This year’s senior class is definitely filled with many high achievers. While some excel in academics, others have proven themselves outstanding in sports. They’re so talented, in fact, that this year, five members of the senior class have committed to colleges for their sport! Read below about their journeys and the exciting opportunities they have to play at the next level.

Cason Price co-founded the Bass Fishing Club at RMA due to his great love for fishing and life on the water. (As a testament to that passion, know that he drives to Rocky Mount every day from Lake Gaston!) Competing in many fishing events, Cason has won numerous national awards. The most notable of these was in 2021 when Cason and classmate Gabe Winham won the North Carolina Bassmaster High School Tournament on Kerr Lake. His deep love for this sport will serve him well, as he plans to attend Carson-Newman University in the fall to further his academic and fishing careers. 

Mackenzie Davis started playing volleyball when she was only 11. In 6th grade, she played at the East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club, making it to nationals her first year. Playing in tournaments like Big South, AAU, and MAPLS put her on the radar and helped her get recruited. She attended many showcases in Charlotte and Raleigh, where she met coaches from Meredith, Mt. Olive, UNCP, and Cape Fear. Even though she could not play in games yet due to being too young, Mackenzie started practicing with the school team in 6th grade because her sister played. Just a year later–in 7th grade– she was put on the varsity team, where she got to play with her sister for three years before she graduated. Freshman year was when Mackenzie realized that she had a true passion for this sport and knew she had the ability to play at the college level, winning “Player of the Year” as a freshman over all the rest of the varsity girls. She was offered spots at both Meredith and Cape Fear Community College this year and ultimately decided that Cape Fear would be the best fit. She plans to major in exercise sports science to become an athletic trainer. In addition, she is considering coaching club volleyball in Wilmington, all while continuing her studies. As a hard-working student and a driven athlete, there is no doubt Mackenzie’s future holds all the promise in the world!

Gabe Winham started playing baseball at only 4 years old at the YMCA. He then played Little League for Rocky Mount and eventually advanced to travel teams, the main ones being Tar Rivers Cars for Coach Ivey Powell (who is now a Middle School teacher at RMA) and then the Dirtbags. He started playing JV Baseball at RMA in 7th grade, and he says that “baseball has been something I wanted to do my entire life, but I realized in Middle School that I wanted to play at the next level.” Starting on the varsity team as a centerfielder and pitcher, he has now committed to William Peace for baseball. His plan there is to keep having fun and play the sport he loves and hopefully one day be able to play D1.

Samantha Carmichael, who plays center defender for our varsity girls’ soccer team, has just signed with Meredith for both soccer and track and field! She started playing soccer when she was three years old and hasn’t looked back. First was Tar River Soccer and then travel teams at a very young age, playing for WYSA and Pitt in Greeneville. After surgery last winter due to her compartment syndrome, she doubted that anything was left of her soccer career. However, she bounced back stronger than ever and trained every day. Her plan is to attend Meredith and major in exercise science, all while playing soccer and running track! She hopes to end up at physical therapy school and pursue a career in that direction. Speaking on behalf of the girls’ soccer team since Samantha and I had the awesome opportunity to play together, we are so excited to see how far she goes!

Finally, Will Tharin has become the superstar of RMA golf. He has exemplified a great passion and drive for golf for years, spending a good bit of free time practicing and training and setting a perfect example for his teammates and even classmates as to what true dedication looks like. Will has received the Golf MVP/Conference Player of the Year Award and All-State Honors three times. It’s no surprise, then, that he has been offered a full ride to Davidson College, which he plans to attend in the fall to continue his golfing career while learning all about Economics!