Mazama High School honored four senior athletes this week as they officially signed to continue playing at the college level next fall, turning a school cafeteria gathering into one of the biggest feel good moments of the spring for the Vikings community.
Families, friends, and school staff gathered Wednesday for the Signing Day event, where the focus stayed on the work each athlete put in over the years to reach this point.
The ceremony recognized a group that will now carry Mazama into college athletics across four different sports, giving the school another class with real achievements to celebrate before graduation.
The four athletes recognized were Hannah Giacomelli, Lizbeth Henderson, Jayden Justice, and Nadia Manzano.
Hannah Giacomelli signed to play basketball for Southwestern Community College, where she plans to study biology.
Lizbeth Henderson signed to wrestle for North Oklahoma College and plans to study emergency medicine.
Jayden Justice signed to play baseball for the College of the Siskiyous, where he plans to study exercise science.
Nadia Manzano signed to play soccer for Klamath Community College. She is still undecided on a major, though she plans to explore nursing.
What stood out about the event was not just the number of athletes moving on. It was the range. Basketball, wrestling, baseball, and soccer were all represented, showing the kind of broad athletic class Mazama is sending out this year.
That gives the story more weight than a standard signing post because it reflects success across different programs, not just one team.
Read More: Berthoud High launches girls flag football with Blaine Voth as first head coachMazama Athletic Director Ian O’Brien summed that up during the event when he spoke about the different paths each athlete took to reach this point.
He said all four shared the same foundation of commitment, and that was clear in the way the school chose to celebrate them.
“Each of these athletes has taken a different path to get here, but they all share one thing in common: commitment,” O’Brien said.
“Whether it’s been on the soccer field, baseball diamond, wrestling mat or basketball court, it’s been a joy to watch them in their moments of growth and success. We couldn’t ask for better students to go on to college and represent our school, themselves, and their families.”
That kind of praise says a lot about what this group meant to the school beyond wins and statistics. Signing day events are always about the next step, but they are also about what an athlete leaves behind.
In Mazama’s case, this class leaves behind a strong example for younger players who are still working toward their own college goals.
For the athletes, the day marked the official start of what comes next. Giacomelli now heads toward college basketball with biology in her plans.
Henderson will take her wrestling career to Oklahoma while pursuing emergency medicine. Justice will continue in baseball while studying exercise science.
Manzano will stay closer to home with Klamath Community College and begin shaping her path toward nursing.
That mix of sports and academic goals also gave the event a fuller meaning. The ceremony was not only about continuing to compete.
It was about four students moving forward with both athletic opportunities and academic direction, which is what makes these school signing moments matter so much to families and coaches.
Mazama’s Signing Day gave each athlete a moment of recognition, but it also gave the school community a chance to see what years of commitment can lead to.
By the end of the event, the message was clear enough. Four Vikings are heading to college sports next fall, and each one earned that opportunity in a different way.
For Mazama High School, it was a proud day in the cafeteria. For Hannah Giacomelli, Lizbeth Henderson, Jayden Justice, and Nadia Manzano, it was the moment the next chapter became official.
Read More: Waynesville High names Tim Camp as new head football coach and performance director