Earlier this month, three Woodland Christian student-athletes mapped out the next few years of their athletic careers when they all signed college commitment letters as they look forward to the next competitive step.

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, inside Jack Hamlin Gym in front of a bevy of family, friends and school administrators, softball standouts Adison Huiskens and Teagan Hayes committed to play for Idaho State University and the University of Tennessee at Martin, respectively, while golf star Allie Nguyen committed to continuing her game at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

Last season, Huiskens and Hayes were critical pillars of the school’s softball squad. They helped lead the team to an impressive 18-5 season, including a perfect 5-0 against their Central Valley California League rivals, leading to the Cardinal’s fourth consecutive league title.

That performance earned them the No. 4 seed in the Division V CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs. Their season, however, ended in the seminars against No. 1 seed Sutter, who completed their campaign unbeaten as section and NorCal champions at 30-0.

After the season, Huiskens and Hayes were rewarded with an All-Central Valley California League team award, along with teammates Morgan Sanders, Maggie Wurzel, Macie Timothy, and Emily Garcia.

As a four-year varsity player, Hayes has already racked up an impressive list of achievements, including winning the 2023 CVCL MVP in her sophomore year. Last season, Hayes continued her assault at the plate, racking up 6 HR, 37 RBI, 43 runs, 1.109 SLG, 0.630 OBP, 0.971 PFCT, 0.531 BA and 5 steals.

She also struck out 2 after facing 5 batters in 1.0 inning pitched.

“Teagan is always there as a force. Her presence at the plate, higher-caliber teams have learned to pitch around her,” Cardinals head softball coach Christie Miller told the Daily Democrat back in July. “Teagan had to be prepared to make in-game adjustments coming through the lineup for the second or third time. She’s always a strong presence behind the dish for us as well.”

“I’m super excited to get the opportunity to go play at the next level,” Hayes said after penning her letter. “I’m very excited to not only have the opportunity to get an education but to play sports at the same time.”

Last season, the Skyhawks finished with a 30-22 record, earning a No. 8 seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship.

Hayes mentioned that the D1 program in Tennesee felt like home and offered the academic route she would like to take after her playing days.“It’s a smaller school, but it’s D1, and that’s the dream,” she said. “It felt like home. It’s super pretty out there, and they have the academic route I want to go with paired up with a great softball program.”

Huiskens, who played a great third base for the Cardinals, ranked near the top of several league stats alongside Hayes. The Idaho State commit recorded 5 HR, 36 RBI, 41 runs, a 0.542 BA, 1.083 SLG, 8 SB and a 0.602 OBP.

“It’s been so fun to watch Addy on the field. There is really no position that she doesn’t have the ability to play. The only one she wants to stay away from is pitcher. She can cover any given position, even caught a little bit here and there for us and did well with that,” Miller told the Daily Democrat in July. “She’s so fast and it’s fun to see her level of confidence on the field, knowing she can take advantage of mistakes and get an extra 60 feet. Watching her in the field get to those balls that you think sometimes nobody can get to, then she makes a fantastic play. It’s so fun to see her level of speed on the field.”

Last season, the Bengals amassed a 25-27 overall record as a member of the Big Sky Conference in the NCAA Division I FCS.

“I’m beyond excited to play college softball,” Huiskens said. “I think it’s going to give me a lot of opportunities that will be great for me and my family. It’s going to open new doors and push me to levels I have never been pushed to.

“As a softball player, playing at the next level is going to be awesome. Meeting people who are better than you pushes you. College softball is becoming a bigger thing now, and I think, as athletes, it is hard to go to college for softball, so having the opportunity is amazing.”

While Huiskens didn’t foresee herself going there at the start of her recruit journey, she mentions she decided to commit after talking to the team’s coaching staff.

“I went on a visit after getting an offer to see how it went,” she recalled. “Once I met the coaches, I knew that was home for me. They are absolutely incredible and are amazing people, and that’s why I chose that school.”

Nguyen was instrumental during the girls team’s journey of winning back-to-back Golden Empire League titles in the program’s first two years of existence. For her troubles, Nguyen racked up back-to-back GEL golf MVP awards, along with two individual section titles. This past season, she also led the team to its own team section championship.

As a sophomore in 2022, she helped the boys win a league championship, inspiring the school to start up the girls’ squad.

“She was clearly the leader of our team,” Cardinals head golf coach Tuan Nguyen said. “She was the only player that we have that plays year-round, and it’s such a big advantage in golf. After playing with the boys, I’m very happy Allie went to play high school golf with her friends. It was just a really fun and unique experience.”

“I am super excited,” Allie said. “Playing in college is something I have dreamed of since I was a little girl, specifically with golf. Accomplishing this means a lot to me and my family. We are all super excited.

“It was a school I really wanted to go to,” she continued. “They have a great academic program. Golf just really worked out for me. I love the school and love the area. Thank you to my parents and everyone who supported me. I hope that everything goes well.”