Two Merced High standouts in track, classroom sign letters of intent with 4-year colleges
After excelling on the track and in the classroom, two Merced High School athletes celebrated signing with four-year schools on Tuesday afternoon.
Bears standouts Donovan Marshall and Elsa Van Dyke were joined by family, coaches and their track teammates as they signed their national letters of intent to compete at Chico State and Pomona College, respectively, during a ceremony held in the high school gym.
“It’s finally a sigh of relief, I guess,” Marshall said. “All the hard work I’ve done since freshmen year —and even second grade when I started track — have paid off.”
Marshall was joined by his two little brothers, Brayden and Jermamy, and his mother, Krystal Johnson, as he signed. Van Dyke was seated next to her mothers, Irenee Beattie, Nella Van Dyke, and her little sister, Sadie.
Merced track coach Joe Villanueva spoke about both athletes’ character and work ethic and why it wasn’t a surprise both are moving on to further their careers in college.
Villanueva referenced Marshall’s competitiveness and how he hated to lose. If he did lose he always bounced back strong. He also said Marshall makes a tough event look easy.
“If you ever seen this man get over a hurdle, it’s beautiful,” Villanueva said. “I don’t care who you are, to jump a hurdle is not the easiest. You can’t just say go jump a hurdle. That’s not how it works. This man makes it look easy.”
Villanueva said colleges were blowing up his phone to find out more information on Van Dyke, who excelled in the long jump and triple jump.
“She is a diamond and they know it,” Villanueva said.
Both were straight A students.
Marshall compiled a 4.0 GPA at Merced High and plans to major in mechanical engineering at Chico State.
Van Dyke finished with a 4.49 GPA, which is ranked No. 4 in her class, and wants to study astrophysics.
Marshall won the Central California Conference championships in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 39.24 seconds and the 300 hurdles with a time of 14.83 seconds. He finished second at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championships in the 110 hurdles (15.52) and won the 300 hurdles (39.24).
Van Dyke also won two CCC individual championships with victories in the long jump 15 feet, 8 inches and triple jump 33-10.5. She finished fourth in the triple jump at the DIII championships with a leap of 36.3.25 and eighth in the long jump with a mark of 16-2.
Marshall feels the need to set an example for his two younger brothers.
“That’s why I do it, to basically set the bar for them,” he said.
He started track in second grade and gravitated toward hurdles because that was his mother’s event in high school.
“I knew coming into high school I wanted to try it,” Marshall said. “It was tough at first and it still in tough. Rewards like this are the pay off.”
Van Dyke began her track journey in middle school. She get Pomona was a great fit academically and athletically.
Now she’s ready for her next chapter.
“It’s really exciting,” Van Dyke said. “I’ve had a lot of fun here and I’m excited to continue.”
