletic director Blaise Zimmer said the commitments added up to a historic day.

“It’s a big day for Marquette athletics,” Zimmer said. “I’m not sure if we have ever had six kids sign with schools in one day before. They’ve all worked hard to get here today and represent the school very well.”

Izzy Peterson elected to stay in Marquette and compete in track and field at Northern Michigan University, joining a program where head coach Jenny Ryan has produced a number of national champions and All-Americans the past few years.

Peterson, who will study in NMU’s pre-veterinary program, said proximity played a factor in her college decision.

“It’s important for me to stay around here,” Peterson said. “My whole family lives here and I grew up here, so it’s the only place I know.

“I think NMU is excited to see how I improve through college and it will be very interesting.”

Staying close to home was also on the mind of Bryant Bouchard, who committed to Division III Finlandia to play football in the fall.

The Lions will be entering just their third season as a program, and Bouchard intends to study criminal justice while helping build up a relatively new team.

“I wanted to play close to home so my parents could watch the games,” Bouchard said. “It’s exciting to be a part of something new, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Rebecca McNamee is also staying in Michigan, though will be going to Kalamazoo to Division I Western Michigan University in track and field.

She is the second Redette to sign with the Broncos in the past two years after Holly Blowers joined Western’s track team last season. McNamee said her former teammate played a factor in her decision.

“When I visited their campus I got to stay with Holly, so it was influential to get to stay with a future teammate,” McNamee said. “I always liked Western as a school and it was one of my picks even before I knew I would be running. They have a strong social work program and the whole school is a good environment.”

Jacquie Cammarata is also heading downstate to run track and field at Division III Albion College.

“I picked the school because of the academic scholarship and they have a really good coach,” Cammarata said. “They had been watching me and my times and recruited me to the team.

“It’s very exciting and it gives me the best of both worlds.”

Cammarata plans to study chemistry at Albion.

Hannah Detmers is heading even further south to Division I Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, where she will study communications and digital design while also competing in track and field.

For Detmers, IPFW was a good fit for several reasons.

“My family lives in Fort Wayne so I looked into the area,” Detmers said. “I approached the coach and found out she was already looking at me.

“When I visited the campus and got to know the coach, I fell in love with the school and the team.”

Lyndsey Welch is taking her swimming talents west to Minnesota and heading to Division II St. Cloud State University.

Welch said she picked St. Cloud based on its swimming team’s reputation.

“It was a college I heard about from a former swimmer I competed against,” Welch said. “I went and visited and I really liked the program. It’s not too far from home, and there are a lot of opportunities on the team.”

Welch is looking into the school’s business administration program.

Ray Bressette can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. His email address is rbressette@miningjournal.net.

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