Three Lorain athletes make college choices

Three student-athletes signed their college National Letters of Intent at Lorain High School April 19.

Quarterback Justin Sturgill (Mount Union), volleyball player Seven Townsel (Salem) and Jazmeir Prayear (Heidelberg) for track took part in the ceremony.

Sturgill helped guide the Titans to back-to-back postseasons, including a Division I regional final run in 2016.

“I am overwhelmed,” Sturgill said. “This decision to play football has carried on but at first I was going for academics. But I’ve always wanted to have that extra experience at a college level. I wanted to take that in and have fun doing it.”

As for a lot of students, staying near home was a deciding factor for Sturgill, who eventually wants to get into physical therapy.

“I’ve always wanted to have a school that wasn’t too far from home but was a good distance and that was my main goal,” Sturgill said. “And it had to be a great academic school. I went there on a visit and it’s a beautiful campus.”

Prayear, who runs in multiple events for the Titans, is the first Lorain girls track athlete to commit to a college to compete in track in four years.

She is also the first from her family to go to college and plans to major in early childhood education.

“I chose Heidelberg because it’s a small school and their track team is really good,” she said. “I’m all about setting examples and I look at myself as a leader of the team. I didn’t really want to run at first, but then I started thinking about it and it can be really good for our city. I like it, so why not?”

For Townsel, the academics at Salem appealed to her most and she plans to major in political science.

“As I got older, I always thought I would go to school for sports but reality hit me and you have to go for their academics,” Townsel said. “I went to Division III so I can focus on that more and kind of split it. My time here at Lorain was a journey, but I’m very happy I took this course of life. I feel like I’ve touched a lot of younger girls’ lives.”

FUAD SHALHOUT — THE MORNING JOURNAL From left, Seven Townsel, Justin Sturgill and Jazmeir Prayear at the signing ceremony at Lorain High School on April 19.