In a signing ceremony attended by family, friends and teammates on November 8, six Silver Knights inked commitments to play on college teams throughout the Midwest and East Coast.
Lacrosse player Nate Borman will join the Division 2 Cavaliers at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. A three-sport athlete who played football, basketball and lacrosse for the Silver Knights, Nate racked up impressive stats during his high school athletic career. In lacrosse, he was the team captain and a varsity starter his sophomore and junior years. Both years he was also named 2nd Team MVC. Overall, Nate scored 53 goals, had 29 assists and 59 ground balls, and averaged 28% shooting. We look forward to his spring season as a senior leader on the lacrosse team.
Coach Pat Collura says, “Nate is a tremendous asset to our team. He continually sets a great example for the younger boys both on and off the field. Nate works harder than anyone, especially during the off season to improve his game. He attends lacrosse team tosses during his football season, attends lacrosse team lifts and tosses during his basketball season, and continues to lead during the season. He will be an immediate contributor for Cavalier’s lacrosse program.”
Tommy DeRoussel will play Division 1 soccer at George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia. During eighth grade and sophomore year, Tommy played for Tovo Academy in Barcelona, Spain. During his junior year, he was named All-Southwest District, MVC Player of the Year and First Team All-MVC. As a club player, Tommy was First Team All Ohio Valley Conference (2022) and a Conference CUP Selection (2022).
His coach, Scott Sievering, says: “Tommy DeRoussel is one of the most hard-working players that I have ever coached. He matches his work ethic with the highest character, making him a quality player, teammate, and human being.”
Graham Hodge has committed to playing football for Johns Hopkins University, a Division 3 school in Baltimore, Maryland. Graham earned first team all league his senior year and was named captain by his peers. On defense, Graham recorded 59 total tackles, 21 of which were for a loss (4 of those were QB sacks). Offensively Graham was moved around this year and played tight end, fullback and guard. He recorded 44 yards rushing, 118 yards receiving, and numerous blocks that don't get recorded on a stat sheet.
Coach Mark Hafner says, “Graham is an outstanding football player and individual. His dedication to the team is unmatched. Graham just wanted his team to succeed no matter his position or play. He demanded excellence in his play as well as his teammates. I’m confident Graham will succeed at anything he puts his mind to.”
Soccer player Maggie McDowell will join the Division 3 team at Trine University in Angola, Indiana, in 2024. A four-year varsity letter winner, she was named 1st Team all-Miami Valley Conference twice and 2nd Team MVC once. Maggie has assaulted the records in her senior season. Her statistical ranks in program history include: 45th in games played with 70, 9th in goals scored (42), 21st in assists (18), 6th in game winning goals (13), 5th in multiple goal games (13) and is one of only 15 players to record 100 points, ranking 12th with 102. In addition to her Silver Knight career, she has been a member of Kings Hammer Soccer Club.
Coach Fee shared: "Maggie has been an energizer for us for four seasons. She leads the point of our press often forcing the opponent into mistakes that allows us to generate goal scoring opportunities. She has an unbridled joy in playing the game. Maggie plays with passion, intent and an energy that is tough to match. She is simply a competitor, one of the toughest and most determined I have ever coached."
Lily Mitchell will swim for College of the Holy Cross, a Division 1 school in Worcester, Massachusetts. During her Silver Knight career so far, Lily was recognized three times as All-MVC and 1st Team All-district. She has been to the state meet three times and was a state meet finalist twice as part of the 200-meter medley relay team who is the school record holder. She was also named Team Captain twice.
Coach Bret Miller says, “Lily has been the backbone of our team as well as our other swimmers’ biggest cheerleader in her time at Summit. She is a leader in and out of the water and one of the most talented swimmers to ever swim for the program. Her competitiveness and drive to succeed are her greatest attributes and help to push the rest of the team forward. We are so proud to see her continue her swimming career at Holy Cross.”
Samantha "Sammy" Vibberts will play Division 1 soccer at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Sammy was a four-year varsity letter winner, the last two years as a member of Summit's team where she served as team captain during the 2023 season. She was named 1st Team all-Miami Valley Conference twice, and 2nd Team MVC as a freshman. She was twice named to the all-SW Ohio Academic team and was named all-Ohio Academic this season. She contributed 20 goals and 19 assists over her career with a team high 11 assists last season.
Four of her goals last season were game winners including the game winning PK with 16 minutes remaining in the Regional semi-final game against Monroe. Besides playing as a Silver Knight, she has been a member of the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy.
Coach Fee was especially impressed with Sammy’s character as demonstrated following her season ending injury early in her senior year. He says: "Despite being injured, Sammy has stayed engaged in everything we do each day and is an important member of our team. She has served her teammates and coaches in any possible way while rehabbing from her injury. What a positive, meaningful example she has set for each of her teammates."