Three Portsmouth High seniors commit to play college soccer

Megan Buddemeyer, Katie McGraw and Ariana Owen honored at signing ceremony

By Jim McGaw
Posted 3/23/21

PORTSMOUTH — Three members of Portsmouth High’s girls’ varsity soccer team are taking their athletic abilities to the next level.

During a college signing ceremony on …

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Three Portsmouth High seniors commit to play college soccer

Megan Buddemeyer, Katie McGraw and Ariana Owen honored at signing ceremony

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Three members of Portsmouth High’s girls’ varsity soccer team are taking their athletic abilities to the next level.

During a college signing ceremony on Wednesday, March 17 in the old gym at PHS, seniors Megan Buddemeyer, Katie McGraw and Ariana Owen announced they had committed to play women’s soccer next year at their respective colleges.

Megan will be attending Husson University in Bangor, Maine, where she’ll study occupational therapy.

Katie’s going to study nursing at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, W.Va.

Nichols College in Dudley, Mass. will the destination for Ariana, who plans on studying business.

“Today is a very special day,” said Stephen Trezvant, athletic director, noting the three seniors “have served our teams, our schools and our community with distinction … both on and off the field.”

The three athletes thanked their coaches, school officials, friends and parents for helping them get to where they are today.

“I couldn’t have been here without any of my teammates. I love you guys,” said Katie, who added she is grateful to get the chance to “play a sport that I love for another four years.”

Ariana said soccer was her “favorite thing” to do, and she was “excited for the next four years — winning, kicking butt, making new friends.”

Megan said she was looking forward to playing on the new turf field at Husson, which is located in a community that’s “kind of like Portsmouth, except it’s a lot colder.”

Asked what she had learned during her athletic career at PHS, Megan said the pandemic and subsequent shortened sports season taught her to never taken anything for granted.

Her advice to future athletes? “Always lean on your teammates and look to them if you ever need advice,” she said.

Ariana said she learned to play every game like it was her last, and advised other athletes to always give 110 percent. “You only get to play in high school for four years,” she said.

Katie urged younger high school athletes to temper their expectations when they try out for a team, and to learn from every experience.

“It’s OK to make JV,” she said before motioning to Megan and Ariana. “I think I had a hard time because of these two superstars making varsity their first year, and I was really upset that I didn’t. But I think I got a lot out of it.”

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