Wilmington High School junior Katlyn Jamiel has given a verbal commitment to play soccer at Ohio Dominican University.
“I chose Ohio Dominican because on my first visit I felt like this place could be home,” Jamiel said of the Columbus-based NCAA Division II institution. “It’s a beautiful and wonderful campus.
“There was a lot of decision-making and it didn’t come easily, but after talking it over with my family, we thought ODU was a great place to continue my education and love for soccer.”
She also visited Miami University and Ohio State University. “I discovered that those just weren’t good fits for me,” Jamiel said.
Jamiel missed the start of the fall soccer schedule at WHS because of injury. She was a first-team All-South Central Ohio League player as a freshman and sophomore.
“After breaking my leg it took my a while to gain back my confidence, but I got back and trained continuously to create the me I know I can be,” she said. “I didn’t quit or give up, I kept working to be a better soccer player.”
Jamiel said meeting the Ohio Dominican players and head coach Aimee Haywood “was great.”
“For them, education is most important and I loved that about them,” Jamiel said. “They were welcoming and had a bond and open relationship that I wanted to be a part of.”
While the recruiting process can be long and nerve-wracking at times, Jamiel said it was an experience she will not soon forget.
“Honestly, it was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life,” she said. “It feels so good to have someone want you and notice all the hard work you’ve put in to (becoming) the person and player you are now. I’m relieved that I can say I have an idea of where I am going. It was stressful, but it was a feeling I wouldn’t ever trade.”
