Three Convent of the Sacred Heart student-athletes from the class of 2016 will have the opportunity to continue their sports careers at Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools. Senior Tracey Hagan will play in the Atlantic 10 Conference on the Davidson College women’s soccer team. At Cornell University, senior Madison Miles will play squash, and senior Ana Schonander will compete in sailing.
Madison played squash in Middle and Upper School, competing at the varsity level at Sacred Heart as well as dedicating her weekends to competing on travel teams outside of school.

“I started out as a competitive tennis player, but I stopped playing tennis tournaments when I got more serious about squash, and started training at Chelsea Piers in Stamford in ninth grade. Once I hit junior year, I started playing tournaments every weekend and training every day,” Madison said.
Madison is looking forward to the challenge of competing on a highly ranked squash program, but also looks forward to the amicable community of the team.
“It will definitely be a more competitive and more intense atmosphere than I’m used to. We train for about two hours each day, but I’m excited to be part of a team that is close-knit and very supportive,” Madison said.

Tracey believes that playing soccer at Davidson College will provide a unique opportunity to meet new people.
“I think it will give me a different college experience. Being a member of the team binds me to something much bigger than myself. It will expose me to students in other grades, and allow me to be a part of a larger community of students,” Tracey said.
Tracey will also miss the camaraderie of the Sacred Heart varsity soccer team, despite looking forward to her future college career.
“I have enjoyed the bonds I have created with all the different players from the grades below me. I will miss the girls I have played with for the past three years. There’s nothing like seeing the same people you pass in the hallway on the field with you,” Tracey said.

Ana has been sailing since she was eight years old, and she enjoys the smaller sailing community. Already familiar with some of her teammates on the Cornell sailing team, Ana looks forward to the higher level competition.
“Something I love about sailing is that the people you grow up competing against you will see again when you compete in college and further along in life. I am looking forward to being on a team with some people I know, and to compete against my friends at regattas,” Ana said.

 
 
 
– Emily Coster, Staff Writer
 
A previous version of this article incorrectly credited the sailing photos. The staff apologizes for this error.