Six Raiders finalize collegiate plans
Reed sprinter Bobby Widmar prefers to do things quickly.
He won last month’s 4A state title in the 100 meters with a blazing fast time of 10.68 seconds while taking fourth in the 200m.
So, as his recruiting process continued to elongate, he was forced into an unfamiliar spot. He had to stand still.
The hold officially ended Wednesday afternoon as he, and five of his classmates, signed a letter of intent at a ceremony held inside the school’s gym. He will run at Central Washington University – an NCAA Div. II program in Ellensburg, Wash.
“It was a stressful process, because this is kind of a last-minute thing. It’s in June. But, I always knew something was going to happen. I was always going to go somewhere so I just kept that in the back of my head,” Widmar said. “Now that it’s finally here, it’s a big relief.”
Central Washington first made contact in February, while the likes of Colorado State and Montana also expressed interest. The recruitment waiting game then started, allowing CWU to eventually “put their foot forward.”
“I just knew from then it was a good school for me,” Widmar said.
His personal best time of 10.63 seconds, turned in at the league championships in early May, is nearly two tenths of a second faster than any time recorded by the Wildcats this spring.
“I might have a target on back, because I’ll be a freshman,” Widmar said. “We’ll see.”
Running back Tre Bussey signed at Sacramento City Community College after putting up staggering numbers in the fall. He ran for 1,635 yards (8.9 yards/carry) and 27 touchdowns. He was named the 4A North co-Offensive Player of the Year.
The bruising runner generated attention from the likes of Big Sky programs Montana, Montana State and Portland State and hopes to secure an offer after his time with the Panthers.
“They (Sacramento City CC) are … a heavy running team. They like to have split running backs. They like to run the ball a lot,” Bussey said. “That’s just the best opportunity for me.
“I’m extremely excited. Playing college football, no matter where it’s at, is going to be amazing. It’s going to be a great experience.”
Bussey will not be making the trip to Sacramento alone. First-team all-region defensive tackle and second-team all-region offensive guard Leo Valdivia committed to Sacramento City CC as well.
First-team all-region outfielder Jon Pinto signed at Central Washington University, joining Widmar. Pinto led the Raiders this spring in batting average (.411), home runs (7), RBIs (22), runs (29) and stolen bases (8).
Catcher Caleb Ariaz will extend his career at Lassen Community College.
Logan Pine was the second track athlete to sign a letter of intent. He will compete at Menlo College – an NAIA program in Palo Alto, Calif.
Pine was part of the Raiders’ 4x400m relay that won the 4A North title and the regional runner-up 4x800m relay.
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