KENNEBUNK — It was a special day at Kennebunk High School on Friday as three seniors signed their National Letters of Intent to play sports at the next level.
Kennebunk’s Caitlin Wolfe signed with Division I Merrimack College to run track, while Samantha Creech will be heading to University of Maine Farmington to play Division III basketball and Grace Thompson will take her talents to Framingham State University to play D3 field hockey this fall.
All three Kennebunk athletes knew right away that they found their new homes.
“As soon as I met the coach. (Head coach Mark Connolly) was super nice. He really made me feel like I was here at Kennebunk, just at home, which I loved and that’s definitely what I was looking for,” said Wolfe.
Thompson felt the same way about Framingham State.
“When I visited (Framingham) and I met the team, I knew immediately because it had my major and it was in the right location as well as the team atmosphere was really a good environment to be around and it’s a really beautiful campus,” said Thompson.
Creech realized that Farmington would be the ideal next step for her because of the academic and athletic opportunities the school would provide.
“I’ve always loved basketball and my dad actually went to Farmington and played basketball there as well. I figured out that I wanted to go to school there for the Education program. Then I also felt after watching the (basketball) team play, and the fact that my dad went there too and played, that it was just the perfect fit for me and I would really enjoy it there,” said Creech, who plans to major in elementary education and minor in special education.
Wolfe is excited to become to part of a Division I program — and the KHS athlete gave credit to her supportive teammates for helping her get looks from the top college level.
“The coaches and the people around me, surrounding me during all my seasons whether it’s soccer, hockey or track, have always been super supportive. They really push me the whole time,” said Wolfe.
Creech agreed with Wolfe.
“I was in JV (basketball) my freshmen year and then played varsity the rest of my way. I think just the coaches and all the support from my teammates really helped me out a lot,” said Creech. “If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to even try to go for college athletics.”
Thompson believes her work with Kennebunk field hockey coach Kayla Billings has prepared her for the collegiate level.
“Athletically, my high school coach Kayla Billings definitely prepared me for all of my game situations,” said Thompson, who plans to major in wildlife biology.
The Kennebunk standouts are happy to finally have finished the recruiting process.
“It has always been a dream of mine to get to that next level and now that it’s really here it’s so surreal. It’s such a cool feeling to feel,” said Wolfe. “Throughout high school, I definitely tried to make it an effort to get to this level. Now that I’m here, I’m pumped.”
— Sports Writer Sienna Barstow can be reached atsbarstow@journaltribune.com or at 780-9018. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.