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Two Wellsboro seniors announced their plans to continue their athletic careers on Tuesday, May 17.

Shyann Foreman will attend Division III Thiel College to play tennis, while Owen Covert will attend Lycoming College for football.

Foreman was third on the tennis team with 7 singles wins, and went 11-1 in doubles action, with her only loss coming in the second round of District IV doubles.

For her career Foreman has won 19 singles matches and 22 doubles matches.

“I’m very excited and I can’t wait to start,” Foreman said. “I did a recruiting site through NCSA and I saw Thiel and decided to look at that, and when I visited everyone was very friendly. It kind of felt like one big family and everybody knew each other and that’s what I was looking for in a school.”

Wellsboro girls tennis head coach Jill Gastrock is extremely proud that Foreman decided to continue her tennis career at the collegiate level.

“Shyann started as a freshman an extreme beginner, but she made every effort to better herself,” Gastrock said. “She took private lessons and went to camp. She played hard and practiced outside of practice, so she has just been one of the most improved players I’ve ever seen from start to finish from the beginning of her freshman year to the end of her senior year. I couldn’t be more proud of her carrying on and playing in college.”

Covert has been the Hornets’ anchor on the offensive line for the past three years, and help lead the Hornets’ to their first-ever District IV championship in his senior year. As part of the offensive line, Covert helped the Hornets rush for 2,575 yards (189.1 yards/game), while only allowing 16 total sacks on the year (1.23 sacks/game).

“I’m pretty excited and really hyped about going to play somewhere that’s not Wellsboro and get a little bit of a different feel especially at a high level,” Covert said. “Lycoming is a nice little campus where everything is right there. The program is great, both football and academically.”

While Covert will start at the bottom in the fall, he feels Wellsboro has prepared him to compete for a starting spot.

“We’ve always played at a high level and had high standards for ourselves, kind of like a college program I think,” continued Covert. “We’re definitely one of the better schools in the area and I think its really helped us get ready for the next level.”

Covert joins Wellsboro alum, and his offensive and defensive line coach, John Johnston, in addition to five other Hornets (Matt Kennedy, Mitch Marzo, Chris Morral, Will Osgood, and Matt Sweet) to play for the Warriors. Coach Johnston is very proud that Covert is joining the Lycoming program.

“It means a lot to me personally,” Johnston said. “Owen has spent a long time with me, a lot of hours together. He’s been probably my favorite player I’ve had the opportunity to coach. Just seeing him grow into the man he is now it means a lot. To see him go to my alma mater and playing football there like I did, I’m excited for the program and I’m excited for Owen. The opportunity to play at a high level and get a high level of education is what really matters. I’m just excited for him and the future.”

For head coach Matt Hildebrand, Covert marks the seventh Hornet to continue their playing career since he became head coach in 2013, and his second of the year’s senior class.

“Owen has been a constant leader for us for all four years and he’s really just done everything I’ve ever asked of him,” Hildebrand said. “When it comes to showing up a fundraisers, showing up to practice you knew every time you got on the field what to expect from Owen. He was always going to give 100%. He constantly did everything we asked of him and did it the correct way and he gave a good example for the rest of the kids to imitate. I’m just really proud of Owen and that he’s going to college now and he will continue his football career.”