Good day to be a Crusader: Six Saxony Lutheran athletes sign NLI’s

JACKSON – It was a historic day at Saxony Lutheran High School as six Crusader athletes put pen to paper and signed their national letters of intent to their respective universities on Wednesday, Mar. 19.

Tennis standout Abigail Haley signed with Division-II program Concordia University, while soccer star Faith Dreyer made it official with Division-III Belhaven University.

Baseball player Brayden Moore, softball player Shyanne Weibrecht, volleyball player Ashley Summers, and cheerleader Kalayah Apel will all head to the northern part of the state for the next four years. Moore is off to Westminster College, Weibrecht signed with State Fair Community College, Summers signed with East Central College, and Apel is headed to Lindenwood University.

“We've been blessed with some great athletes that have come through here,” Saxony Lutheran principal Mark Ruark said. “The six that signed today are just another part of the long list of students that we've had that have gone on and continued their athletic careers in college. But as a principal, who is also a former coach, to watch the kids grow from their freshman year to their senior year, and put in the sacrifices that they make, it makes you feel very good. And for the Saxony community, it's a real source of pride when our kids can sign a letter of intent and get a scholarship to play at the next level.”

One of the most decorated tennis stars in the Bootheel, Haley became the program’s first-ever player to sign with a college university. In her high school career, Haley earned a pair of Class 1 All-State medals in doubles with fellow senior Maggie Hillin and led Saxony to back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time in school history.

A four-sport athlete, Haley, who is currently in the midst of her final track and field season, credits her parents and other supporting cast for helping her throughout her athletic journey.

“This means a lot,” Haley said. “I think that this program has come a long way, especially since me and my doubles partner, Maggie, have been here. And I just hope that it inspires people to continue to get involved with this tennis program. There's more than just high school tennis for us."

A key reason why Haley chose Concordia was because of the striking parallels between the university and her high school.

“I love the atmosphere,” she said. “It reminded me of Saxony, and so did the coach. I hit with some of the teammates up there, and they were super nice and welcoming. It just really felt like home for me.”

With her senior season set to kick off Friday, Dreyer will take her talents to Jackson, Mississippi at a Belhaven program that has posted four consecutive winning seasons under head coach Kimberly Harrell.

Primarily a forward, Dreyer has been an integral part of a Crusaders girls' soccer team that has captured back-to-back third-place finishes at the Class 1 state tournament and is poised for another historic year this spring.

“It means a lot because this is something I've been working for my whole life,” Dreyer said. “To be able to finally accomplish this means everything.

“At first, I just went there when Belhaven had a camp. I went there to get touches on the ball just to find my skills and stuff. And then I fell in love with the campus. It was beautiful. The team was really welcoming and when I talked to most of the girls they were really nice. I liked the coaches a lot, too.”

Two days before the baseball team’s season opener against Fredericktown, Moore made it official with Division-III Westminster College. A second baseman and outfielder, the hot-hitting senior has been a vital part of the Crusaders’ back-to-back winning seasons.

“It means everything to see all the hard work pay off and just really come to fruition,” Moore said. “I really like the coaches (at Westminster), and I know a few people up there. I had great connections to all of them, so I thought it was the place for me.”

Weibrecht was one of the anchors of a Saxony Lutheran softball team that captured a Class 3 District 1 championship and made its deepest postseason run in program history this past fall. The three-time first-team All-District shortstop aims to play both middle infield and outfield at the collegiate level.

“Their campus is really nice and I really like the coach (Michele Rupard),” Weibrecht said. “She was really sweet and so were some of the team members that I met. I feel like, overall, I'll have a really good experience there.”

On the volleyball court, Summers was a key piece for a Crusader program that won four straight district titles entering 2024 before losing to Notre Dame in the Class 3 District 1 semifinals this past fall.

Primarily a middle hitter, Summers said she is going to miss the special “family-oriented” bond that she had with her high school teammates, but will be able to compete alongside her close friend Brigid Sauer, a St. Vincent senior, at the next level.

“One of my friends that I used to play with is also going there, so that kind of helped me weigh my decision,” Summers said. “The coaches were really nice and a lot of the teammates were too when I went up there. Plus, their campus is beautiful. I really love it there.”

A cheerleader since the age of four, Apel, a sophomore, will head to St. Charles and attend Lindenwood come the fall of 2027.

“I really like how their teams are set up,” said Apel, who also did competitive cheer at a young age. “I think they're probably one of the best teams out there, and I like how they compete.”

Ruark said that this special group of signees helps inspire current Saxony athletes who eventually also want to compete at the college level down the road.

“I think when you have the quality of kids that we had this year that signed, they do set a standard for the underclassmen,” Ruark said. “They see the sacrifices that those students had to make to get to where they are, and it does keep the foundation rolling.”