(Above, left to right, Morgan Englund (Lakeland Community College softball), Drew Miesle (Tiffin University soccer) and Jazmin Bulger (Owens Community College basketball) signed to continue their respective careers at the collegiate level)
FREMONT – In their senior seasons, Jazmin Bulger, Morgan Englund and Drew Miesle played key roles in the leading their respective programs to heights not experienced in years.
Wednesday, in front of family, friends, teammates and coaches, all three officially signed on to continue their athletic careers at the next level.
Jazmin Bulger
Jazmin Bulger
The signings took place Wednesday afternoon in the Fremont Ross gym, a fitting place for Bulger, who signed on to continue her basketball career at Owens Community College having starred as the Lady Giants’ go-to player on the court.
For Bulger, who thought she’d had her last moment in the spotlight in the Purple Pit, where she played on for four years, signing in the gym was only fitting.
“At first (athletic director Chad) Berndt said it was supposed to be in the library, and I was like, ‘Ok, that’s fine,’ then I got here and saw it was in the gym and I just felt at home,” Bulger said.
In her senior season, Bulger earned all-TRAC first team honors, was the Northwest District Division I Player of the Year and special mention All-Ohio. She averaged 16 points per game and led the Lady Giants to a 15-9 record, their most wins in well over a decade.
“She spent a lot of time in this gym, it’s perfect for her,” coach Juan Vela said. “There is a lot of sweat she put out in this gym during practice and even when we weren’t, practicing, on her own.”
Vela said as Bulger improves her physical strength at Owens, combined with her skillset, she’ll become a terrific fit for the Express.
“She’s going to start getting muscles she doesn’t think she has and that’s a big plus for her,” he said. “When you combine strength with her skill, I think she has a lot of upside to her game.”
Bulger plans to study sonography and hopes to continue her career beyond Owens’ two-year program, but academics will come first.
“I’d like to continue playing, if I can” she said, “but if my major doesn’t fit it in, I won’t be able to.”
Morgan Englund
Morgan Englund
Less than 24 hours earlier, in the Lady Giants’ 15-0 win over St. Joseph Central Catholic, Morgan Englund was trying to come to grips with her Fremont Ross softball career ending.
While her days in purple and white are over, Englund will continue her softball career in the blue, black and white of Lakeland Community College, east of Cleveland, playing pitcher and second base.
“It’s a really good feeling. I’m excited to see what Lakeland has for me,” Englund said. “It kind of sucks the season is over here because I’m going to miss everybody and playing in my hometown. But I’m really excited to continue my career.”
Englund pitched four years on varsity for the Lady Giants and was named TRAC honorable mentions her final three seasons. As a senior, she posted a .350 batting average and a .956 fielding percentage. She pitched seven shutouts and two no-hitters in her career.
Ross’ 10 wins this spring was the first time the program reached double-digit victories in half a decade.
“Playing in the TRAC is going to serve her very well,” Ross coach Tony Hill said. “She has always played up to her competition. The best games she pitched this year were against Whitmer, she pitched amazingly, she pitched great against Notre Dame twice, we just didn’t have the all-around assets to hold up to them.
“She doesn’t have to strike kids out to win games. She’ll work hard this summer, their coaches will get her ready to go and I think she’s going to be very successful.”
Englund, who plans to study criminal justice, said she’ll have to work on her comfort-level in batting left-handed, which she began doing as a junior, as well as develop her arm strength.
“I’m going to have to be in the gym a lot to get my arm speed and strength up,” she said.
Drew Miesle
Drew Miesle
Drew Miesle thought his soccer was over. He’d received an offer from Kennasaw State University in Georgia, but the distance and cost made attending prohibitive.
Then, a month ago, he began texting with Tiffin University’s soccer coach. Miesle then visited the campus and soon his dream of a college soccer career came to fruition.
“I just texted the coach and said, ‘Hey, can I play there for you?’ and he said ‘Come up for a visit and we’ll go from there,’” Miesle said.
Miesle totaled 18 goals and five assists in his four-year varsity career and was an all-TRAC honorable mention. His senior season, he helped the Little Giants to a 10-7 overall record, the program’s first winning season in recent memory, after going just 4-10-3 the year before.
Ross boys soccer coach Alex Coressel said Miesle’s skillset will make him a versatile asset for the Dragons.
“He’s going to fit in nicely and could play a few different positions,” Coressel said. “I think there can be a lot of growth for him over the next season or two.
“He could transition to midfield or he could still be a possibility up front, it will kind of depend on what their needs are at that time.”
Miesle, who’ll join classmate Sam Durbin on the Tiffin soccer team, said he is undecided about what he plans to study but is excited to continue his playing career.
“The past four years are a blur right now, but I can’t wait to start my college career,” he said.
“I feel like I’ll do the same stuff I did in high school, distribute the ball well, take a shot if I need to, and be the player I always was.”