This year, Guilford College welcomed 117 student athletes — almost a third of 2014’s first-year class.

Like other first-year students, athletes face challenges adjusting to college life.

Keeping up with academics while managing extracurricular activities is daunting for any student. Athletes receive support from teammates, peers and their coaches to ease this transition.

It seems like everyone is excited to help these athletes make this transition.

“One of the things that we seem to be getting better at is the fact that we’re recruiting good people,” said Head Football Coach Chris Rusiewicz. 

“There’s just good character and they want to be here.”

Below are four short profiles on a few of Guilford’s first-year athletes.

Bryce Parrott

From: Oxford, North Carolina

“I chose Guilford mainly for my major, sports management. Guilford is really well-known for that. The chance to play football at Guilford drew me in as well.”

Parrott has played football since he was five, when he played flag football at his local recreational center. In his free time he likes to play sports, workout and go on mission trips with his Church, Enon Baptist Church.

After Guilford, he hopes to get a postgraduate degree in sports management and find a job in the sports management industry.

Sommer Fanney

From: Burlington, North Carolina

“I like a lot of things about cross-country and track. I’m a super energetic, active person and running helps me focus and clear my mind … I also like the community I found through running, both in high school and in college.”

Fanney started cross-country and track in her first year of high school. Besides running, she likes to draw, paint, be around her friends, spend time alone and play ultimate Frisbee.

Though Fanney is unsure of what she wants to do in the future, she is focused on running and getting to know her team better in the present.

Chasen Chacon

From: Palo Alto, California

“I chose Guilford because I liked the small environment and it just seemed like a good fit for me.”

When he’s not busy playing tennis, Chacon likes hanging out with his friends and finding cool things in Greensboro to do.

Chacon wants to double major in business administration and Spanish and hopes to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. After Guilford, he would like to work overseas and start his own business.

Carter Hicks

From: Apex, North Carolina

“I love baseball because it is kind of an escape for me. Whenever I go on a field I can forget whatever else is going on in my life and just focus on the game.”

Hicks has played baseball for 13 years. Besides baseball, he likes to hang out with his friends and play video games, especially FIFA, a soccer video game series.

In the future, Hicks hopes to get a degree from Guilford in business administration and sport management, and then go to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for law school.

[photomosaic nggid=226]