David Sheppard will transform into a plebe in the fall.
The Salpointe Catholic senior cross country and track standout signed a letter of intent to run for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Wednesday.
During a ceremony at the school's Hall of Fame room, Sheppard was one of six Lancers to announce intentions to play collegiate athletics.
Sheppard's recruitment by West Point was spurred by former teammate Bryce Livingston, currently a runner for the academy.
"Everything just fell into place," said Sheppard, who has family in upstate New York, which is not a terrible trek from the campus. "I visited and got the chance to experience everything, what life is really like for a freshman there. I think I will be able to handle that."
Sheppard said he plans to specialize in the 800 and 1,500 during track season.
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The other Lancers to sign on the first day of the spring period included:
• Salpointe Catholic goalie Cat Lena is Phoenix bound in the fall, where she will compete for the starting slot in the net at Grand Canyon University.
"The process started when I was a freshman with the recruiting and it ran the entire time I've been here," said Lena, one of Southern Arizona's premier keepers. "It was stressful. But at the same time, it's nice to know you have those options."
Besides Grand Canyon, Cal-Irvine, St. Mary's and Arizona also showed interest in Lena, among other colleges.
• Defensive lineman Josh Sene will play college football at Adams State, the eighth player Salpointe coach Dennis Bene has linked with the NCAA Division II school in Alamosa, Colo.
The school's quarterback is Trevor Eggleston and Adams State's best defensive player was Oscar Villa, both formerly of Salpointe.
• Salpointe softball stars Nicole Rascon and Miraya Montiel will join forces in Prescott at junior college powerhouse Yavapai to play for former UA standout Stacy Iveson.
Montiel, who is known for power from the right side of the plate and lengthy range at shortstop, is seeking to develop enough at Yavapai to play her way onto a Division I roster slot.
"The coach (Iveson) is really competitive. You can see that just by watching her during games," said Montiel. "I think it was the right choice to get me to the next level."
Rascon is a pitcher-outfielder for the Lancers and one of Southern Arizona's best base runners (she is 11 for 11 on steal attempts). Along with a batting average above .450, Rascon owns an on-base percentage of .510.
• Salpointe's Ryan Baker will remain a multisport athlete at the next level.
Baker will play football and lacrosse at Claremont McKenna College, where his sister is a junior.
Six Lancers also signed letters of intent during the winter period, including four baseball commits and two from the football program.
The spring signing period runs through Aug. 1 for all sports except basketball, which has a period that ends May 19.
On StarNet: Read about Wednesday's track and field meet at Amphitheater at azstarnet.com/varsity
List of college signees / B5
