BENTONVILLE -- Taylor Pike's road to becoming an Olympic swimmer will now go through College Station, Texas.
The Bentonville High swimmer and three-time state record holder pointed her career that direction when she signed a national letter of intent to swim at Texas A&M during Wednesday's ceremony at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
"I've dreamed of going to Texas A&M since the 2012 Olympic Trials," Pike said. "I've always wanted to go there. Steve Bultman, their head coach, is a legend, and with their program I know I can get further than I have ever gone in swimming. Hopefully, I can be in the running for the 2020 Olympic Games."
Pike reached the Olympic Trials semifinals last summer in the 200-meter butterfly and is a USA Swimming national team member this year, as well as a member of Team USA in the 2016 FINA Hong Kong Marathon World Cup and the FINA Open Water World Junior Championships.
On the high school side, Pike has yet to be beaten in three straight years and was last year's all-NWADG co-Girls Swimmer of the Year. She currently owns the record in the 100-yard butterfly, the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle, as well as a partial owner of the state record in the girls 400 freestyle relay.
"Texas A&M really respects their athletes," Pike said. "Everything about it was a great combination because I know I can do really well with athletics and academics, and I'll have so many great friends there for life."
Pike was one of eight Bentonville athletes to sign with colleges Wednesday, the first day of the early opening signing period. Fellow swimmer Hayden Harlow signed with Penn State, while pole vaulter Matt Keown made Arkansas State his choice.
Harlow is a two-time all-NWADG Boys Swimmer of the Year, set the state record in the 200 IM during last year's state meet and helped Bentonville's boys set state records in the 200 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay. Penn State was his choice after an official visit there, although he also made trips to Kentucky, Arizona State, Texas Christian and Florida State.
"It's a relief that all the hard work has finally paid off," Harlow said. "It's unbelievable after all the hard work I've put in over the year. I owe it all to my parents, my teammates, my coaches and all the support that has got to me to this point.
"The outstanding reputations and traditions of athletics and academics at Penn State are unmatched by any other school I visited. Along with the team chemistry on the men's side and the rich tradition at Penn State, it was an easy choice."
Keown rose to recognition last season when he cleared 15 feet, 2 inches and finished as the state Class 7A runnerup in the pole vault. Now he has taken aim at the school records in that event and wants to break one of them -- either 16-0 indoors or 16-3 outdoors -- this spring.
"When I started on the track team, I went through several levels of seniors ahead of me sign with colleges and went to their ceremonies," Keown said. "I would look at them and thought I was only in track through high school.
"As school progressed, my pole vaulting skills became higher and higher, to where I would be accepted into college. It's an opportunity I didn't think would come, but I'm happy that it's here."
Golfer Kate Robertson became the fourth Bentonville athlete to sign and chose to continue her career at Newman University, an NCAA Division II school in Wichita, Kan. Robertson recently completed her high school golf career by winning the Class 7A state girls individual title and finished as a four-time all-conference and all-state player.
Meanwhile, four members of Bentonville's state championship softball team also signed with various teams. Alyssa Downey and Maddy Prough chose Crowder College, while Payton Wildeman picked Southwest Baptist, and Jordan Gartman signed with Missouri Southern.
Prough was the starting pitcher in Bentonville's run to the first state softball championship in school history, finishing 19-0 with only 17 runs allowed (11 earned) over 113.2 innings and 181 strikeouts. Wildeman and Gartman both started at shortstop and third baseman, respectively, while Downey hit .333 in limited action.
Sports on 11/10/2016