City High sends 11 to ‘next level’ during signing day

IOWA CITY — National signing day is celebrated nationwide as high school seniors sign with colleges to continue playing sports at the next level.

This year, 11 different City High seniors signed.

At the ceremony, all of the athletes were introduced and their coaches were invited to come speak about them.

'I just hope you realize, and I think you do, that you're very well prepared to move on,' head football coach Dan Sabers told the signees. 'I hope you come in there feeling 'hey, I've got a little advantage, my four years at City High have prepared me well not just for the football aspect of it but how to conduct your lives and how to be a student-athlete as well.''

After the coaches spoke, the athletes came forward to thank coaches, parents, teammates and mentors before signing their letters of intent.

The Little Hawks who signed are:

CROSS COUNTRY

Mary Arch at the University of Iowa

DANCE

Hailey Fay at the University of Arizona

FOOTBALL

Charles Johnson at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls

Gabe Nkumu at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn.

Jared Taylor at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D.

Naeem Smith at Ellsworth Community College

Narada Poole at Ellsworth Community College

Nate Wieland at the University of Iowa

Vance Dillon at Ellsworth Community College

SOCCER

Grace Brown at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln

SOFTBALL

Gabi Hiatt at Cornell College in Mount Vernon