’Dogs’ Athletes Find Right Fit

Fayetteville High students Jared Thurman, from left, Brooks Ellis, Alex Brignoni, Austin Allen, Luke Lundstrum and Chase Carney, show off their signed letters of intent after the official signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Fayetteville High.
Fayetteville High students Jared Thurman, from left, Brooks Ellis, Alex Brignoni, Austin Allen, Luke Lundstrum and Chase Carney, show off their signed letters of intent after the official signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Fayetteville High.

— The chance to continue an athletic career beyond high school is always special.

The opportunity to do so with the perfect mix of education and sporting competition makes it twice as nice.

For three Fayetteville seniors, that ideal combination came to reality on National Signing Day, when Chase Carney, Jared Thurman and Luke Lundstrum signed their national letters of intent during a signing ceremony in Bulldog Arena.

Carney, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound offensive tackle, signed with Pittsburg State in Kansas. He started for the Bulldogs each of the last two seasons and earned all-conference honors as a senior.

“Chase is a kid who got looked at by a lot of (Division I schools),” Fayetteville football coach Daryl Patton said. “They really loved his height, but he was a little light in the britches. He’s a kid who plays basketball, so they didn’t get to see him in the weight room getting stronger.

“But Chase is a kid who I feel going to Pitt State, a national champion program two years ago, he has a chance to develop and help them win maybe one or two more championships. I really think he can go in there and blossom. I really think his best football is ahead of him.”

Carney said Pittsburg State’s hometown appeal was a big draw for him.

“I just really liked the campus and the coaches,” Carney said. “They really made me feel like I was at home. On my official visit there, all the players who took me around made me feel at home and like I was a part of team.”

Thurman, a 5-11, 280-pound offensive tackle, signed with Harding University. A two-year starter for the Bulldogs, Thurman was Fayetteville’s ‘most physical and most talented lineman’ last season, Patton said.

“It’s just a great school, it has a great educational system,” Thurman said. “I’ve taken a bunch of visits there, and also Ray Davis, who played for us from last year, went there. So I can relate to him, and he talks about how good the school is. So I think I can fit in there and really work towards earning a starting spot.”

Fayetteville tennis player Luke Lundstrum signed with Metro State University, located in Denver, Colo. The senior, who paired with Will Ginger in the fall to win the state overall doubles championship, was a four-year fixture for the Bulldogs.

“I’m very thrilled. I love tennis, it’s a great game and I’m ready to take it to the next level,” Lundstrum said. “Metro State is a school in downtown Denver, with about 22,000 kids. I had a great visit out there, they have great facilities, a great coach and I just love it.”

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