As the school year comes to a close, 14 student-athletes from the Class of 2025 have announced their college athletic commitments and are preparing to begin their collegiate careers.
These seniors have dedicated years to their sports, balancing academics and athletics while earning recognition from coaches, teammates and families.
Three of the seniors—Ashton Beale, Jackson Evans, and Kira DeVrieze—announced their commitments in early 2024 and participated in a signing day celebration during lunch on November 14.
Beale, who’s played women’s lacrosse for six years, committed to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in October 2023.
“It was hard to decide where I wanted to go,” she said, “but Charlotte is basically a brand-new program, and I want to help build a winning team and strong culture.”
Evans, a four-year pitcher for the Diamond Tigers, has played baseball for 13 years and committed to Liberty University in Virginia on May 6.
“There was a lot of pressure around committing, especially with coaches coming to games and wanting to talk after,” he said, “but I learned it’s more important to choose a school where you feel you’ll fit in—not just one with a big name.”
DeVrieze, a libero with seven years of volleyball experience, committed to Delaware State University in April 2024. She is one of two Tiger volleyball players to commit to an historically Black college or university (HBCU) this year. Junior Haara Umenwaliri, a middle hitter for Chapel Hill, also committed to Howard University in fall 2024.
“I’ve always been interested in attending an HBCU,” DeVrieze said. “I made it a point to reach out to schools like Delaware and Howard because that was the kind of experience I was looking for beyond volleyball.”
Ava Grace Knott, a teammate of DeVrieze and Umenwaliri who’s played volleyball for nine years and beach volleyball for five, committed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham on May 7.
“Even though my path didn’t go the way I thought it would, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play in college,” she said.Beale and fellow senior Emily Breschi, both captains of the women’s lacrosse team, helped lead the Tigers to deep playoff runs in 2023 and 2024.
Breschi, who committed to Rollins College in Florida in November 2024, called the decision especially meaningful.
“Throughout my life, I’ve watched people fall in love with the sport, and I’ve definitely done the same,” she said.
For many seniors, comfort and community were key to their decisions.
Lyla Berman committed to Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, for track and field on March 24.
“Flagler had the most appeal to me because it feels like home,” she said. “It’s a tiny and connected community, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Though Flagler is seven hours from Chapel Hill, Berman said she’s ready for the change.
“I’m excited to experience everything that comes with being in a new environment,” she said, “and I’ll definitely take the backbone that CHHS track has given me.”
Distance runners M.J. Mestas and Kate Hinson-Hume both committed to Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where they’ll run cross country and track together.
“For me, the commitment process was kind of strange,” Mestas said. “It was more casual, and I had personal interactions with coaches, which helped show my interest in the program.”
Hinson-Hume said her visit to Rhodes sealed the deal.
“The best part was when the coach let me meet some of the current athletes,” she said.
On the football field, Carlos Ortega-Reyes and Jonathan Johnson have grown together over the course of four years with the program. Ortega-Reyes committed to Winston-Salem State University and Johnson to Concord University in West Virginia.
Ortega-Reyes played defensive tackle for two years on junior varsity and two years on varsity, finishing the 2024 season with the third-most sacks on the team.
Johnson, who also played guard, said he’ll miss the bond that came with football.
“I’m really gonna miss the family-like community football gave me,” he said. “Being close with my coaches was a really important experience.”
Ortega-Reyes and Johnson won’t be the only Tiger athletes playing a contact sport next year.
Siena Palmisciano, who has wrestled for 10 years, committed to Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, on January 10.
“I was really indecisive between two schools for a while because of differences in the coaching,” she said. “I ultimately decided based on the school overall.”
Men’s soccer goalkeeper Ryan Becker started looking into college programs during his sophomore year and began reaching out to coaches late in his junior year.
“Even though I started early, I didn’t really start the actual recruitment process until later,” Becker said. “I learned how important it is to stay on top of everything—something that will help me in college.”
Diego Moreno, another goalkeeper, didn’t play for the Tigers soccer team but has spent 11 years playing the sport, competing for the MLS Next Triangle United club. He committed to Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania on February 16.
“My club coaches definitely influenced my decision, and I’m really grateful for all their support,” Moreno said.
Luca Prione, a four-year member of the CHHS swim and dive team, committed to Lafayette College in early January.
“I’m looking forward to taking my academics and athletics to the next level,” she said, “but I’ll definitely miss the close-knit feel of CHHS athletics.”
As a final send-off, all 14 student-athletes—along with every senior who played a sport during the 2024–2025 season—will be recognized at Senior Athletics Night on Wednesday, May 28 from 6–8 p.m. in the cafeteria.
