You Won't Believe Which Four Fruita Monument Stars Just Scored College Sports Scholarships!

In a significant milestone for Fruita Monument High School's athletics, four students signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level during a ceremony held at the school on Wednesday. Among them were three standout athletes from the Wildcats' boys soccer program: seniors Carter Thomas, Rad Francis, and Alex Ravelojaona. This event was highlighted by head coach Clay McKeachnie, who described the day as historic for the boys soccer program.

“It’s great for the program, kind of a step up,” said Thomas, who served as team captain this season. “In the last few years, we haven’t had many people go off and play in college, so having four in one year is a major step. I think it’s a great moment for the program going forward.”

Thomas is set to continue his soccer career at King University, a Division II institution located in Bristol, Tennessee. Although he faced challenges this past season due to an ankle injury that limited him to just 11 games, Thomas credits the Tornado coaching staff with their unwavering support during his rehabilitation. “I didn’t go on my official visit because I was suffering from an ankle injury, but I kept in contact with the coaches from King, and they still found me valuable and wanted to keep me,” he shared. “People like that had my back, so I was pretty set on them.”

Francis will head to Newberg, Oregon, to play for George Fox University, a Division III school. He led the Wildcats in minutes played this season and emphasized the alignment of the university's values with his own. “I’m a Christian, and a big part of me is my faith. So that environment was a really big selling point,” said Francis, who also noted the importance of the soccer team's camaraderie. “It’s a group of desirable individuals to be with, and that’s a really big selling point when you’re going to be there for four years.”

Rounding out the trio, Ravelojaona will continue his athletic journey at Ottawa University, an NAIA program located in Ottawa, Kansas, about 50 miles southwest of Kansas City. “This year has been surreal. All of us have worked so hard for this moment,” he remarked. “It shows our work ethic and how important it was to get to that next level.”

Including Thomas, Francis, and Ravelojaona, a total of four members from the Wildcats’ graduating class will be playing at the collegiate level next fall. Wilson Siegmund, the team captain who signed with DePaul University in February, is the fourth athlete to achieve this milestone.

“As seniors, all of us together have made each other grow,” Francis reflected. “We’ve all grown up from freshmen, and we know each other, our strengths and weaknesses. Building that brotherhood strengthened our work ethic and our dreams and aspirations of going to that next level together.”

Also participating in Wednesday’s ceremony was senior Claris McCoy, who has been a significant contributor to the joint District 51 girls wrestling program. A three-time state tournament qualifier, McCoy will take her talents to Arizona Christian University next season. “As I got older, I fell more in love with the sport and wanted to continue competing in college,” she explained. “This means I put a lot of hard work in. Hopefully, that sentiment can be passed on to our younger girls, inspiring them to continue to work hard just like I did.”

McCoy had a remarkable finish in February, placing fifth at 155 pounds in the state tournament after previously finishing second as both a sophomore and junior at 170 pounds. She expressed her excitement about her decision to attend Arizona Christian. “Not only does the school align with my faith values, but when I went for my visit, I just felt really at home,” she noted, adding that she found a new sisterhood during her visit to the campus.

This year's Wildcats signing class has contributed to a growing trend in District 51, with a total of 41 student-athletes from this year's graduating class poised to compete at the collegiate level. Other local schools, including Palisade and Grand Junction High Schools, are also hosting signing ceremonies, showcasing a promising future for youth athletics in the region.