(YORK, S.C.) – Student Athletes have a hard job balancing books, practices, and competitions. Now the hard work is paying off for three teens at York Comprehensive High School .
All three have received scholarships to attend colleges in the either North or South Carolina. Three athletes signed to two schools surrounded by their loved, some in the audience, others here in spirit.
Skyler Leary, a senior said, “My grandparents, they supported me ever since I was two years old.”
Leary, a York native has signed with the Dance team at Limestone College. Leary has been dancing for 16 years, and says dance is her thing.
A picture, is a simple reminder, but she says her grandfather who passed last year loved to watch her dance, and had to be a part of her taking the next step.
Leary continued, “I just wanted him to be there with me. Even though he wasn’t there with me physically, I needed him there in some aspect.”
Fellow senior and third leading scorer in YCHS history, shooting guard Natalee Graham has chosen to play basketball for St. Andrews University.
The future special education teacher tells us, the academics swayed her to play for the knights.
Graham stated, “They have what I want to major in. I feel like campus and then the basketball is just a plus.”
Her fellow student athlete, JT Sanders will be playing football as a running back and linebacker for the knights as well. Sanders hopes to be a cop after he graduates, says he’s excited to fight for a starting spot with the knights. He recalled his visit, “The players were nice, they kind of brought me in as a family already, and I like that.” He explained why he was attracted to the newer program. “I wanted to buy into a new program, with somebody who was showing me that they wanted me there.”
Sanders and Graham are crossing the border to North Carolina, but will only be 2.5 hours from home. Leary is headed just up the road to Gaffney.
