Daniel Boone athletes make college choices

There were a dozen Daniel Boone athletes who participated in a college signing ceremony at the school's "Little Theatre" on Monday morning. Six came from the track and cross country programs, four from baseball, along with two cheerleaders. Boone's strong tradition in distance running was evident with mulitiple NCAA Division I signings. Fisher Battel, a multiple-time champion in cross country, and a multiple-time TSSAA All-State runner in both track and cross country, is headed to North Alabama. Ray Jones, a former ETSU star and longtime Trailblazers' assistant coach, praised Battel for his ability to push people and get them all together. Battel felt welcomed from the time he arrived on the Florence, Ala., campus. "From the time I showed up, the team and coach were super accommodating," Battel said. "The campus was beautiful and they had my major. Everything felt right." That was also the case with his teammate Brock Wilhjelm and Colorado State-Pueblo. The son of former ETSU quarterback Matt Wilhjelm won the 800 meter race at last week's Big 11 Conference meet and teamed with Battel as part of a school record setting 4x800 relay team. "I first saw that school and thought their jerseys looked cool," Wilhjelm said. "Being in the Rocky Mountains, I thought that's the right place for me. Ever since I was little, Colorado is a state I've enjoyed and wanted to go to school at." Micah Guinn committed to Milligan, while another male runner, Mason Dorsey, is headed to Alice Lloyd. A pair of female runners decided to stay in the Volunteer State. Sadie Honeycutt, winner of the 1,600 at the recent conference meet, chose Tennessee Tech to further her education. "It's not too far away, but not too close to home," Honeycutt said. "There's not as much in Cookeville, but it still felt like Johnson City. Campus-wise, it's like ETSU. I didn't want to go where I'd get lost going to class, but not where I would know everyone." Hannah Robinson decided to stay home and attend ETSU. Her family has traveled across the country, living in Montana, Oregon, South Carolina and Georgia before settling in Tennessee. A runner for Providence Academy before coming to Boone, she's excited about being close to home. "I talked to Coach (George) Watts and I loved the visit," Robinson said. "I moved around a lot when I was little. It felt very comfortable so I'm very excited to continue my career there." On the baseball diamond, Jack Ridley committed to Bluefield. A two-year starter at catcher, he's batting .339 and has thrown out 11 runners. Boone coach Scott Hagy described him as a "tough young man." TJ Leonard, another two-year starter, was the 2025 Big East Conference Player of the Year. He's batting .400 this season despite being walked 30 times. He's also undefeated on the mound with a 0.56 earned run average. He's taking his skills to Walters State, which has a tradition-rich program, and noted for developing talent like current L.A. Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack. Braden Gore, a four-year varsity player, is both a .333 hitter at the plate and a tough pitcher on the mound. Hagy described him as a player who does whatever it takes. Justice Kitto, called an intelligent player by the coach, is headed to Knoxville's BCA Baseball where one can get a year of college experience without losing eligibility. Cheerleaders Sierra Kelly and Caylie Brimmer also took part in the ceremony. They are going to Tusculum and Carson-Newman, respectively.