Pace Academy’s class of 2025 has 12 student-athletes who have committed themselves to pursuing academic and athletic excellence in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This year’s list of athletes ranges across many different sports; however, all of these athletes have competed as Knights for the Pace athletic teams and have left a lasting legacy.
Cross Country and Track runner Zahara Bernal will continue her academic and athletic journey at Columbia University of Columbia. Zahara chose Columbia because of its “academic challenges as well as [them] having a good running team.” She also mentioned that her relationship with the Coaches at Columbia was a driving factor in her commitment. Zahara is excited to see the new competition and mentioned that “college running is a whole different level and [she is] excited to see how [she does] in that environment.”
Eric Chatfield will continue his journey playing basketball as a Yellow Jacket next year at Georgia Tech. Eric has played basketball for the past four years for the Knights and helped the team win a state championship during his sophomore year. “I like Tech because it’s close to home, great opportunities outside of basketball, great academic and Basketball school,” said Chatfield. “I’m excited about being somewhere new but in the same city I’m from, being able to play on TV, and overall experience being on my own.”
Becoming a member of the William and Mary Tribe, Miles Glover will pursue his academic and athletic careers. “It [is] a very high academic school, and it has really good football coaching. I also felt so at home there, the community was so welcoming to me and made me part of the family as soon as I came onto campus,” said Glover. “I’m excited to experience college life, as well as the business and engineering programs. I am also excited to learn the game further in college, and to meet new people and friends.” Miles joined the Pace football team in his Junior year and has worked relentlessly to be the best athlete he can be.
Alexa Ibarra is excited to become a Paladin next year at Furman University and continue playing soccer at the collegiate level. “Furman [is] a perfect blend of athletics and academics and the school prioritizes family values, which is seen in every aspect of the school,” said Ibarra. Alexa has been playing soccer since she was four years old and has been a member of the women’s soccer team at Pace for four years.
After taking a post-graduate year at Deerfield Academy, Gavin Jefferies plans to play football in college. “I am excited to be on my own and I like the feel of the school,” said Jefferies. He has played football for the past four years at Pace and hopes to improve his game before college.
Still deciding between Gardner Webb, High Point and Wake Forest, Zachary Logan plans to continue his soccer career in college. “I am most excited about being able to compete at the division one level and be on TV,” said Logan. He is also excited about competing at the top level, with all of his decisions being top 25 ranked teams. Zach has been playing soccer for 15 years and came to Pace in his sophomore year where he began playing for the Knights.
Senior baseball player, Miles Mador, is heading to Indiana University where he will continue his pursuit of athletic and academic success. Miles has been playing baseball since he was three years old, and has been a benefactor of the Knight’s success on the diamond throughout his high school career. “I wanted to play in the biggest baseball environment I could play in, for coaches that have a reputation of developing players well and I’m excited about playing in front of a big crowd, especially against rivalry teams like Purdue,” said Mador.
Playing soccer for the past eight years, Terry Noh will continue his athletic and academic journeys at Emory University. I am most excited about meeting new people and getting to play collegiate soccer,” Noh said. His decision to go to Emory was influenced by their mix of a great soccer team and great academics. Terry has been a part of the Knights soccer team throughout high school, and during his freshman year, he helped the team win a state championship.
Olivia Resnick is excited to head up to the University of Chicago, where she will run cross country and track for the Maroons. “I am excited about meeting the team, competing in college and getting to go to a great school,” Resnick said. Olivia has participated in both cross country and track teams throughout high school and has been a part of many state championship runs. She has been running since she was in 6th grade, and chose the University of Chicago because of its strong balance between high-level academics and athletics.
Heading to Denison next year to swim, Reid Richardson is excited to compete for the Big Red and receive a high-level education. He has recently started to swim competitively, but has been swimming for the majority of his life. Reid is most excited about being a part of a new team at the collegiate level. “I wanted to go to a school I would love even if I did not play the sport,” said Richardson. “When I toured Denison, it felt like home.” During his time at Pace, Reid swam for the Knights and was a part of the state championship relay team in 2023.
Excited to play tennis for the Generals, Harrison Silver, will continue his athletic and academic career at Washington and Lee University. Harrison has played line one singles for the Knights throughout his time at Pace and is excited to play at the next level. He is also excited for the balance between academics, social life and athletics. “I’m most excited for matches against teams like Emory and Sewanee,” said Silver. Harrison has been playing in tournaments for the past seven years, which has prepared him for the next level.
Cooper Williams is excited to compete at the collegiate level, taking his football talents to Wofford University. “I think [Wofford] offers exactly what I want academically and athletically,” said Williams. He is excited to engage in both competitive athletics and high academics as a Terrier next year. Cooper has been a member of the Pace football team since his freshman year, and has played football for the past 13 years.
Pace has had the opportunity to develop these athletes in their sports, as students, and as people throughout their time at Pace. These 12 athletes have worked relentlessly to accomplish their goals and seek attention from NCAA schools. Congratulations to all of these college-bound athletes on their accomplishments and good luck to all of them as they go on to the next level.
