LAKE FOREST, Ill.– At 3:30 p.m. yesterday in the Lake Forest High School cafeteria, eight LFHS student-athletes–from rowing to football to baseball to lacrosse–signed on with their future higher education institutions to continue their athletic careers.

Matthew Barigazzi (DePauw), Jack Brush (DePauw), John Deering (University of Chicago), and Bryan Ooms (Wyoming) all signed on to play football at the next level. Ooms, the only commit of the group slated to play Division I athletics, has accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the Cowboys, so no National Letter of Intent was required.

Caleb Durbin (Washington University in St. Louis) and Andrew Gough (Middlebury College) will continue their baseball careers at the Division III level after successful careers as Scouts.

Outside of the LFHS-sanctioned sports realm, Emilia Field will row at Smith College, a Division III institution in Massachusetts, while Lindsay Kuracina will continue her squash career at Dickinson College with Division III affiliation.

All of the athletes were addressed and welcomed by Lake Forest High School Athletic Director Tim Burkhalter, who congratulated the athletes, their parents, and the community for all they’ve done to support the careers of the athletes featured. Though no official National Letters of Intent were signed, the crowd roared in applause for each signee to commemorate great high school athletic careers.

Each athlete beamed with pride as they donned sweatshirts, hats, and even pens with their school’s insignia, truly marking a great day for the Lake Forest High School athletic program.