Although Ransom Everglades has an impressive array of sports teams, people don’t tend to regard it as a school defined by peak athleticism and recruiting.
Those people haven’t met some of the powerhouse programs within the Ransom Everglades Athletics Department. Specifically, the Sailing, Crew, and Water Polo teams are among the few at RE that annually have multiple athlete commitments to play at either the Division 1 or Division 3 level.
Throughout the history of RE’s Athletics Department, water sports have proved more successful than most land sports. Despite the occasional breakout land sports team (shoutout to the 2021-2022 Varsity Boys’ Soccer team), most athletic success comes from RE’s aquatic sports. As a result, it should not be surprising that most recruits come from said sports.
During the 2022-2023 season, RE’s Varsity Boys and Girls Rowing teams have had many players go on to compete at the next level. Crew, a sport many players began at the Ransom Everglades Middle School, competes year-round, with most competitions in the Spring season. While neither crew team has won significant awards over the past years, it has bred collegiate rowers who have gone on to compete all over the East Coast. This year, three members of the Class of 2023 have committed to row next year: Alexa Geller ’23 at the University of Miami, Fluorine Lijesen ’23 at Duke, and Thomas Segrera ’23 at Georgetown.
Crew, however, is not normally RE’s most highly recruited sport. That title goes to RE’s highly decorated sailing program. Let me give you a taste of some of their recent success. On October 29-30, Jackson McAliley ’23 and Griggs Diemar ’25 finished top 10 in the ICLA 6 National Championships. RE Sailing was the only school to have two top-10 finishers. In addition to a series of top finishes, two RE seniors have announced their commitment to sailing in Division 1. Olivia Drulard ’23 plans to sail at Dartmouth College, and Jackson McAliley ’23 plans to sail at the University of Pennsylvania.
For many members of the RE community, their athletics careers will only last during their time in high school. However, for those who strive to compete at the next level, the RE College Counseling Department has set up a process to do so. Beginning in your freshman or sophomore years, student-athletes will meet with coach Roger Caron, RE’s athletic recruitment counselor. Coach Caron helps students target and be seen by coaches amidst an extremely competitive pool of athletes who all strive for what is often one or two spots.
“Sailing greatly affected my application process,” said McAliley. “RE College Counseling, specifically Coach Roger Caron, helped me use my sailing ability and target it toward different coaches who were looking to recruit kids. The College Counseling office really helped me keep everything organized and on track.”
Oftentimes, collegiate athletic recruitment can be a grueling process. So, it is important to start reaching out early to coaches. “I was the one who started reaching out, and I started in the summer after my sophomore year,” said McAliley.
It is also important to be aggressive when trying to gain coaches’ attention. “Don’t be afraid to keep following up with coaches via email even if they don’t respond. I usually don’t get responses from people until I send multiple follow-ups and then get a conversation going,” said McAliley.
The process can be complex, requiring student-athletes to focus on their academic and athletic goals. They need to prepare and communicate effectively with coaches and recruiters, staying true to themselves throughout the process.
