Charlotte Latin School celebrated the collegiate athletic commitments of nine student-athletes on February 5, 2025. This talented group included three soccer players, one football player, three softball players, and two cross country runners (who also run track). Family, friends, coaches, teachers, and other supporters packed the Black Box to honor their accomplishments. CLS Athletics holds three collegiate athletic commitment recognition events during the school year. The first was held in November and celebrated six student-athletes. The final event takes place April 24th. Read on to find out more about each of our February honorees and the journey that led them to their respective colleges. 

 

Talia Hawa - Roanoke College Softball It will not be a surprise to those who know her that six-year-old Talia took the initiative and asked her parents to sign her up for softball. Even at that young age, she welcomed a challenge. Her favorite aspects of the sport are the rewards that come from hard work, the mental toughness that is required to get through failures, and the competitiveness that keeps her pushing to improve. Most mornings, you'll find her doing sprint work on the track or lifting weights in the Strength Center before dawn. Talia is a model team player who puts her all into any position she is asked to fill and has grown into a great leader who puts team goals before her own.      When she started looking at potential schools, Talia cast a wide net. She wasn't sure what she wanted, but was confident she would know when she saw it – and she did. It's a campus surrounded by the Blue Ridge mountains, just far enough away from home, where the class sizes are small, the community is tight, and the facilities are fantastic. She'll still be a hawk, although with a new color, as she heads to Roanoke College next year to play for the Maroons.      Congratulations Talia!

 

Maggie Hyder - Trinity College Women's Soccer IMaggie started out with rec soccer around five years of age and moved into club competition around third or fourth grade. She's made lifelong friends along the way, and loves the lessons she has learned through the grind about hard work, and how to be a supportive and responsible teammate, peer, and learner.   Maggie has also developed an incredible physical and mental fortitude. In 2023, in preparation for another state final featuring the Hawks against the Chargers, we used an article about the previous season's championship loss as motivation by dramatically ripping it into pieces and tossing it in the trash. We went on to reclaim the trophy that year, and after the game Maggie shared that she'd played with the shredded article tucked into her socks.   A fierce competitor, Maggie discovered some kindred spirits during an unofficial visit in Hartford, Connecticut. All the current players she met and her fellow incoming recruits are friendly people who also have a strong will to win. She is looking forward to living in a capital city and is enthusiastic about being in the cold northeastern environment at Trinity College next year. Congratulations Maggie!

 

Lillian Jarmosevich - Swarthmore College Women's Soccer As a young girl, Lillian's favorite part about soccer was doing cartwheels in the field and getting a juice box after games. She dabbled in many sports before the thrill of scoring goals drew her focus to soccer. Over time, Lillian learned that what she really loved was the family forged through relationships with her teammates – and that she was willing to make sacrifices for the success of those around her. Her selfless dedication to the team was on full display when she broke her collarbone, yet participated in every practice, every meeting, and even our field trip to play laser tag – one arm holding the laser tag gun while the other was in a sling.      That sense of community is ultimately what determined her collegiate decision. Lillian took an official visit to a small liberal arts college just 11 miles outside of Philadelphia. She knew about its reputation for amazing academics, and was enthralled by the beauty of the campus, but it was the kindness she encountered in every interaction that blew her away. Random students greeted her, welcomed her, offered to answer questions, and generally made her feel like Swarthmore was a place where she could easily fall in love with a new family of friends. We can't wait to see all that she accomplishes with the Garnet at Swarthmore College.   Congratulations Lillian!

 

Ethan Khouri - Washington & Lee University Cross Country / Track & Field Like many middle school students, Ethan joined cross country because he wanted to participate in a sport, but wasn't sure which one. Sometime during ninth grade he had a sniff of success, and he became hooked. What began as ambivalence developed into consistent dedication to the daily grind of churning out the miles. As a result, Ethan progressed from being 17th on the team depth chart to earning All-Conference and All-State honors with a performance that ranks him fifth in Latin cross country history. He loves the team atmosphere and lining up at the start with his friends beside him.   He focused his college options on schools where he could compete while earning a degree from a great business program in a location that feels far from home, but is close enough to drive. Then he heard about the speaking tradition at the campus in Lexington, Virginia, which encourages everyone to say hello to one another, even strangers. When he experienced it for himself, he realized it created a friendly environment that he wanted to be part of, so he'll head just-far-enough north to Washington and Lee University next year.   Congratulations Ethan!

 

Parker Rubinacci - Emory University Men's Soccer Six-year-old Parker was fast, he loved to run, and do anything physical, so naturally his parents signed him up for soccer. He turned out to be pretty good at it. Parker says his passion for the game and a desire to one day play professionally have kept him motivated through the years. He has tremendous skill and agility, but his determination really sets Parker apart. From day one this year, Parker set the tone. While most players moved sluggishly through the workout, Parker attacked it as if it were a playoff game. His teammates responded accordingly, and that established an expectation for the season.   When evaluating his collegiate prospects, Parker had more than just soccer on his mind. Specifically, he was looking for a path to a mechanical engineering degree. Thanks to a partnership with its Atlanta neighbor, Georgia Tech, students can get an excellent liberal arts degree while completing prerequisite courses. Inside the classroom and on the soccer field, we know Parker has great things in store at Emory University.   Congratulations Parker!

 

Hudson Shoup - Calvin University Football Hudson says he thinks he started playing football around five years of age. He just remembers having fun, running around with the ball and wanting to keep playing. From the moment he entered Latin in ninth grade, Shoup made an impression. Listed as 5'2 and 100 pounds on the JV football roster that year, he played big, worked hard, and out-hustled those around him. His consistency and his passion earned him All-Conference recognition and an All-State nomination this season. A highlight from his high school career was the series of events that led to the Hawks' 3-point victory over Country Day, including Hudson's 4th quarter touchdown and ultimately his hold of the game-winning field goal.   What Hudson enjoys most about football is being on the field with teammates while battling together and for one another. He is thrilled for the opportunity to continue playing the sport he loves while studying biology under the pre-dental track. We have no doubt he'll make as big of an impact as a Knight as he has as a Hawk when he heads to Grand Rapids, Michigan to play for Calvin University next year.   Congratulations Hudson!

   

Ainsley Sullivan - Macalester College Softball Don't let her quiet confidence fool you – Ainsley is a hard-nosed competitor. Playing softball since the age of five, she has developed into a strong and versatile player who has filled several different positions as a cornerstone of the varsity team since she was a freshman. Ainsley impressed Coach Dayton on the Middle School team when she threw every pitch of an 11-game season as a sixth grader. The ultimate team player who never fails to come through in tough situations, Ainsley says softball has provided her with lifelong relationships and lessons learned.   Her college search was driven by unusually specific criteria. Ainsley wanted a division III, high-academic school in the north, preferably in a big city, where she could find an equilibrium between school and softball. She was drawn to a selective liberal arts college with small classes, a strong biology program, an emphasis on internationalism and community, and a supportive softball staff in St. Paul, Minnesota. We look forward to seeing all that she will accomplish as one of the Scots at Macalester College next year.   Congratulations Ainsley!

 

Sydney Thune - Emory University Softball Originally a baseball player, Sydney made the move to softball because she wanted to play with her friends. Fast-forward twelve years and she has become a dominant pitcher who frequently leads the conference in strikeouts even though she shares pitching responsibilities while most others pitch every game. What Sydney enjoys most about the sport is sequencing her pitches and simply hanging out with teammates. She takes special care of young players, helping them adjust to varsity expectations and making them feel welcome and included.   During her recruiting process, Sydney was focused on finding an excellent business school that also offered the chance to play with a competitive team. She discovered she preferred to be in or near a big city, and eventually settled on a choice to the south with an excellent reputation. She's already surpassed the 400-strikout milestone and we can't wait to see what she accomplishes in her final season as a Hawk before heading to Atlanta to study and play at Emory University.   Congratulations Sydney!

 

Bridget Yu - Tufts University Cross Country / Track & Field Her first experience with the sport was the Girls on the Run program in third grade, and she hated it. The next year, her mom was coaching so Bridget was obligated to participate, and she still hated it. That trend continued until she came to Latin as a freshman and found her people on the cross country team. Her ties to her teammates were strong enough to overcome her disdain for the sport and give track a try that spring. Now, finally, she loves running.   Bridget capped her Latin career with a third place, All-State performance that helped the Hawks surge to a second-place team finish and landed her in second on the school's all-time 5k list. Even with that accomplishment, she cites one of her favorite athletic moments as the state final her sophomore year, when she and Maggie Klingman shouted encouragement to one another throughout the course, which caused two runners from another team to exclaim "we love you!" in appreciation of their supportive spirit.   Bridget seems to have found a similarly supportive environment in a northeastern college that encourages involvement and connectivity, where she is excited to continue her academic and athletic pursuits at Tufts University.   Congratulations Bridget!