Committed senior Niamh McLaughlin will be playing Division I women’s rugby at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. McLaughlin will also be studying nursing and is excited to continue both her athletic and academic career.

What is your favorite thing about rugby?

“I really like the community that it builds. We’re all really close compared to other sports, and, for example, after every game, we go over and have a pizza party with the other team. It’s like a big party; it’s great.”

What position do you play and what do you most enjoy about playing that position?

“I was a flanker up until this year, and this year I’ve been moved to inside center, which I’m not quite sure about yet, but it’s pretty fun to be able to kick and have more freedom than I had as a forward.”

Why did you want to play rugby at the collegiate level?

“I want to have that higher level of competition and community and the team, I’ve met the team, they’re all awesome.”

What about Sacred Heart that enticed you to play for them?

“The coaching, the coaching was awesome. We did a clinic, me and Gaby [Lomuto], which was super exciting, and we got to meet some of the team, and we got to tour the campus. It just seemed to be everything that I wanted to see in a college.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’d like to pursue at Sacred Heart?

“I’m very excited about nursing. I love anatomy and I’m really excited to expand my knowledge on that.”

Do you have hopes to play rugby beyond the collegiate level?

“We’ll see!”

Do you have anything else that you think is important to include about your experiences with rugby or your commitment?

“I think that everybody should try rugby because it’s awesome and anybody can play rugby.”

Senior Miles Lipka is committed to University of Rhode Island for Division I track and field. Along with track, Lipka will be studying bioengineering.

When did you first start track and field?

“My first exposure to it was at the yearly track camp here at Algonquin…I did it for quite a few years when I was in elementary school and middle school, but I didn’t join an official track team until freshman year here, but I always looked forward to the track camp like all year, so I knew it was gonna be my favorite sport.”

What is your favorite thing about track and field?

“You’re testing your pure physical capabilities, which I mean, I’m more talented in track than other sports, so that’s part of it, but just being able to see measurable progress as you train and it’s almost like you’re trying to optimize yourself.”

What position do you play and what do you most enjoy about playing that position?

“Well, I do multis, so I do like 10 different events…I do pentathlon and decathlon right now. In college I’ll do the heptathlon and decathlon…Part of the reason I do the decathlon is that I love the variation in training, and it’s like, I can do something new every day. I even do a few different events every day, so it’s always new and exciting. Each event has its own different parts of it that are fun.”

Why did you want to do track and field at the collegiate level?

“I have dreams to maybe even get to the elite level, the next level, so of course I wanna continue on. It’s a really big part of my life and I just feel like, for the time being, I definitely want to continue with track. I don’t really have, I don’t know, there’s no reason for me to stop, really.”

What about this college enticed you to play for them?

“From the track standpoint, it’s one of the best teams in a very big area around here. The coaches are great, the team’s great and the facilities are really good, too. It also was a nice fit for me; it was close to home, I like the campus and the area and I felt like the overall vibe, the size of the school and everything would just be good. It was a combination of that, and the fact that the track team was so good.”

What are you most looking forward to in these next four years of your life?

“I’m just excited to be in a new environment, everything is gonna be different. I wanna see where I can go with track and just meeting new people and life in general.

Do you have hopes to continue track and field beyond the collegiate level?

“Right now I’m trying to take it one step at a time. First is to get to the NCAAs. I mean, I have four years in college, so it’s quite a while that I can try to work my way up. I think at college, you can join some open meets, so if I continue to get up to a higher level, I’ll be able to keep joining bigger and bigger meets. Hopefully, I get to the highest level.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’d like to pursue at the University of Rhode Island?

“Right now I’m committed for bioengineering, but I’m not certain if I’ll follow through with that. I’m not set on what my path will be for life, but that’s where I’m at right now.”

Committed senior JP Heller plans to play Division III men’s volleyball at Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY. Even though he started playing the sport later than most, he quickly developed a passion for it.

When did you first start playing volleyball?

“I actually got involved the summer before sophomore year, cause I did a beach volleyball camp. I was like, ‘This is kind of cool.’”

What is your favorite thing about volleyball?

“It’s a very team oriented sport and everybody’s so nice about it.”

What position do you play and what do you most enjoy about playing that position?

“I play setter…I like [being] the decision maker. It’s like being a quarterback.”

What about this college enticed you to play for them?

“I really like the coach, the coach and school. They have a really good forensics program too, so it is kind of aligned.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’d like to pursue at  Hilbert College?

“Forensics and criminal justice as a dual major. I’m trying to go into maybe the FBI for forensics.”

Do you have anything else that you think is important to include about your experiences with volleyball or your commitment?

“It’s never too late to start.”

Committed senior Brooke Adams will be attending Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT after being recruited for their Division III basketball team. She intends to pursue a STEM-based degree.

When did you first start playing basketball?

“I started playing in first grade, so pretty young.”

What is your favorite thing about basketball?

“My favorite thing is the people I play with. I have made some of my best friends while playing basketball, and they just make it so much more fun.”

What position do you play and what do you most enjoy about playing that position?

“I play guard and I really enjoy shooting the ball.”

Why did you want to play basketball at the collegiate level?

“I wanted to play because both my parents and my sister did. Once I entered the club world, it was kind of expected as we played to get recruited.” 

What about this college enticed you to play for them?

“[Wesleyan University] has really good academics and also a really good culture. Without basketball, I would love to go there, but basketball just makes it more fun.”  

What are you most looking forward to in these next four years of your life?

“I’m most excited to expand my world. I’ve been in Southborough and Northborough for so long, so I am excited to meet new people and learn new things in a new place.”

Do you have hopes to play basketball beyond the collegiate level?

“Maybe if the opportunity presented itself, but I think that these four years will most likely be my last.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’d like to pursue at Wesleyan University?

“Probably something in science. Right now I am thinking about biology or environmental [science], but I am not sure.”

 Do you have anything else that you think is important to include about your experiences with basketball or your commitment?

“Keep trying. The recruiting process and trying to play at the collegiate level cannot always be the easiest process, but everything will work out in the end.”

Committed senior Brendan Staunton will be attending Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY after being recruited for their Division III lacrosse program. Staunton plans to study business.

When did you first start playing lacrosse? 

“I started in first grade.”

What is your favorite thing about lacrosse? 

“I like the team aspect, and I like how fast it is.”

What position do you play, and what do you most enjoy about playing that position?

“I play defense, and I think it’s fun being able to hit people.” 

Why did you wanna play lacrosse at the collegiate level? 

“I had some of my good opportunities that would’ve helped my academics as well to get into some schools, and I just really like the sport.”

What about this college enticed you to play for them? 

“I have a few friends I know that play for my club that have had really good experiences there, and I really like the coach, I really like the campus. It’s a school I think I could see myself at even if I wasn’t playing a sport there.”

What are you most looking forward to in the next four years of your life? 

“I’m really excited to be on a team again. And, I guess it seems like a pretty fun school to be at, a fun town. So I’m looking forward to hanging out with the guys and playing lacrosse too.”

Do you have hopes to play lacrosse beyond the collegiate level? 

“No. Not really.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’d like to pursue at Skidmore College? 

“I’m planning to major in business.”

Senior Liam Dunn plans to continue his golfing career playing Division II golf at Assumption University in Worcester, MA while studying accounting.

When did you first start playing golf? 

“Since before I can remember, it was like three or four.”

What is your favorite thing about golf? 

“I think I like how hard it is; you’re always challenged, you can never be perfect, so I think the fact that you always have something to work for is good.”

Why do you want to play golf in college? 

“Well, I wasn’t good enough to play basketball in college, so I picked golf. I just think it just runs in my family, my whole family loves golf, so being able to do something that everyone around me loves is a good thing.”

What about this college entices you to play for them? 

“In recent years, they’ve gotten really good at golf, taking trips to the [Division II] national championships. It’s nearby as well and I can stay near my family, so it’s really competitive and it’s close to home.”

What are you most looking forward to in the next four years of your life? 

“Just being able to compete, being able to play all the time and just being able to do what I love.”

Do you have any hopes to play beyond college?

“I think everyone dreams of playing professionally, so that’s my dream. I’d love to be able to at least try to play professionally. Not sure if it’ll happen, but I’m definitely going to give it a shot.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’d like to pursue?

“Accounting.”

Senior Jordan Lopez has committed to University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth to play Division III football and will study criminal justice. 

When did you first start playing football? 

“Sophomore year.”

What’s your favorite thing about football? 

“My favorite thing about football is the family feel. There’s no other sport where you have to go out and it’s like a fight. The team being very close is very important.”

What position do you play and what do you like playing about that position?

“For high school, I played outside linebacker and wide receiver, but I’m playing wide receiver in college. I think my favorite part about that is being able to make plays for my team,the overall excitement of playing receiver and being able to show my athleticism.”

Why did you want to play in college? 

“I know I could get better.  I think going to UMass Dartmouth is a great opportunity to play and improve on my skills.”

What about UMass Dartmouth enticed you to play there?

“I can be happy there playing all four years. It could be a great stepping stone for improving, moving forward and maybe transferring if I play well my freshman year.” 


What are you most looking forward to in the next four years of your life? 

“To learn, improve as a human and become a man. Obviously, sports are important, so having those goals in mind, but being happy where I’m at regardless.”

Do you have hopes to play beyond the college level? 

“I think any college athlete has those kinds of dreams and goals, but for me, it’s one day at a time.”

Do you have any ideas of majors or other focuses you’re pursuing? 

“Criminal justice. I’m doing an internship in the Northboro Police Department.”