Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Essien: “University of Missouri.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Essien: “They have a very good wrestling program and business program, and that’s what I want to study. They reached out to me and I thought it’d be a great opportunity.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Essien: “They have a really awesome team culture, I can tell the guys really care and look out for each other, and the coaches are really awesome as well.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Essien: “A lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and time, and a lot of fun.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Essien: “I’d said a few months; after the team camp I went to over at Missouri, I felt like I decided I wanted to go, but it took a while talking to my parents, coaches, and family, and things like that. After a few months, I knew there was no other place I wanted to go.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Essien: “A lot of schools in Oklahoma and closer in Texas just because my parents didn’t want me to go far.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Essien: “A lot of running, a lot of trying to get in shape, and also just trying to make sure I’m used to buckling down on my school work.”

Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Johnston: “Schreiner University.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Johnston: “I really like the campus and the coaches and the team there, I felt like I just really fit in.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Johnston: “It’s a smaller school, and I would hate to go to a bigger school.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Johnston: “I’m expecting to have to put in a lot of work and I’m expecting to probably lose a lot my first year, but I’m still going to put in the work to hopefully do well.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Johnston: “It took me a while because my parents always wanted me to go into music, and I always knew I didn’t want to. I always knew I wanted to do wrestling, but it took me a while to talk to my parents about it and actually make the choice to choose wrestling over music.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Johnston: “I was contemplating going into music, because that’s what my parents wanted. I was also contemplating other schools, like Lyon, but I chose Schreiner, ultimately.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Johnston: “I’m going to be conditioning, lifting, wrestling over the summer and just practicing a lot as much as I possibly can.”

Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Cook: “Lyon College.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Cook: “I knew the coach, he’d been recruiting me for a while and some of my former teammates are a part of that program right now, so it made sense to look there.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Cook: “I really liked the campus, it’s a smaller college so it’s easier to not get lost and the class size is smaller, so I’ll have more one on one with my teachers and stuff.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Cook: “I’m expecting to be challenged a lot more and be around a lot of high caliber athletes that can make me better and push me to get my butt beat a lot.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Cook: “It was a pretty last minute decision, so it look me a while to decide.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Cook: “For a long time I was trying to get into the Naval Academy, but once I got my rejection letter from them, it was between Texas State and Lyon.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Cook: “Hit the gym a lot, a lot of summer lifting, some camps, running, and just getting into shape.”

Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Stewart: “Southwestern College in Kansas.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Stewart: “It was the only football scholarship I got.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Stewart: “Their coaching staff is a very experienced coaching staff.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Stewart: “The memories, it’s just going to be very memorable.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Stewart: “About three minutes after they told me I got offered.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Stewart: “I was going to go to Collin if I didn’t get a scholarship.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Stewart: “Staying in the weight room, on the football field to work out and get stronger.”

Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Lay: “Coffeyville Kansas.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Lay: “They sounded really interested in getting me to the next level, and they offered a full scholarship.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Lay: “The way they run stuff and how they do stuff, their tradition.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Lay: “Hard work and stress in dealing with basketball and school.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Lay: “Probably two weeks.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Lay: “There was another school in Oklahoma that I was debating, so just between those two colleges.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Lay: “Really just working hard and making myself better.”

Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Cooper: “Millsaps College.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Cooper: “For location and their really prestigious academics.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Cooper: “How their conference is over a wide region of the country, and it involves a lot of traveling, so I’ll get to see a lot of new places and play the sport that I love.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Cooper: “A lot of hard work and early mornings.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Cooper: “Probably a little over a year and a half; I started my junior year and didn’t commit until spring semester of my senior year.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Cooper: “This was my only school left that I was considering for volleyball, all of the rest were academic only. It just kind of worked out to where I picked the volleyball route.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Cooper: “A lot of early mornings, hard work, and some dieting.”

Wingspan: What school did you choose?

Ashmore: “Harding University.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose this school?

Ashmore: “I have a rich family history there and they had a good program.”

Wingspan: What aspects appealed to you?

Ashmore: “Their hard work, consistency, and will to get work done.”

Wingspan: What are you expecting from being a college athlete?

Ashmore: “More workload, more academics, and just a more fun experience.”

Wingspan: How long did it take to make this decision?

Ashmore: “Not long, I knew my freshman year that I wanted to go here.”

Wingspan: What other options were you contemplating?

Ashmore: “I was considering Oklahoma Christian for a while, but it didn’t work out.”

Wingspan: How do you plan to prepare?

Ashmore: “By staying in shape over the summer.”