SEVEN LOCAL ATHLETES SIGN
Chad Plath will soon become teammates with a current high school rival.
Cory Glasgow is looking forward to continue playing football on the next level.
Plath and Glasgow are two of a combined seven Lodi and Tokay senior student-athletes who took part of the first day of the spring version of the NCAA’s national letters of intent. They signed In front of family, friends and coaches who gathered inside Lodi High library and the entrance of The Jungle on Wednesday afternoon.
Plath, a Lodi High baseball player, will be going to Greenville University in Greenville, Ill. Part of Wednesday’s signing included Allisa Yabumoto, softball, at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.; Paige Mattei, volleyball at Norte Dame De Namur in Belmont and Maria Hernandez, cross-country also at Norte Dame De Namur.
Glasgow was one of three Tokay seniors who signed, as he will be playing football at Humboldt State University in Arcata, near the California-Oregon border. Zoe Offield will be playing on the women’s golf team at Monterey Bay University and Jazmin Ruiz will be competing on the Menlo College women’s wrestling team in Atherton.
Lodi
Plath got to stay in a threeperson dorm when he visited the Illinois college campus during his visit.
“They were really outgoing,” Plath said. “We played video games. One night, we went into the indoor facility and we were playing catch and throwing BP (batting practice) to each other. I just had a great time with them.”
Next spring, the current Lodi High baseball player will be teammates with Tokay second baseman Jaime Quesada, who signed an agreement to play at Greenville College last fall. The Flames’ baseball player is looking forward to wearing the same uniform with Quesada in spring of 2019.
“I know he’s (Quesada) going to take up a lot of leadership
over there,” said Plath, who plans to major in engineering. “They offered me what I wanted most, which was an education.”
Yabumoto has been a catcher on the Lodi High softball team for the last three years. Although she’ll be out-of-state, she’s ready for new challenge in the classroom and college softball diamonds.
“Feels like home,” said Yabumoto, who plans to major in biology.
Mattei, who was a three-year starter on the Lodi High volleyball team, and Hernandez, also a three-year starter on the school’s varsity girls crosscountry team, proudly donned
the same Catholic university Tshirts at the signing. Although they will be playing in different athletic programs, both girls have a strong hunch that they will be seeing each other around campus and networking with the others’ teammates.
“I feel like a little of home is following us,” said Mattei, whose major is undecided. “We can follow each other around.”
Tokay
Glasgow, who transferred to Tokay from Tri-City Athletic League rival Lincoln at the start of his sophomore year, admitted to family, friends and coaches at Wednesday’s signing that many years ago, he wanted to focus more on baseball instead of putting on a helmet and shoulder pads.
But thanks to his family,
Glasgow, who was a running back, defensive back and inside linebacker for the last two seasons at Tokay, showed happiness, and at times emotions, when addressing family and friends inside the entrance of The Jungle about going to Humboldt State.
“The campus is pretty nice,” said Glasgow, who plans to major in communications. “The coaches are persuasive. The teammates were very welcoming.”
Offield, who advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section’s Masters Tournament and barely missed the cut to earn a NorCal berth, likes the golf courses on the coast that Monte Rey Otters will be playing.
“The area, how important it is to golf,” said Offield, who’s planning to major in kinesiology. “It’s close enough to home, but not too close. It kind of felt like I was on vacation because it was so nice. On my visit, we got to play nine holes.”
Ruiz is the second Tokay wrestler who will be looking to pin down opponents at the Bay Area college next school year. Carter Bozovich, who was part of the Tokay wrestling team that won its second consecutive TCAL title last winter, is the other and will be on the Menlo College men’s wrestling team.
Ruiz was not intimidated by watching the Oaks’ women’s wrestling team during her visit. The squad was preparing for the nationals during her trek.
“The girls were supportive and excited,” said Ruiz, who’s going to major in psychology. “It made me feel like I want to be there.”