Competing at the national and international level, nine Steamboat Springs soon-to-be graduates were celebrated during a signing day celebration at Kelly Meek Gym on Thursday, where they put ink to paper and signed their commitments to compete at the next level. 

Steamboat Springs High School Athletic Director Luke DeWolfe said days like Thursday make his job special. He congratulated the kids for being within the 2% of high school athletes who advance to play in college, and ended his speech with this message: 

“We are really excited to see what you guys do at the next level — I can’t wait to see what happens. Your past success and sacrifices will now help you in the future. We are extremely proud of all you have achieved at Steamboat Springs High School and now you have the opportunity to take a little bit of Steamboat out to all of these amazing places.” 

Nine athletes to taking their abilities to the next level:

• Grey Barbier, Nordic Skiing, Montana State
• Kiersten May, Nordic Skiing, Williams College
• Wyatt Shaw, Football, Colorado Mesa
• Henry Magill, Nordic Skiing, Dartmouth College
• Gwyneth Jamison, Soccer, Bates College
• Michael DiNapoli, Golf, Lafayette Ben College
• Finn Hartsel, Football, Wisconsin Lutheran College
• Will Haden, Football, Mendoza United Football Club in Argentina
• Charley Lodwick, Nordic Skiing, Montana State

Colin Kagan, a Steamboat Springs High School graduate in 2023, took a post-grad year to focus on skiing and will join the Alpine ski team at St. Lawrence University in the fall as well.

Haden is the lone Sailor athlete that will live internationally this fall. His goal was to play soccer abroad and selected Argentina above other opportunities in Europe.

Haden will be staying at a hotel MUFC rents out while training, eating and bunking with his teammates. He will also be able to set aside several hours per day for online classes to continue with academics.

Haden is looking forward to the opportunity to play soccer in South America and is thankful to his teammates, coaches and parents for their endless support. He is excited to see where his time at MUFC takes him. 

“Their goal is to get you, in 8-9 months, out of the program as soon as possible because they are looking for you to get on the market and hopefully go play in South America or Europe … The whole goal is to get you out and get exposure and then go play internationally.”

DiNapoli had a stellar high school career on the golf course and won the regional tournament this fall. He is excited to test his game at lower elevation courses while competing for the Lafayette Leopards in Easton, Pennsylvania. 

“I fell in love with the game ever since I was young,” DiNapoli said. “I had a profound love for it and I wanted to keep going on to the next level. I visited (Lafayette) earlier this fall. The campus is beautiful; it’s a smaller school which is what I’m looking for.” 

At Lafayette, DiNapoli will study business with a focus on finance. He thanked his parents for the endless support every step of the way, and their tireless commitment to help him succeed. He also is thankful for his coaches across all sports for their encouragement through his athletic endeavors.

Charley Lodwick, a student at Steamboat Mountain School, described Montana State University as her dream school. She had compartment syndrome and needed surgery in March, which led to uncertainty if she would get a spot on the Bobcats’ Nordic skiing roster.

By the end of March, Lodwick received an email from Bobcat coach Adam St. Pierre, offering a spot on the team. Lodwick said it was an “immediate yes.” She will be studying physiology and exercise science while in Bozeman, and most looks forward to all the recreation opportunities she will have at her disposal. 

Lodwick had the chance to watch the Bobcats compete at the NCAA championships and the University of Colorado invite in Steamboat Springs, as well as the University of Denver invite in Vail. She said it was awesome to get a small taste of what to expect at the collegiate level. 

“I really wouldn’t be able to do it without my team,” Lodwick said. “They make Nordic skiing so fun and it is kind of a brutal sport, so you have to have those positive influences to be able to enjoy what you do and they really do make it more enjoyable.”