When San Benito High senior Railyn King determined to play on the sector hockey group in her freshman year, her cause turned into earning a scholarship to play in university. It turned into a pretty lofty goal thinking about King had by no means represented the game earlier than. However, King has usually set the bar high and then works hard to achieve it. Whether it become ice hockey, football, rodeo, or Future Farmers of America (FFA), King has been diligent in anything enterprise she has embarked upon.

King executed her aim of income as a threat to play university subject hockey. She signed her letter of reason to attend the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina, a Division II application. It’s a historical signing for King as she becomes the first participant ever from the San Benito High field hockey program to earn a spot on a college group. “It’s the entirety I’ve been operating for,” stated King, who signed her legitimate letter of motive remaining Saturday and could have a ceremony event at faculty on Friday recognizing her success.

I was getting pretty a few offers, but I become certainly excited while a faculty with an agriculture program approached me.” Mount Olive had something the other colleges that were vying for King didn’t—an agriculture education application. Even then, King had a strong preference for Mount Olive and Mercy College in New York.

When I began (the recruiting method), I wasn’t certain if I become going to preserve agriculture or now not,” she said. “But as I commenced to put in writing my scholarship essays, I wanted to retain on with agriculture training. Mount Olive turned into the most effective faculty that had it and a discipline hockey software.” King persisted during the whole technique, putting herself inside the proper function to get observed. King had garnered interest from multiple Division III schools through October.

However, she desired to play at an application that might provide her a scholarship to play, which Division III applications can’t provide. King knew she had one very last threat to put her capabilities on show in front of one-hundred-plus university coaches, and that changed into at a national event exhibit in Florida in January. Upon her former membership coaches’ recommendation from the Infinity software in Gilroy, King determined to try out for the Mad Cows traveling group out of Davis. By past due October, King became told she had made the crew and it would play within the Florida showcase event.

I changed into quite anxious (for tryouts) due to the fact plenty of girls were attempting out, and pretty some had been from Mitty and Los Gatos, and they won CCS closing 12 months,” King stated. “Those ladies were regarded for being properly. However, it seems I made the crew and turned into able to meet some new people and learn how to do abilities higher than I had completed earlier than. I turned into paintings with the Davis teach, which helped me enhance my reverse chip shot in which I hit the ball on the flow and can make that ability a little higher. Being able to hone in on that skill became an instrumental piece in helping me emerge as a better participant.

The truth that King earned a spot at the Mad Cows didn’t seal her ticket to playing for a Division II program. The five-foot-7 ahead nonetheless had to make an influence on the countrywide showcase match, which is precisely what happened. A week or after the game ended, Mount Olive educate Daan Polders contacted King, and the 2 scheduled an appointment for King to do a campus go to. From there, an offer became made, and King accepted, pleasurable, an intention she had set out three years in the past. In her talks with Polders, King said the Mount Olive train liked her potential to shoot with power and her average versatility on the field.

King possesses notable velocity, actions properly with or without the ball, and appears to raise her teammates’ play as well. King has high expectations for herself in whatever she does, which include tune and field. Upon the urging of Balers’ sprints teaches Ryan Shorey, King determined to compete on the track group for the primary time this season.

I decided to take the membership (discipline hockey) season off and cognizance on getting quicker,” she stated. “The season is not going as true as I had was hoping. However, I’m operating on it. I’m pretty mediocre in all of my occasions.” Shorey would beg to vary, as King recently set non-public-statistics in the one hundred- and two hundred-yard dashes while additionally competing in the long jump and 4×a hundred-relay team.