If Kelsy Kurfirst ‘15 told her junior year self she would be competing in gymnastics at the collegiate level, she would never have believed it. However in February of her senior year, Kurfirst walked into a Lyons Township High School boardroom to sign a letter of intent to Cornell University. In the end, she was very thankful for all that she had been through.

“I’m also extremely grateful for all my coaches, teammates, and family members who helped me get to this point, because there’s no way I could’ve done it without them,” Kurfirst said.

National Signing Day occurred Feb. 4 and LT hosted the event for 14 of their senior athletes. These students will be playing in their respective sport at the collegiate level next year.

“It was really cool to get recognition from the school and it was an honor to be apart of,” Dante Stefanini ‘15 said.

Stefanini is a defensive end who played football all four years at LT. He will be continuing on to play football at University of Dayton in Ohio.

The whole production of signing day actually starts weeks earlier than the actual event. The process requires many people to come together. Festivities usually start around 6:30am with an introduction where Lyons Township High School Athletic Director John Grundke recognizes and announces the athletes, then together the students sign their letters and fax them back to the different schools.

“I get to set it up [signing day] and coordinate it with the coaches,” Grundke said. “Weeks before [signing day] I email the coaches and see who wants to be involved then we contact the media and PR people and get everyone together. [Everyone] eats [breakfast] and enjoys themselves then I present [the athletes].”

Feb. 4 is official national signing day, but many athletes commit earlier. Stefanini verbally committed, in January and Kurfirst in December of 2014. However, some athletes have yet to commit. LT will be hosting another singing day on April 15 for athletes who have not yet signed.

“[The April signing day] is for kids who may have been waiting for other offers,” Grundke said.

LT signing day was not always a success, and this is the school’s first year doing an April signing day. The school started their original winter signing day only five or six years ago.

“We had different coaches doing different things so we thought it would be more impressive and nice to do it all together,” Grundke said.

Both Kurfirst and Stefanini will not be alone when they leave LT to go on to college. They each have another LT athlete to accompany them on their journeys. Kimmy Vitek ’15 will be diving at Cornell University while Kurfirst is there and Joseph Bruni ’15 will also be playing football with Stefanini at Dayton.

“I’m really excited to spend four more years playing with Joe, he is one of my best friends and we will be most likely rooming together,” Stefanini said.

The most successful signing day was 2014 with 16 students committing to 12 different schools.