Four IR seniors to hit college fields and pools this fall

With summer around the corner, plenty of high-school seniors are eager to graduate and take that next step in their lives. For several Indian River High School student-athletes, that next step will come sooner than others, as they prepare to continue in the classrooms, as well as on the fields – and even in the pool – this fall.

Seniors Ashley Conroe, Kelsey Minyon, Logan Linden and P.J. Kraushaar announced their intent last week to attend Division III schools where each will enroll later this year.

Conroe, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the soccer pitch earlier this season, plans for a full recovery by the time she takes to practice with the women’s soccer team at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach.

“Steve Kilby really helped me develop as a player through high school,” said Conroe of the Indian River head soccer coach. “I’ve learned to practice hard and developed team leadership since playing for Indian River.” At Virginia Wesleyan College, Conroe plans to study political science.

Minyon, Linden and Kraushaar will all be enrolling this fall at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., but each for different sports.

While many senior football stars from Indian River’s class of 2012 helped the team along to a state championship back in December, Kraushaar is the only one going on to continue on the gridiron in college. Other standouts from the title team, including Jamie Jarmon and Tyler Dean, are pursuing baseball at their universities and colleges.

“It’s pretty cool to be the only one representing our championship team this year,” said Kraushaar, who plans to go into pre-med studies while at McDaniel.

In the past three years, Indian River has introduced cross-country and swimming – along with track-and-field – as the newest varsity sports at the school, and for the first time, students will be representing the Indians on the cross-country course and in the pool as college freshmen as they head to McDaniel College.

Minyon, who only began running cross-country in her sophomore year, will continue this fall as a member of the Green Terror.

“Before I started,” she recalled, “I didn’t even know how far a cross-country meet was. [Head coach Major Frank] Ryman helped us work on our times and really taught us about preparing. The first year, we all just kind of got out there and started running, but each year, we’d continue to improve on something new.”

After considering several collegiate options, Minyon said she felt McDaniel College offered the best opportunity for her sport and her planned major, biology.

Similarly, Linden had never competed in any swimming events prior to joining the newly developed program at Indian River during his sophomore year of school.

“Our coaches, Colin Crandell and Donna Smith, really helped us all develop as swimmers,” he said. “I wouldn’t have gotten where I did if it weren’t for them.”

Linden plans to major in mathematics while at McDaniel College.