Puma athletes sign to colleges

Seniors Lily Mulligan, Elle DeMange, Olivia Rivera, and Josh Volmerding, pose in front of the camera (Photo: Luke Shimer, The Puma Prensa)

By Matt Anderson, staff writer

Tuesday, Jan. 10, was a special day that four outstanding MCHS athletes will never forget. During advocacy, a signing party was held to celebrate their accomplishment of a collegiate signing to compete in their sport at the college level, a place that few people reach. These amazing athletes included Josh Volmerding, committed to California Polytechnic San Luis Obisbo for baseball, Lily Mulligan, committed to San Diego State for track and field, Olivia Rivera, committed to California State San Marcos for softball, and Elle DeMange, committed to California Polytechnic San Luis Obisbo for track and field as well as cross country.

There was an exciting energy in the room as the four athletes saw their hard work pay off in the form of a celebration by their school, coaches, friends, and family. All of them had worked tirelessly for the past several years to reach where they are now. While they all credited a handful of people for supporting them along the way, a common denominator was the incredible effort and sacrifices made by their parents along the way. “I cannot thank my dad enough for the life he has given me, and the countless sacrifices he has made to let me live my dream of playing collegiate softball,” said Rivera. Athletic Director Jerry Deakins rightfully made sure to salute the parents, as well as other supporters, at the party.

These athletes live for the high levels of competition in high school sports. They are ready and eager to continue their sport in college. “I’m looking forward to the training environment. Carrillo has a really good track team, and we have a lot of dedicated athletes, but I think it will be really cool to experience that at a higher level,” said Mulligan. Track and field is arguably the most successful sport at MCHS, so to see Mulligan be a leader in that, as well as wanting even more, speaks volumes about where she strives to be. The women’s track and field team is incredibly strong this year, and Mulligan will be a big contributor in the upcoming season. She currently holds the Redwood Empire freshman, sophomore, and junior pole vault records, and she is poised to capture the senior record as well this spring.

To play sports in college certainly requires countless hours of putting in the work to get there, but it should also be noted that they all knew they had the ability before they were scouted. 

“I realized I could play in college when all my stats and numbers were very good compared to other players in my grade and position. I also realized it when playing high school competition became very easy, and I didn’t have to think about it; I was just better,” said Volmerding. This through-the-roof confidence was enough to push Volmerding to his goal and keep him pushing to where he finds himself now.

While the party was fairly informal, as all the athletes had actually previously signed to the colleges officially beforehand, it was still a great opportunity for them to be recognized and celebrated. “I enjoyed seeing and talking with everyone at the signing party,” said DeMange. The room truly was packed as each of the athletes had lots of people there for them. 

Volmerding, Rivera, Mulligan, and DeMange have each taken a huge step in their athletic careers, and it will be exciting to see what they do next.