For Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Zach Mann '17, verbally committing to play college lacrosse was nice, but signing on the dotted line was so much more satisfying.
With a large crowd of family and friends in attendance at the WMA Athletic Center Thursday night, Zach signed his National Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland.
"It feels like committing is unofficial, so to have something that really means something is kind of crazy," said Zach, who verbally committed to the Division I program in early 2016. "You don't see this coming and all of a sudden it's here."
Coach Mike MacDonald said Zach is ready to play the high level of lacrosse he will face at Mount St. Mary's, which plays in the Northeast Conference.
"Zach is headed to play Division I lacrosse," Coach MacDonald said. "They made the NCAA tournament in 2015.
"He's a utility man for us. He doesn't get a lot of stats in the scorebook or newspaper but he's a key player on our team. We're going to miss him when he heads out to Mount St. Mary's but we're going to enjoy his senior year here. This is going to be the second year Zach is going to be a captain for us. We're looking forward to his leadership to help the younger guys out."
Zach is looking forward to playing for "The Mount," which he liked the moment he stepped on campus.
"It's a lot like WMA in the fact that there are small class sizes so the teachers can get to know your name and you're not just another student in the class," explained Zach, who helped the West win Bay State Games gold in the summer. "It's in Maryland so it's not a completely different place but it's a good change of scenery. The coaching staff is great. There are a lot of positives to the school."
Zach, a midfielder, plans to major in sports management or sports medicine.