Four Summit High School athletes signed letters of intent during a signing ceremony held at the school Wednesday afternoon.
Shelby Penning will be attending Chattanooga State to play softball. Matt Melendy is headed to the University of the Cumberlands for track and field. Emily Szymanski signed to play soccer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, while Hayley Jones will play soccer at Cumberland University.
Summit High School Athletic Director Chad Kirby opened the ceremony with a message for the athletes.
“This is always an exciting time for us at the athletic department,” he said. “It’s always good to see good kids be able to move on.” Kirby then emphasized that the athletes were making it to the next level not just due to their athletic abilities, but also due to their strong characters and academic records.
Next, Penning sat down to sign her letter of intent while two of her coaches spoke to the crowd about her.
“She’s a coach’s dream player because her work ethic matches her talent level,” Jenny Stevenson, who was Penning’s softball coach in middle school, said. “And that’s so rare to find a person whose super-athletic and talented and also willing to work really, really hard for what they want.”
Amanda Potts coached Penning in high school.
“Chattanooga State we all know is one lucky school,” Potts said. “They’re getting an extraordinary young lady, and notice that I didn’t say extraordinary athlete because I feel wholeheartedly that Shelby is an equally amazing person as she is an athlete.”
Matt Melendy was the next one up to the signing table. His track coach, Johanna Bourdon, told a story about him that spoke to his dedication and devotion to his sport.
“At the beginning of the school year last year, the first thing he had to say to me once he found out that I was the track coach—and mind you this is August—he said, When is track gonna start?, and I said, Probably during track season,” Bourdon recalled.
To Bourdon, Melendy’s eagerness to participate is a key part of why he’s going on to compete at the collegiate level.
“That type of self-motivation is what makes him so very easy to coach,” she said, before marveling at how he had improved his high jump by six inches over the past year.
“I am very excited to see you sign for the University of the Cumberlands, but I am more excited to see you reach the goals that you have set for yourself this season. I’m really proud of you, Matt,” Bourdon said.
Emily Szymanski and Hayley Jones, the two soccer players, went to the signing table together while their coach, Clay Watson, expressed his admiration for their achievements.
“You guys have set the bar for the future and for everybody else that has aspirations for playing and you’ll always be first so that’s exciting,” he said.
He then pointed out ways in which Szymanski and Jones had distinguished themselves in their high school athletic careers.
“Hayley acted as a member of our coaching staff most of the time this year which is rare to be able to do, and Emily it’s hard to find somebody that you have to convince not to play when they’re injured, but that’s who you are and I’m excited about what you’re going to bring to your college programs,” Watson said.
After each athlete signed their letters, they took pictures with family and milled about, talking to coaches and friends.
Hayley Jones said she was excited to be able to sign to Cumberland University on Wednesday. She’s looking forward to “just doing my best and having a great season” at Cumberland.
Emily Szymanski is also excited that pretty soon she’ll be experiencing college life as a student athlete. She said she was feeling “very grateful and blessed, and all my hard work has paid off,” she said.
Shelby Penning was nearly struck speechless by the emotions she was feeling on signing day.
“I don’t have any words,” she said. “I’m super excited. It’s a big relief to figure out where I’m going, and I’m can’t wait to get there.”
