David Fiflis, Xavier University (Soccer)

As a player with an incredibly specific skillset at goalie, Chicago Fire Academy player David Fiflis ’15 quickly found that finding a college that could use his talents was a game itself.

“[The recruiting process] was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in my life. It’s a mess to say the least. It’s who you know, contacts, getting to talk to coaches, getting the opportunity to play in front of coaches. You need recommendations, emails, calls, voicemails…,” Fiflis said.

Finally, after a year of flux surrounding achieving his ultimate goal, Fiflis received his first offers from Bradley University and Xavier University – allowing him to stop worrying about recruiting, and next year, focus on winning.

“It’s a big sense of accomplishment. I’m relieved to have that whole process behind me, and actually get to focus on playing soccer for its enjoyment and not for evaluation. Playing at Xavier will be great. Hopefully I’ll get to compete for some championships,” Fiflis said.

Emma Haugen, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Track and Field)

LT Track and Field star Emma Haugen has decided to continue her career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, after winning two state championships and breaking multiple school records as a high jumper for LT track.

“I had by far the best time on my official visit at Wisconsin compared to other schools,” Haugen said. “I love the team and the coaches are really good at what they do and they’re super fun”

In high school, Haugen participated in many events besides high jump—including 100m hurdles, triple jump and the 4×200 relay. At UW, she will be scaling down the number of events she competes in.

“I’m excited to see how much I will improve as an athlete in the D1 environment where I’ll be training year-round and concentrating on fewer events,” she said. “I would’ve chosen UW even if I wasn’t running track–it’s a great school with good people, plus the campus is gorgeous.”

John Heilenbach, Villanova University (Baseball)

In baseball’s packed stadium, where only the most elite players survive the trials of Little League, travel tournaments, high school ball, and scouting showcases, John Heilenbach ’15 has flourished, earning an offer to play at Villanova University next year.

The third baseman/pitcher has chosen not to continue with LT’s team, opting instead to focus on his final year of high school baseball with the Rawlings Hitters in the spring and the Downers Grove Longshots in the summer, the latter an elite travel team which boasts thirteen Division I commits this year.

At 6-feet 4-inch, 205 lbs, Heilenbach’s athleticism, combined with his arm strength and hitting power, has allowed him to compete at the highest level; however, according to him, none of this would’ve been possible without the time he has put into his craft.

“It’s amazing that all this has happened in the past 10 years. All the hard work and dedication really paid off,” Heilenbach said.

Hannah Juley, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Volleyball)

As one of the nation’s top volleyball recruits, it may shock some that Hannah Juley’15 didn’t begin playing until she turned 13, and even then, it wasn’t her best sport.

“I played a lot of sports when I was younger – soccer, basketball, tennis – and volleyball was actually the sport I was worst at, and I loved the challenge,” Juley said.

The captain of First Alliance, her club team, and the LT team, Juley spent the past few years working to become one of the most coveted prospects at setter, arguably the sport’s toughest position.

A year ago, she fielded around three dozen offers from schools like Stanford, Nebraska, Northwestern, Michigan State and UCLA. In one of the toughest decisions of her life, she decided to commit to the University of Wisconsin because she believed that the program’s reputation and competitive environment gave her the best shot to win a national championship.

“The best thing in the world is competing…and fighting to be the best [that] I can be,” Juley said.

Harrison Niego, Indiana University (Basketball)

At his visit to Indiana University three weeks ago, LT’s all-time career assist leader, Harrison Niego ’15, threw up an alley-oop to his new teammate, basketball star and first-round NBA prospect Troy Williams.

The four-year varsity starter, often called one of the most underrated guards in Illinois, passed up other Division I offers at schools like Loyola University-Chicago, North Dakota State and Dartmouth to join the perennial Big Ten contender as a preferred walk-on – deciding that Indiana would give him the best chance to improve himself as a player.

As a freshman preferred walk-on behind Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, one of the nation’s top point guards, Niego will need to work to earn minutes – a challenge he’s more than happy to tackle.

“Going to a big-time school like Indiana who’s a national championship contender this year is a full-time job, and they make you work hard. It’s a lot of sacrifice. But it’ll work wonders for me in the future, and I’ll have a lot of fun doing it.”

Leonard Ross, Miami University (Football)

LT’s all-time career rushing leader and Miami University of Ohio commit Leonard Ross ’15 didn’t even have football on his long-term radar prior to his sophomore year.

“I planned on becoming an engineer. I didn’t even think I would get a scholarship. To get the opportunity to play in college with free tuition is a blessing, but that wasn’t in the original plan,” Ross said.

His plan changed when he moved up to varsity during the playoffs in his freshman year.

“I got playing time as a freshman, which was a really big deal, especially at LT. And at that moment, I realized I could actually do something with the sport.”

Ross’s short-term goal is to earn a starting spot as a freshman under second-year head coach and former Notre Dame offensive coordinator, Chuck Martin.

Long-term, Ross has his sights set on the NFL draft.

“I’m really focused on Plan A, which is going to the NFL. It’s especially hard with the conference that I’m in, but I believe if you’re NFL-bound, no matter where you go, you’ll end up there.”