On Wednesday, Nov. 13, excited high school seniors from all over San Diego County gathered at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley to sign their national letters of intent to play college sports next year as college freshmen. This is the 13th year the San Diego Sports Association hosted the signing celebration signaling a commitment from talented and successful local athletes to play at colleges and universities around the nation.
Two athletes, Malayah Warner and Linnea Lijenstrand-Moen, from Mission Bay High School signed their letters of intent at the celebration. Warner has committed to play soccer at Christopher Newport University (CNU) in Newport, Va. CNU, founded in 1960, is an extension of the College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg, Va. Warner is looking at a double college major in business and kinesiology with plans to become a sports physical therapist and open her practice.
“CNU has a top NCAA Div. III soccer team. They were undefeated in the regular season and have qualified for the fourth round of the women’s NCAA soccer playoffs underway right now,” she said.
Having attended both Sessions Elementary and Pacific Beach Middle, Warner, successful both on the soccer field and in the classroom, is enrolled in the IB Diploma program at MBHS. Warner started playing club soccer in fourth grade and plays for Albion SC GA 2007. When thinking about the changes ahead next spring and summer, Warner becomes reflective.
“While I am excited to go to a school somewhere new, meet new people, and experience becoming fully independent, I am a little sad to be leaving a place I have lived most of my life and all of my friends I have had since I was little,” she said.
Lijenstrand-Moen has signed her letter of intent to play Div. I women’s field hockey at UC Davis. Lijenstrand-Moen transferred to Mission Bay from Longfellow Spanish Immersion K-8 school, entering high school fully fluent in Spanish.
“I chose Mission Bay High School because of its rigorous International Baccalaureate academic program. I was interested in this (IB program) as I came from a Spanish immersion background and wanted to broaden my horizons. I also felt that the Mission Bay athletic community was something special that I wanted to be a part of,” she said.
Lijenstrand-Moen started playing field hockey in seventh grade after having played club soccer for many years. She credits her initial experience with field hockey to “a dear family friend, Paula Conway, who helped me begin my field hockey journey. I play with the HTC Field Hockey Club here in Sam Diego.”
Career plans include international diplomacy and possibly law. Sharing her spring and summer plans, she said: “I am thrilled to begin my journey at UC Davis. Although I will miss my high school environment and team, I am excited to see what the future is in this next chapter of my life.”
