The River Falls Wildcats had seven senior athletes sign letters of intent to play their individual sports at Division 1 and Division 2 colleges on Nov. 8.

Of these seven students, three have committed to play baseball, two committed to play softball, and one student apiece committed to diving and golf.

The baseball players are Chase McQuade, who will play for Concordia, along with Cayden Mueller and Henry Zimmermann, who will both play for Winona State. Lily Burke and Jordan Schwantz are the softballers moving on with Burke also attending Concordia while Schwantz signed with Mankato. The last two are Ellie Krueger, who will golf for Southwest Minnesota State, and Rachel Everson, who will dive for UW-Green Bay.

Baseball

River Falls baseball has produced a lot of high-end talent over the years, including multiple players who are currently in the major leagues in Relief Pitcher J.P. Feyereisen and Outfielder Alex Call. Wildcats’ catcher McQuade, pitcher and third basemen Mueller and outfielder Zimmermann would love to be the next alumni to climb the long ladder through college ball and the minors to get to The Show.

Although McQuade was the only one of these three players who earned all-conference accolades last year, all three were starters on last spring's team that qualified for the WIAA sectionals. Head Coach Ryan Bishop is proud of them, recognizing that their hard work is paying off.

“Cayden, Chase, and Henry are a trio among others who have played an important role in the various team accomplishments we've had during their time as a Wildcats,” Bishop said. “They've no question put the time and work in to earn an opportunity to play at the next level. I'm excited to see where their continued baseball pursuits take them."

In addition to these three bound for D1 and D2 schools, second baseman Ben Johnson will play for D3 St. Mary's University and outfielder Austin Curti will play for D3 UW-Eau Claire. 

Coach Bishop says even with their current roster that is stacked with senior talent and features five starters that are bound for collegiate competition, they’re still going to have to play hard this year if they want a BRC championship.

“Each year more and more college bound players are coming out of the Big Rivers. The amount of college caliber talent on every team has made for some great, very high-level competition,” Bishop said. “However, in a game built around failure, it often comes down to which team handles adversity better. Like many other teams, we have some important physical pieces in place to put us in a good position to compete for a championship.”

Softball

Wildcats’ softball is graduating several important pieces from their roster this year.

Burke received first team all-conference honors last spring as a junior, the first River Falls player to do so in quite some time, and she was also second team all-conference in her sophomore year. Schwantz has received an all-conference honorable mention the last couple years as well.

Head Coach Matt Smith, who is in his second year with the team, says they were key contributors for the Wildcats last season, both offensively and defensively. 

“Lily was one of the toughest outs in western Wisconsin the last half of the season last year; she hit at the top of the order for us and was constantly hitting the ball hard and on base. She is an outstanding center fielder with range, instincts and a great arm,” Smith said. “Jordan brings a presence to the plate with her power and ability to drive the ball to the gap. She had a huge walk-off HR to beat Menomonie last year and brings a solid glove and tremendous arm playing shortstop for the Cats.”

Smith notes the impact they’ve had on the team and players around them in a leadership role has been both understated and powerful.

“They are both quiet leaders that don't say a lot, but when they do, people listen. They are both team-oriented in their approaches and understand the big picture. They are competitive and like to win, so a chance to continue to grow our program is something that they strive to do,” Smith said. “I think both Lily and Jordan would say leaving the team and program better than they found it would be their desired legacy. I know that is my thought on them and their impact overall as players and people. As a staff, we are looking forward to working with them this spring and know they have bright futures ahead of them at the next level. We're proud of what they have accomplished and know they are hungry to continue to do more.”

These two aren’t the only Wildcats moving on either. Jordan Torrez, who was second team all-conference last year, also signed to play softball for D3 Luther College next season.

“Overall, we have an outstanding senior group that has done a phenomenal job leading our program. Jordan Schwantz, Lily Burke, and Jordan Torrez all played as sophomores and even as freshmen,” Smith said. “They understand the work, camaraderie and commitment it takes to be successful, and we are fortunate to have them in our program.”

Golf

The inclusion of Ellie Krueger on this list is both unsurprising and extraordinary at the same time.

A charismatic person and player who has received all-conference honors, she had never picked up a golf club in her life before two seasons ago. For anyone that’s ever played golf, you know exactly how difficult this would be for anyone to do if you aren’t extremely talented, driven and naturally gifted. In short, golf is hard, and Krueger is special.

Head Coach Tim LaVold has been impressed by her every step of the way.

“Ellie played on the varsity team both years she played, which is pretty amazing since she started playing golf in March of 2022,” LaVold said. “She earned second team all-conference honors this year, and she is looking to be a contributing member of her college golf team.”

LaVold says she has set quite an example during her time with the Wildcats, and her legacy is an inspiration.

“Ellie's ceiling is very high for golf. As long as she continues to work very hard on her game, she can get really good at this. She is athletic and determined, and I think her future is very bright,” LaVold said. “Ellie has shown everyone that if you want something bad enough, and you work hard every day, you can accomplish great things. I really enjoyed having her on the team. She challenged me every day to help her succeed.”

Diving

The final athlete on this list is the only one with multiple school records.

It’s no surprise to anyone who follows the Wildcats Swim and Dive team that Rachel Everson, a lifelong gymnast who, like Krueger, came to her sport very late, will be advancing to compete at the collegiate level.

Everson says that this background has been the reason for her success as there are a lot of similarities between the two sports, and she is grateful for the opportunity she’s been given to compete for UW-Green Bay.

Head Coach Brady Sievers is quite happy she was recruited off the gymnastics team as well, considering that she came in hot setting the 11-dive and six-dive school records in her short tenure on the team. She also made it to the state finals two years in a row and finished as the ninth best D1 diver in the state this season.

“I believe that Rachel has a bright future in college diving. She has been diving for three years now and has improved every year. I'm certain that with college level facilities, training, and competition Rachel will improve on her already impressive diving skills,” Sievers said.

It’s amazing how having one elite individual competitor can impact a team and the athletes around them; Everson has done that for the Wildcats.

“Having a talented diver like Rachel will have a lasting impact on the River Falls diving program. She has shown to her teammates how much success you can have if you work hard and have a winning attitude,” Sievers said. “Rachel has set a high bar for the program as a whole. She has the River Falls school and pool records and is undoubtedly one of the best divers River Falls High School has ever seen.”

Congratulations to all the Wildcats who are moving forward with their sport to compete at the next level. Your hard work and dedication has earned you the opportunity to do even greater things.