Brunson inks with Arkansas Tech
Rogers High's Trevor Brunson got a late start to golf, but used a strong work ethic to show great improvement throughout high school. That perseverance gave him the chance to continue his golf career in college.
Brunson made that official by signing a letter of intent to play at Arkansas Tech at a ceremony Thursday afternoon in the commons area.
"I chose Arkansas Tech because the coach showed interest in me and showed they wanted me," said Brunson, who started golf as an eighth-grader. "I didn't feel like I was doing the recruiting. I visited Missouri Southern, but with the tradition of what the coach has done there at Tech the past few years. Last year, they finished in the semifinals for the national championship and that was really appealing for me."
Brunson was a three-time all-conference and all-state selection and had an even-par stroke average this season. He also finished sixth at the Future Masters and third at the ASGA Junior Invitational this year.
Mooney chooses Oklahoma Christian
Simon Mooney, who helped Bentonville High set a state swimming record in the 200-yard medley relay earlier this year, signed a national letter of intent to swim at Oklahoma Christian during Wednesday's ceremony at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
"It was mainly the environment," Mooney said of his college choice. "It's a smaller campus, but it's just 10 minutes away from Oklahoma City. The student life seems to be really good, and they accommodate their athletes really well over there. I'm looking forward to that."
Mooney teamed with Zane Sutton, Hayden Harlow and Ryan Husband to swim the 200 medley relay in 1 minute, 34.19 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 1:35.97 the Tigers had set in 2016. He also swam in the 200 freestyle relay, where Bentonville finished second.
He said he will focus on the backstroke during the season while preparing for the college ranks.
-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
Miklos bound for Montevallo
Lacrosse isn't a sanctioned high school sport in Arkansas, but that didn't keep Bentonville High's Brendan Miklos from getting to sign a letter of intent.
Miklos, a senior midfielder, signed with Montevallo -- an NCAA Division II school located in Pelham, Ala. -- during Wednesday's ceremony at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
"The campus is beautiful, and they have a really good educational program," Miklos said. "That's what I was looking for. I want to be a teacher when I get older, hopefully help kids grow. I also want to coach at a high school, have my own team and have my own lacrosse players sign with colleges."
Miklos is a member of the new lacrosse club at Bentonville after a three-year tenure with the NWA Bulls lacrosse team. He handles the faceoffs and prefers aggressive play over finesse, but said he will focus on both offensive and defensive improvement as he prepares for the college ranks.
-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
Providence seniors sign LOIs
Providence Academy in Rogers had two student-athletes sign national letters of intent on Thursday to continue their basketball careers.
Matiss Sivins, a 6-foot-8 combo guard who averaged 24.2 points and 9.3 rebounds, signed with Arkansas-Fort Smith.
"I love the coaching staff. They just made me feel at home," said Sivins. "It's also very close to my family and friends here at Providence, so it was the perfect fit."
Haley Kate Webb, a 6-foot senior forward who led the Lady Patriots to a state championship last season, signed with Harding University. She was recruited by a host of other colleges, including Brown, Cornell and Arkansas Tech.
Webb averaged 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds last season and was named the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Division II Player of the Year. She is the career scoring leader at Providence Academy with more than 1,300 points, and she scored a 30 on her ACT and will graduate at the top of the 2018 class.
-- Chip Souza • @NWAChip
Sports on 11/10/2017