Last Wednesday, May 7, Big Sky held its annual college athlete signing day.

A total of 17 seniors signed to the colleges they will be attending next year in the Big Sky auditorium after school. Many local athletes and even whole teams showed up to support the graduating athletes.

“This is one of my favorite ceremonies of the year because it really is a culminating event for all the hard work (these athletes) put in,” said Jack Young, Big Sky assistant principal and director of the signing day event. 

The ceremony recognizes Eagle athletes’ first steps out of high school sports and into college life, Young said. 

Nevaeh Beard, a tennis player at Big Sky, echoed Young’s  message. 

“I think the most exciting thing about it is showing that we all can do it. Here are 17 athletes that are going on with it, and it’s just really awesome to watch everybody continue on with their athletic career,” Beard said. She is going to the University of Jamestown to get a degree in elementary education and to continue to play tennis at the NAIA level. 

Spencer Tripp, a Big Sky Eagles football captain, will be attending the University of Montana next year as a walk-on lineman for Griz football. 

“I’m incredibly excited,” Tripp said. “Going into my senior year, I didn’t know if it was going to happen for me. But to go to the team I’ve grown up wanting to play on, it’s a dream come true.” 

Last year, Big Sky signed 18 athletes to college programs, Young said.

Three Big Sky athletes are going to play for the University of Montana this year, joining the handful of past graduates currently attending, including Whitney Morrison who won the heptathlon title for the Grizzlies yesterday, May 15. 

When Tripp was asked how it felt to graduate with the class of 2025 and move on to play football at a college level, he said it “feels pretty f—ing awesome.”