As the clock ticked down to 9:30, five student athletes stood around the Media Center Wednesday morning waiting for their names to be called so they could take their seat at the big table, surrounded by family members and coaches to sign their official letter of intent with their schools. Years of hard work and training led them to this day as they prepare to play their sport at the collegiate level.

These five players are Adam Goodman, Danielle Ajayi, Natalie Orcutt, Megan Binkley, and Rachel Williams.

The first player to sign his intent letter was baseball pitcher Adam Goodman.  The 6’6″ left-hander signed with the University of Georgia, where he has been verbally committed for the last two years.

“I was in a tournament and there were Georgia scouts there,” Goodman said. “They were actually looking at a guy from the opposing team, but I threw a no-hitter and they recruited me instead.”

Goodman is the second baseball player to sign with UGA in the last two years. Former teammate Ryan Avidano signed last year.

“I’m beyond excited to play with ‘Avi’,” Goodman commented. “He was my role model in high school and it’s going to be great playing along side him again.”

The second player to sign was volleyball player Danielle Ajayi. Ajayi will attend Southern Mississippi University and play for the Lady Golden Eagles in the fall.

“I love Southern Miss,” Ajayi said.   “I had other offers from schools, but I fell in love with the campus and everything about it. I’m really excited to play there.”

The next player to sign was Natalie Orcutt, who played softball for the Lady Panthers for four years. She will attend Appalachian State University in the fall. Following Orcutt was lacrosse player Megan Binkley, who will go to Brevard College in North Carolina.

The final athlete to sign was tennis star Rachel Williams. She is going to Columbus State University. Williams’ recruitment varied from the other four because along with playing school tennis, she played in individual tournaments and matches, which colleges look at more than school events. 

“There is a point system,” Williams said. “The more points you have, the easier it is for colleges to recruit you, so individual performances are a lot more important than school performance.”

While Williams loves the idea of going to Columbus State, it was not her first choice. She also was considering Elon, Western Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, and Appalachian State.   “I didn’t ever have a thought about going to Columbus State until I went down and visited it,” Williams said. “That’s when I fell in love with it.”