Gabriel Ivins, GFS Class of 2017, on the soccer field. (Photo courtesy of GFS)

by Alyce Callison

At Germantown Friends School, the tradition of supporting and developing scholar-athletes is thriving. With a handful of seniors signing to compete for D1 colleges and universities this year (Jack Lentz of Chestnut Hill will play squash for the Naval Academy; Nick Dahl of Center City will run track and cross country at Yale University; and Jonathan Plass of Wynnefield will run at Cornell University), many GFS students have also found the right match for their passions in D3 schools, which will allow them to continue to compete at a high level while also immersing themselves in a rich academic life.

“D3 schools offer students a great deal because of their solid combination of strong academics and high-level sports teams,” said Katie Bergstrom Mark, Director of Athletics at GFS.

Gabriel Ivins of Mt. Airy who is interested in studying economics in college, said he’s “very committed to being a scholar-athlete,” and has promised his soccer talents to Kenyon College next fall.

“Their soccer program is really strong,” he said. “I think they can win a national championship in the next four years. However, more importantly, it is a great school with some really nice people.”

Closer to home, Haverford College will welcome GFS’s powerhouse hitters, Garrett Melby of Wyndmoor and Thomas Primosch of Chestnut Hill who have committed to play baseball for Haverford Coach Dave Beccaria. 

Multisport standout Sam Istvan of Mt. Airy will play basketball for Haverford—and could find himself as a teammate of Melby’s and Primosch’s, thanks to his pitching talents. Alex Rittler of Huntingdon Valley threw the shot put, discus and javelin for personal and league records this season, and will join Haverford’s competitive Track & Field program.

Seniors Ellie Zack of Bella Vista and Griffin Kaulbach of Center City have been mainstays in the Tigers’ distance program, with Kaulbach recruited to compete in the Centennial Conference for Haverford College, while Zack will run for the University of Chicago next year.

Ray Hill-Cristol of West Philadelphia who has co-captained the most victorious soccer squad in recent GFS history, garnering All State recognition, will attend Pitzer College in Claremont, California in the fall and will play for the D3 Pomona-Pitzer team, which competes in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

GFS rowers Laila Okeson of Fairmount, Gabe Sher of Germantown and Quentin McKnight of Wynnefield are also planning to continue their athletic careers next year at, respectively, Northwestern University, Northeastern University and Drexel University.

Navigating the college process requires a discerning approach to identify a place and environment that supports students fully — and grows with them as they continue to explore passions and discover new interests.

“Athletics is an anchoring force in all of this,” said Bergstrom Mark, “and we find that students who continue to play sports in college often have benefits in academics and other areas of their lives, too. These students are so fortunate to be participating in such high-quality programs.”

Alyce Callison is the website and digital communications manager at GFS.