Saying he wants to help turn around a program that finished with only one win a year ago, Helix star running back Michael Adkins announced his college choice Wednesday at the San Diego Hall of Champions, during a National Signing Day event.
The senior, with a 4.5 GPA, will be running with “Ralphie” for the next few years as a member of the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
Adkins, who helped Helix win a CIF Section Champion in 2011, said that Colorado’s new coach, Mike McIntyre, was instrumental in bringing him to Boulder. When “Coach Mac” decided to leave San Jose State, where he had been recruiting Adkins, the running back decided to follow him.
He knows that the team is young, but hopes that the right players can come in to once again make Colorado a national contender.
“Hopefully we can get things turned around in a couple years, and by my junior or senior year we will win the National Championship.”
Another local La Mesan, Grossmont soccer player Kylie Dick, announced that she would be attending Sam Houston State University next year, to continue her athletic and academic dreams.
More than 100 athletes from around the county were in attendance at Wednesday’s event, sporting sweatshirts, hats, jackets and sweaters from all over the map.
Former San Diego Chargers defensive back Darren Carrington gave a short motivational speech to the kids, and told them to take advantage of this opportunity to go to college and continue their education on a free ride.
His son, Darren Carrington, Jr. a star at Horizon High School, announced that he will play football for the University of Oregon next year.
In total, there were 114 announcements for athletes in 12 different sports. Football and girls soccer led the way with 32 announcements each.
There were announcements from dozens of student athletes in Patch towns. See the full list below:
Helix
Michael Adkins - University of Colorado, Football
Grossmont
Kylie Dick – Sam Houston State University, Soccer
Westview
Meagan Harbison – Pepperdine University, Soccer
Andrea Leano – Lenoir-Rhyne University, Soccer
Pressley Wiggins – Dominican University, Soccer
Danielle Gonzalez – University of San Diego, Soccer
Rancho Bernardo
Alina Broton – Cal Baptist University, Soccer
Colin Webb – Indiana University, Soccer
Bishop’s
Claire Manhard – Northeastern University, Volleyball
Geny Decker – Yale University, Soccer
Kelly Boutelle – Northwestern University, Volleyball
Gabby Hartman – Wilson College, Soccer
Viktor Wroble – Harvard University, Water Polo
Coral Halsley – Middle Tennessee State, Soccer
Mason Church – Rhodes College, Lacrosse
La Jolla Country Day
Ana Cruz – Texas A&M, Soccer
Ziad Demanhoury – University of Nevada-Reno, Football
Marco Scavuzzo – Colby College, Football
Sage Burmeister – Idaho State University, Football/Basketball
La Jolla
David Beary – Cal State Fullerton, Soccer
Karly Zlatic – Harvard University, Soccer
Logan McCarthy – Penn State, Water Polo
Torrey Pines
Katie Fletcher – Yale University, Soccer
Kristen Buchanon – Ohio University, Field Hockey
Jacob Alsadek – University of Arizona, Football
Kelsey O’Connell – UC Santa Barbara, Cross Country/Track
Garrett Heine – George Washington University, Soccer
Carlsbad
Kat Padgett – Arkansas State University, Soccer
Savannah Adkins – Anderson Univerity, Soccer
La Costa Canyon
Scott Quessenberry – UCLA, Football
Drew Ramsey – Cal State Monterey Bay, Soccer
Eden Borsack - University of California-Davis, Field Hockey
Shayne Davern, Air Force Academy, Football
Mt. Carmel
Megan Abutin – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Soccer
Michael Griswold – UCLA, Soccer
Alexis Hernandez – University of Iowa, Track & Field
Tevin Malone – Chadron State University, Football
Poway
Cassie Perkins – University of Findlay, Soccer
Bridget Wollrabe – Atlantic University, Soccer
Derek Babiash – University of Arizona, Football
Nehemiah Gross – Southwest Baptist, Football
Alec Moreno – University of Nevada-Reno, Football
Coronado
Ryan Halverson – Harvard University, Football
Justin Smith – Ohio Wesleyan University, Lacrosse
West Hills
Ariana Tran – Cal State Northridge, Soccer
