St. John Parish athletes sign up for next level
Published 11:04 pm Friday, November 18, 2016
- Riverside Academy softball players Madison Watson, left, and Toni Perrin signed national letters of intent this week. Watson, an infielder, will attend Southeastern Louisiana University. Perrin, an outfielder, will attend McNeese State University. (Lori Lyons/L’OBSERVATEUR)
RESERVE — Three St. John the Baptist Parish athletes recently signed national letters of intent to compete on the next level in their chosen sports.
Riverside Academy softball players Madison Watson and Toni Perrin signed to play for Southeastern Louisiana University and McNeese State University, respectively. St. Charles Catholic equestrian Shelby Reine signed to compete for Texas A&M.
St. Charles Catholic equestrian Shelby Reine, center, signed a national letter of intent to compete for Texas A&M University’s equestrian team. She is shown with St. Charles athletic director Frank Monica, from left, father Mike, mother Alicia, and principal Drew Cupit. (Submitted)
Riverside invited students, family and friends into the school’s gymnasium Tuesday for a signing ceremony.
Watson, an infielder, fulfilled a longtime dream to become a Southeastern Lady Lion, she said.
“I’m so excited,” Watson said. “I’ve been wanting to go to Southeastern forever. We played there a few years ago and I knew. It felt like home. It’s almost surreal. I can’t believe it actually happened.”
Watson has been a starter on the team since she was in eighth grade.
She hit .348 last season with 23 RBIs, nine doubles and three home runs.
Perrin, an outfielder, hit .528 with 56 hits, 14 doubles, two triples and led the team with 11 home runs.
She also had 42 RBIs and scored 53 runs.
Perrin committed to McNeese after visiting the campus last summer.
“It feels so good to know that I have my future set for me,” Perrin said. “It just feels great.”
Riverside softball coach Tamra Regalo said it was a proud moment for her.
“I’m more proud of them than anything,” Regalo said.
“They worked so hard for it, gave blood, sweat and tears for this school since seventh and eighth grade. You can’t ask for more. This is something most kids dream of and a small percentage actually get. The community should be proud, their teachers and staff members, their coaches from past to present. They all had a role in molding these kids into what they are today.”
Reine, who competes nationally in the equestrian sport of Reining in American Quarter Horse Association and National Reining Horse Association Horse Shows, fulfilled her longtime dream of signing with Texas A&M after committing in November, 2015.
She has spent most of her summers in Texas, training.
She is currently ranked sixth in the World and is a two-time world champion.
“I did visit Oklahoma State, just to make sure this is where I really wanted to go,” Reine said. “I’m sure.”
