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Jack Mark

Jack Mark ‘26 committed in
III school in Vermont, for golf.
Mark, who was late to the sports application process, mentioned
a difficulty being that “my parents
[and I] didn’t know a ton about how
recruiting for golf work[ed].” While
sending out emails, he recounts being “a little nervous that I wouldn’t get a lot of responses, but at that point I was trying to gather information for if it was even possible, seeing if there was any interest. I just didn’t know what to expect.”
Mark wanted to go to a school
where it was both an academic
and athletic fit. “I knew I wanted
a smaller school, and my dad also
went [to Middlebury], so he had
a lot of good things to say about
it…my mom is also from the East
Coast,” said Mark. “[They were] very
helpful and supportive to me. They
didn’t try to put any extra pressure
on me for making it work out.”

"It was nice to meet the team. I'm excited to go there next fall."

Mark visited Middlebury during
a camp between his sophomore and
junior years, shooting 72 in front
of the coaches. “The environment
playing in front of coaches was pretty fun,” he recalled. “You definitely do feel a little pressure, especially because with visiting schools on the East Coast, it’s pretty much the only time they’ll get to watch you play.”
“[Committing] in some ways
give[s] [me] a little confidence,”
Mark added. “But at the same time,
I’m not going to be thinking about
that during the high school season.
We’re going to be more focused on
our team.”
Mark reflected, “I’ve always
enjoyed being a part of a team. It’s
nice to know that I will get to do
that.”

Submitted by Mark

Submitted by March

Mercy March

Mercy March ‘26 committed
in October to Colorado
College, a Division III
school located in Colorado Springs,
for swimming.
March has been swimming
competitively since she was five,
and started emailing and talking
to colleges before her junior year.
She described college recruitment
as “a completely new experience”
and “a long process.” March said
“want[ing] to go somewhere [she]
[could] swim,” in addition to
“go[ing] somewhere that was good
academically,” which helped narrow
down schools during the search
process.
“It’s hard because it can feel like
for certain schools, for swimming,
[that] you’re not fast enough... It
can feel like rejection,” explained
March, “For certain schools, it’s
like, ‘You need to wait until you
get faster, and then you can email
me back.’”

“It felt right...It felt like
the team was like a
family.”

March said her advice would
be “knowing it’s all going to be
okay.” She reflected, “I feel like
I was overly stressed…It all kind
of worked out in the way it was
supposed to, but I know there was
a period of time where it felt like,
‘I’m never going to find a school
I want to go to.’ But it’s all gonna
be okay.”
March loved Colorado College
because of how welcoming the
team was. “They knew so much
and were invested in each other’s
lives. They asked about ‘How was
the test you were talking about,’
or ‘You were telling me you were
going to this concert; how was
it”?” said March. “I’m excited to
be part of the team.”

Jack Ulland

Jack Ulland ‘26 committed
Division III school outside of
Philadelphia, PA, for lacrosse.
Ulland’s journey towards
committing was long, and like
many athletes, uncertain. While first
starting the process in his “eighth-
grade year,” after sending emails
and getting limited responses,
Ulland “lost a lot of hope.” He
added, “There was a time when
I thought I wasn’t going to go
anywhere for lacrosse, where I was
like, ‘I’m not good enough.’”

“I love playing, and it’s
really awesome to have
an opportunity to play at
the next level.”

Ulland explained, “I’d been
sending a million emails to a
bunch of different coaches, but
I was at this camp for fun on
the summer…and [the Haverford
coach] saw me [and] emailed me
like, ‘I really like you.’” Ulland
detailed that after almost giving
up on the process, “Haverford
expressing interest…got me back
on board,” and that despite his
initial aspirations for Swarthmore, a
neighboring school, his acceptance
“was a happy surprise.”
Beyond getting to know his
new team, which he described as
a group of “really awesome guys,”
Ulland is most excited “to play at
the next level…Everybody’s fine
in Minnesota, but when you go
to the East Coast, it’s an entirely
different level of competition.”
He emphasized the importance of
coaching, and is excited “to have
the chance to…be coached every
day and get better,” something
he wouldn’t have received if he
played on a club team.
“I just love lacrosse, and want to be the best I can be,” said Ulland.
“[And now] there’s an actual light
at the end of the tunnel.”

Submitted by Ulland

Seniors Commit

Three seniors share their commitment story

Jack Mark

Mercy March

Jack Ulland