Southern Arkansas University became the choice of three Magnolia female track athletes Monday morning.
The trio signed NCAA Division II letters-of-intent to further their athletic and academic careers at SAU next fall.
Shadiamond Love, Chassidy Jermany and Trinity Easter, all wearing their Blue and Gold T-shirts, held a joint signing ceremony inside the board room of Magnolia School District’s Administration Building. Family, friends, coaches and school administrators were in attendance.
“I am very excited to get this opportunity and head to SAU. I’m really blessed and looking forward to it,” said Easter. “I know I couldn’t have gotten to this point by myself. I had good coaches who really worked with me.”
Easter, Love and Jermany have been part of two state track championships and state one runners-up title over their four-year careers. All are four-year lettermen and all-conference performers. Jermany earned all-state honors this season after winning the state triple jump event and competing in last weekend’s Meet of Champions.
“This opportunity is great for me. I will love to complete my track career at SAU. The Magnolia track program has helped me better myself in many ways,” said Jermany, adding there’s no doubt that triple jump is her strongest event and she looks forward to carrying those skills to SAU.
Love, like her teammates, said she’s super excited about moving on to SAU.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do. Coming from a smaller school, Magnolia helped me in ways I only imagined. I had coaches coming out of no where helping me to get better,” said Love.
The trio also competed on Lady Panthers’ 4x100m relay team.
Head track coach Reshad Sims called the trio the centerpiece of his senior leadership.
“When something needed to be done, they took care of it,” he said
Sims said the athletes didn’t like to lose and took it personally.
“One reason they are going to be successful on the next level is because they are competitors. That means a lot to a coach,” stated Sims. “They all do what they do and do it well.”
Magnolia Athletic Director Marvin Lindsey Jr. also expressed his thanks to the athletes for their contributions to the program.
Though talented, Lindsey said each of them has a 3.4 or better grade point average.
“They are really student-athletes. People don’t realize how hard it was for them to be as talented as they are and still maintain high academic standards in the classroom,” he said. “As much as they did for us, they were still very good students.” He also said that Love, Jermany and Easter have set a “very high standard” for younger student-athletes who are coming behind them in track.
With teammates and other students listening, Lindsey challenged everyone to be like the three who had earn scholarships.
“You have to put in the time, in athletics and the classroom, in order to reach the level where they are,” he said.
Again, he praised the three Lady Panthers for not only being good athletes, but being good people who come from good families.
“You have been great ambassadors to our school and our community. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you, and I known I will continue to hear good things,” he added.