Fourteen different W.F. West student-athletes were honored in a signing ceremony on Thursday in the high school commons, a group that is believed to be the largest of college-bound athletes in the school’s history.

The 14 athletes will play nine different sports across four states, including four Oregon-bound athletes, a Montana-bound football player, and a Kentucky-bound bowler.

“It almost covers everything we do,” W.F. West athletic director Tommy Elder said. “It’s just really neat, and it’s really fun.”

Julia Dalan (Basketball, University of Portland, Tucker Land (Football, George Fox University), Amanda Bennett (Lane Community College, Track and Field) and Emily Mallonee (Track and Field and Wrestling, Eastern Oregon University) will be heading south of the Columbia River.

Carlos Vallejo (Football, University of Montana Western) will head to Dillon, Montana and Savanna Hoyt-Siler (Bowling, Midway University) will bowl in Midway, Kentucky.

Grace Simpson (Basketball, Lower Columbia College), Addison Froschauer (Softball, Centralia College), and Jaelynn Fuentes (Soccer, Pierce College) will be sticking in Washington state to compete.

Weston Potter (Golf, South Puget Sound Community College), Gage Brumfield (Football, Eastern Washington University), Kage Homan-Shearer (Wrestling, Evergreen State College), and Ross Kelley and Deacon Meller (Baseball, Lower Columbia College) will also stay in the Evergreen State.

It’s the second straight year that the school has hosted a group signing event, and many of these 14 signees were in attendance last spring when seven former Bearcats signed their National Letters of Intent.

“I think it just kind of builds on itself,” Elder said. “I think these guys are individually amazing people, but I think it’s a product of the culture that our coaches and community value and have been working towards over the last several years.”

And just like last year’s group, and all the ones that came before it, Elder and the other W.F. West coaches will be eagerly following along as these athletes take the next step.

“As much as these kids have grown in the last four years, there is so much that they continue to do,” Elder said. “It’s a blast to watch them come back on their breaks, talk about their success and their challenges, and just watch them grow.”