Student-athletes taking it to the next level
Andrew Pantazi
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Sports
At the end of finals, many sophomores are nervous about admissions decisions and choosing where to go to college in the fall.
Going to a four-year school can be frightening for some. Students are constantly plagued with questions of how they will afford a four-year college, what they should major in, or where to go for school.
However, some students are also making decisions about where they should continue their athletic and academic careers.
FCCJ student-athletes are at a time where they are approached by colleges who begin offering scholarships and places in their athletic departments.
Some students also have to decide whether they wish to continue playing sports or continuing to a four-year school that will not offer them a spot on the team.
For some sophomores, they can look at the current athletic success of some former teammates.
Two pitchers from last year's baseball team were drafted and are currently playing for minor league teams. JonMichael Redding, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2008 MLB draft, and Johnny Hellweg, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted in the 16th round by the Anaheim Angels in the 2008 MLB draft.
Redding is currently starting for the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan. While Hellweg played for the Arizona League Angels in the 2008-2009 season, he has not yet been added to a new team roster.
Dwayne Joshua and Derrick O'Neil have entered the world of college basketball with success at their respective schools. O'Neil, despite playing much of this last season with a broken hand, was highly successful as a forward at Florida Gulf Coast University.
O'Neil led his team in rebounds and steals, and he had the second-highest number of assists and field-goal percentage. Although Joshua is not yet starting for the North Carolina A&T Aggies, he has been in the top-three for free throws and three-pointers.
Latoya Drake, a former women's basketball star who graduated from FCCJ in the spring of 2007, recently finished her senior year as a forward/center for the Miami Hurricanes. During her senior year, she started in 19 games.
Going to a four-year school can be frightening for some. Students are constantly plagued with questions of how they will afford a four-year college, what they should major in, or where to go for school.
However, some students are also making decisions about where they should continue their athletic and academic careers.
FCCJ student-athletes are at a time where they are approached by colleges who begin offering scholarships and places in their athletic departments.
Some students also have to decide whether they wish to continue playing sports or continuing to a four-year school that will not offer them a spot on the team.
For some sophomores, they can look at the current athletic success of some former teammates.
Two pitchers from last year's baseball team were drafted and are currently playing for minor league teams. JonMichael Redding, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2008 MLB draft, and Johnny Hellweg, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted in the 16th round by the Anaheim Angels in the 2008 MLB draft.
Redding is currently starting for the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan. While Hellweg played for the Arizona League Angels in the 2008-2009 season, he has not yet been added to a new team roster.
Dwayne Joshua and Derrick O'Neil have entered the world of college basketball with success at their respective schools. O'Neil, despite playing much of this last season with a broken hand, was highly successful as a forward at Florida Gulf Coast University.
O'Neil led his team in rebounds and steals, and he had the second-highest number of assists and field-goal percentage. Although Joshua is not yet starting for the North Carolina A&T Aggies, he has been in the top-three for free throws and three-pointers.
Latoya Drake, a former women's basketball star who graduated from FCCJ in the spring of 2007, recently finished her senior year as a forward/center for the Miami Hurricanes. During her senior year, she started in 19 games.