SYRACUSE — Two of Wawasee’s biggest impact athletes of the past four years signed at area universities to continue their academic and athletic careers Friday morning. Golf stand-out Mikala Mawhorter inked with IUPUI while throws star Katlyn Kennedy committed to Manchester.

Wawasee High School senior Mikala Mawhorter has signed a letter of intent to continue her golf career at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Seated with Mawhorter are parents Terry and Alan Mawhorter. In the back row are WHS athletic director Steve Wiktorowski and Wawasee High School principal Mike Schmidt. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)

Mawhorter was a four-year varsity starter for coach Steve Coverstone’s program. She also served three seasons as team captain. Mawhorter was All-NLC her sophomore and junior years while getting honorable mention nods her freshman and senior campaigns. She helped lift the Warriors to a sectional title this past fall as well as a state berth in 2014. Mawhorter qualified as an individual for the IHSAA state finals this past season.

In addition to her success on the course, Mawhorter was also a two-time state qualifier in swimming in the 200 free relay (2014) and 200 medley relay (2015). With all of that experience in the Circle City, starting the next chapter of her life their just seemed natural.

“Coming from a small town, the big city kind of sucked me in,” Mawhorter said of her decision to sign in Indy. “I thought about internships and other variables. I want to get into dentistry and be a orthodontist and I felt like I would have a lot of opportunities down there. In the big city there’s big opportunities.”

Having that NCAA Division 1 tag didn’t hurt things either.

“It means a lot to me knowing that I’ll get an opportunity on such a high level,” remarked Mawhorter. “I’ve worked hard, taken a lot of lessons and put in a ton of time. Now I’ve started to put in more time to be better than I was the past four years. I went from thinking that I wouldn’t play anywhere to playing somewhere big and that’s really exciting.”

Wawasee High School senior Katlyn Kennedy has signed a letter of intent to continue her track and field career at Manchester University. Seated with Kennedy are parents Gael and Kathleen Conway. In the back row are WHS athletic director Steve Wiktorowski, Wawasee track and field head coach Scott Lancaster, Wawasee High School principal Mike Schmidt, and Wawasee track and field throws coach Scot McDowell. (Photo by Mike Deak)

Kennedy signs on with Manchester University as the school record holder in shot put, setting the mark just last week at 38-10. Kennedy also competes in discus for coach Scot McDowell’s throwers and serves as a team captain for Wawasee’s girls track and field team.

As a junior, Kennedy finished second at the sectional and third at the regional, qualifying for the IHSAA state finals where she placed 17th overall.

Kennedy is a four-year varsity starter in track and field and was named an Honorable Mention All-NLC performer as a junior and qualified for the indoor state championships in shot put this past March.

Kennedy also played three years of basketball for Wawasee.

In the classroom, Kennedy holds an 8.07 GPA (on a 12.0 scale) and looks to study engineering and art design at Manchester.

“It’s been a huge part of my life, and throwing has been one of the best choices I have ever made,” Kennedy said. “In middle school, I was a manager thinking I wasn’t going to throw. Freshman year, (McDowell) took me under his wing and said ‘you can do this.’ I really feel like this path has been the right choice for me.

“Manchester isn’t that far from home and the coaches and players, I met all of them and felt like I belonged there. They allowed me to be a part of their group and I feel like that’s where I belong.”