WOODBURY — For many seniors at Nonnewaug High School, deciding on college is very important, but deciding whether they want to play a sport requires dedication and motivation.

The class of 2023 at Nonnewaug had a great group of student-athletes who were not ready to give up their sports and wanted to take their skills further and play at the collegiate level.

For Sage Mauro, a 2023 graduate, she knew exactly why she wanted to play field hockey for Salve Regina University, fulfilling a goal of playing collegiately she’s had since she began playing in sixth grade.

“I decided to play a sport in college because I wasn’t ready to give up my love for field hockey,” said Mauro. “Also, I knew being a part of a team would help to make transitions a lot easier.” 

Mauro is loving college and her field hockey team. She is excited to see what the year brings her.

”I decided to play for Salve because I knew the field hockey program was really good, and when I met with the coach she was really welcoming,” Mauro added.

For 2023 graduate Allysa Calabrese, once her career in high school softball finished, she wasn’t ready to let her love for softball go just yet. She’s been playing the game since she was in third grade.

“I decided to play softball in college because I am so in love with the game and I wasn’t ready to stop playing,” said Calabrese. “I wanted to play at the next level.”

Allysa is excited to see what else the year brings her with her new team and can’t wait until the spring for her games. 

“I decided to play for Post University because I wanted to stay close to home. With it being so close, I commute in college, just like I did for high school,” Calabrese added. “Home games are close enough for family and friends to go, and the size of my classes are small just like how I like them.”

Calabrese also did some training on her own to prepare herself for the season. As an incoming freshman, Calabrese noted that most incoming freshmen wait until coaches begin formal workouts rather than take the initiative to begin training individually. 

 “As an incoming freshman you were not given any workout plans or anything to prepare before you came,” said Calabrese. “However, since I was so close, I personally decided to reach out to the Post’s strength and conditioning coach during the summer to help guide me through workouts before school started, so I sort of had a jump start and got used to it.”