Three Seniors to Play Division I Athletics Next Year

Congratulations to Maddie Mitchell '24, Zoe Muhlner '24, and Nadia Thomas '24 for their commitment to compete in Division I athletics next year. These student-athletes were celebrated by their friends, family, and the Holton community in a ceremony on National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

The National Letter of Intent is a binding agreement between the student-athlete and their future school. This letter is typically signed by student-athletes who receive an athletic scholarship. For students not signing an NLI, this day is largely ceremonial as their schools either do not follow the National Letter of Intent protocol or they have a non-scholarship-based commitment. Other committed athletes will be celebrated in the spring.

Read more about each student and their journey to competing on the collegiate level below.

Maddie Mitchell – Princeton University, Lacrosse

Maddie has been playing club lacrosse since first grade and, even after trying many other sports, lacrosse has always felt like her true passion. 

Maddie is excited to attend Princeton, which she said has the perfect mix of athletics and academics as well as giving her a sense of home when she stepped on campus. "The culture and camaraderie surrounding the athletics at Princeton seems so unique and special," she said.

Her time at Holton taught her to balance school, sports, and all her other extracurriculars, which will serve her well in this next step.

She would like to thank Coach Bill and everyone else at Capitol Lacrosse Club for pushing her to be her best; Coach Janet McCormick and Director of College Counseling Suzanne Carter for helping her through every step of this journey; and especially her parents and family, who have not given up on her this entire journey.

Zoe Muhlner – University of Southern California, Rowing

Zoe has been rowing since her freshman year and is excited to take her skills to the University of Southern California. She chose USC because she loved the team's focus on building a competitive but supportive culture, the school's emphasis on global perspectives, and, as a bonus, she'll be close to family. 

"I value that the coaches focused on making me feel like more than just a number and took the time to get to know me and build a relationship," she said. "The recruiting process was a challenge, but I value the skills I’ve learned and the friends I’ve made along the way."

She has a long list of those she'd like to thank: Matt Russell, her coach at TBC racing, for working her hard but also always believing in and supporting her; Dan Brisson, for being her first coach and fostering a love for the sport that has only grown; Regan Cook, Stephanie Acerra, and Dan Engler for their roles in this process and for being supportive adults and coaches in her life; and Pure and Applied Sciences Department Chair Elizabeth Davis, for being her at-school mom. 

"My time at Holton has pushed me to set high goals for myself and to work my absolute hardest to achieve them," she said.

Nadia Thomas – Brown University, Swimming

Nadia started swimming when she was 6 years old, joining the Nation's Capital Swim Club a year later. Her main event is backstroke, but she also loves the individual medley and freestyle events. 

She'll be attending Brown University, which she chose because of the amazing academics, the welcoming swim team, and the incredibly kind coaches. When she visited, she could immediately envision herself there and as a member of the team. 

She is extremely grateful for all of the support her parents have given her throughout the years. She would also like to thank all of the coaches who have supported her along the way, especially her strength trainer, Stephen Sakaris, and her club coach, Tim Kelly, who both believed in her and helped her learn how to achieve her goals. At Holton, she is especially grateful to Ms. Carter for all of her help and support throughout Upper School, and to the teachers who have offered wonderful support to help manage school and a taxing practice schedule.

"Holton has taught me how to balance rigorous, but interesting, academics with a demanding athletic commitment, and I know I will rely on those time management skills next year," she said. "Holton is a place where you feel emboldened to ask questions and self-advocate and this will be beyond helpful as I start college."

Congratulations, Panthers! More photos of the celebration can be viewed on Vidigami.