According to a national study on collegiate athletes, a little over 7% of high school athletes play varsity sports in college, with less than 2% at the NCAA Division 1 level.

For Liberty’s class of 2022, there are several seniors in that 7% who have already committed to collegiate athletic programs. 

For starters, senior Freddie Weisbrod, a cornerback for the Liberty football team, has committed to Eastern Washington University, D1.

“Signing day was December 16. Full ride,” Weisbrod said. “I’m most looking forward to being able to do what I love—football—at Eastern Washington. It was the school that showed the most commitment to me – and it’s close to home.”

Like Weisbrod, senior cross-country runner Anna Grabowski is also planning to compete for a D1 school with Gonzaga’s cross-country and track Program.

“I verbally committed to Gonzaga on January 6,” Grabowski said. “The recruiting process started sophomore year, right when COVID-19 started. I trained by myself in my neighborhood and didn’t have any guidance from my coach. I needed times for my junior year, but with a short track season, it was difficult to race with fewer opportunities—none of the athletes could. Then I got injured, and this year was out of the picture.”

Despite the challenges she has overcome from a year filled with stress fractures and delayed racing seasons, Grabowski remains optimistic about her future at Gonzaga. 

“As a preferred walk-on, I have a secure spot on the team, but my scholarship officially begins my junior year if I improve my times. I’m looking forward to proving to myself that I can make it, even after my injuries,” Grabowski said. 

Beyond the usual stress caused by the recruitment process, making connections during COVID-19 has offered several obstacles for Liberty’s athletes. Senior soccer player Liv Teves has committed to Wingate University in North Carolina, D2, and commented about the process to get there. 

“I had five options, but I wanted to visit each school to feel comfortable with the team, coaches, and the school environment,” Teves said. “I had a highlight video filmed and coaches scouting me at a tournament in Florida before contacting me, but I didn’t have as much exposure because I couldn’t travel.” 

However, once conditions for travel cleared, Teves was able to decide which school was best for her: Wingate. 

“I really liked the international culture of the school: I have teammates from Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, and France. I’m looking forward to college because I love the sport and I love the people,” Teves said.

For any interested high schoolers aspiring to participate in collegiate athletics, many of our seniors offered some valuable advice.

“It doesn’t really matter how many coaches you know or connections you have—what matters is putting in the work and getting your name out there,” Weisbrod said. 

“The recruiting process is hard, so the earlier you start, the better. It’s all up to you,” Teves said.

“You should go to the college because of the college, not because of the athletic programs. Your first priority should be academics, but if athletics are there, go for it!” Grabowski said. 

Despite the innate challenges built into the recruitment process and trials our athletes faced during COVID-19, Liberty’s class of 2022 has defied the statistics – in football, cross-country, soccer and more! Congratulations to all our committed seniors!