Four local athletes recently signed National Letters of Intent (NLI), committing to continue their sports career at the collegiate level.
Up in Whitefish, Bodie Smith will be playing football for Carroll College in Helena. The two-time all-state senior was a crucial all-around player for the Bulldogs last fall, putting up solid stats on offense, defense, and special teams. His highlights included five straight weeks of scoring at least one touchdown for the Bulldogs, including a 93-yard kick-off return for a TD against Libby.
Also from Whitefish, senior swimmer Nia Hanson will be continuing her athletic career as part of the Jamestown College swim team.
At the state swim meet on Feb. 12, Hanson finished fourth in the 100-yard Butterfly with a time of 1:06.09, and finished second in the 500-yard freestyle to teammate Ada Qunell.
Jaxsen Schlauch, another Whitefish football player, also signed an NLI, intending to play for the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. Schlauch was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs and was the leading receiver his senior season, when he notched 520 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He was a two-time all-state pick and the team’s offensive MVP two years in a row.
Down in Bigfork, Lily Tanko signed her NLI on Feb. 3 to play soccer for the University of Texas in Dallas.
Tanko was a three-time all-conference player for Flathead High School before spending her last season at Bigfork, where she helped the Valkyries to their first ever regular season winning record, post-season victory and Class A semi-final appearance. She has also played on a nationally ranked club team in Wyoming, making it to the semi-finals of the national tournament in 2019.