National signing day finds several Holland-area athletes commit to future

National Signing Day saw several high school athletes from the area make their commitments official to college programs.

It is a big day for football, but we also had some athletes from other sports sign this week.

Zeeland East’s Derek Baxter signed to play at Ferris State University, the defending NCAA Division II champion. He was an all-conference linebacker for the Chix. He had 73 tackles last season.

Meanwhile, across campus, Zeeland West’s Jonah Leslie signed with Davenport University, another NCAA Division II program in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He will get the chance to go up against Ferris State and Grand Valley State.

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Leslie had 110 rushes for 443 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense last season. On defense, he had 100 tackles, including 19 solos.

Zeeland West’s Marshall Johnson signed with Madonna University, an NAIA program.

Meanwhile, two Holland Christian athletes signed for other sports this week.

Hope Bruinsma will play tennis at Grace College.

“The reason I chose Grace College was because when I went to the college to visit, I felt the authenticity of their commitment to God,” she said. I am beyond excited to go to Grace not just to continue my studies, but to continue my tennis journey. I am so blessed to have my high school coaches by my side throughout the years to further my tennis skills, but to also support me. Now continuing at Grace’s women’s tennis program, I am confident in coach Andrew Lewis, along with the rest of the team will help me grow in new ways. This opportunity is such a gift, thank you to everyone who has helped me get to where I am today.”

Malachi Haight signed to play soccer at Spring Arbor. He was an all-conference performer for the Maroons.

“I chose Spring Arbor University because of the competitive soccer program, financial planning degree, and their strong Christian foundations. It means a lot to be able to play in college because of the investments those around have made into me and the opportunity to continue to compete at the highest level possible,” he said. “I have been prepared for this next step through spending hours on the field alone, taking advice from those who care about me, learning from those I look up to, and lastly my teammates who make the game so enjoyable to play.”

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as  Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.   

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: National signing day sees several Holland-area athletes commit