Junior Alex Griffin, 17, has officially verbally committed to Western Illinois University, a Division One school that was also ranked five in the Summit League Conference, for soccer.

           The journey started when her dad enrolled her in recreational soccer when she was just seven years old.  She first started playing for the Cosmos and then United.  Griffin has played for many higher level teams such as Rush, Jags, and she currently plays for the Hawks.  Her positions are wide middle and forward.

           “I love my team,” said Griffin.  “We are a huge family, as cliché as that is; we have a great time when we’re together.  We are all dedicated to the game and interested in helping each other out on the field.”

           Playing soccer in college was a natural decision for Griffin because it is such a huge part of her life already.  To start the recruiting process, she emailed the coaches of teams she was interested in playing for to let them know about her upcoming tournaments.  Some coaches would email back and eventually watch her play.  However, the decision was in her hands and she, then, had to narrow down the soccer programs and decide what college would be most beneficial educationally.

           “There were other colleges that I was looking at,” said Griffin.  “When it came down to it, the coach, chemistry of the team, majors I wanted, and the interest of the coach in me was what made the decision for Western Illinois University easy.”