Eleven student athletes from Durango High School signed national letters of intent Wednesday in front of a bleacher full of supporters at DHS.
The Demons will head all over the country next year, from California to Pittsburgh.
The Demons will continue to compete in a wide range of sports, including cross-country and track, football and baseball, wrestling, swimming, basketball and softball.
DHS Athletic Director Ryan Knorr, who has been at the helm of Durango athletics for three years, said it was his biggest signing class as an AD. Knorr also said it takes a village to help the student athletes receive the opportunities they have, and the students proceeded to thank their families, friends, coaches and teachers at the ceremony.
Knorr also emphasized that without their academic performance, the student athletes wouldn’t have the same opportunities to compete at the college level.
The DHS athletes who signed letters of intent include cross-country runners Damian Frausto (University of Pittsburgh) and Angela McManus (California State University San Marcos); football players William Knight (Washington and Lee), Jordan Stanley (Fort Lewis College) and Walter Stauffer (Fort Lewis); baseball player Chase Robertson (Benedictine College); softball player Teagan Kehm (Lamar Community College); swimmers Mckenzie Rion (Westmont College) and Erin Knight (Merrimack College); wrestler Tyler Woodworth (Messiah University); and Sydney Flores (Denison University) who will compete in basketball and track and field.
University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Frausto is one of Durango’s top runners. He has earned a couple of all-state honors by placing at the state track and state cross-country meets. This fall, after the high school season ended, he ran a 14 minute, 44 second 5K at the Garmin Running Lane Cross-Country Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, where he finished 37th in the national gold race.
Frausto will continue running at the Division I level next year for the University of Pittsburgh.
“I decided to choose the University of Pittsburgh to further my academic and athletic careers because of what they had to offer, both running- and engineering-wise,” Frausto said. “I knew from the moment that I stepped foot onto campus, that it was the place for me. The city itself is spectacular, and the team was awesome. The competition in the ACC at the D1 level is some of the best in the country. Shout out to the Pittsburgh guys for welcoming me so far. I’m really excited to do some big things for the program with them.
“The most exciting part about joining the program is going to be the ability to train at the highest level with a team that truly enjoys the sport. I am also very excited to be coached by coach (Brad) Herbster. He is super knowledgeable with years of experience, and I truly feel he will be able to get me to perform at my highest potential.”
“It's definitely going to be a different training environment, but Pittsburgh is known for its hills, so I don’t think it will be any easier than Durango’s mountains. The city environment is what I was looking for in a college, in which Pittsburgh was able to fulfill. They have some great running trails, and I will also be looking forward to the altitude drop after summer training and getting settled into Pittsburgh.”
Frausto said he plans to get a degree in mechanical engineering while running for the Panthers.
California State University San Marcos; San Marcos, California
McManus was one of Durango’s most consistent runners this fall and led DHS to a third-place team finish at the 4A state cross-country meet, placing 25th place in 20:07.
McManus also runs distance events on the track and placed 17th in the 800 last year at the state track meet (2:24.88). She also swims for DHS.
The first-team all-conference runner and MVP will run next year for the Cal State San Marcos Cougars.
“San Marcos was a desirable location, very close to the beach in Southern California like I was looking for,” McManus said. “I visited the campus and loved it, loved the team and the coach, and will be able to run both cross-country and track there.
“I am excited to join this program because it is competitive in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, and is an improving team. The coaching style also seems to fit what I am looking for, which is a big advantage.
“I think it will benefit me to have trained at altitude my whole life, and go down to sea level, but I will acclimate pretty quickly and hope to still see some effects of my altitude training.”
McManus considered some other schools in California, as well as University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado State University and Metropolitan State University. She plans to major in psychology at San Marcos.
Messiah University; Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Woodworth has already amassed 105 career wins on the wrestling mat, where has won a regional championship, qualified for state twice and scored a couple all-conference honors. Woodworth will head to one of wrestling’s meccas, Pennsylvania.
“I visited the campus, saw the amazing work the engineering program is doing around the world, and met the wrestling coaches and team,” Woodworth said. “I felt that it was the place I was supposed to be.
“The wrestling team is just one big family. They care for each other and build relationships that last a lifetime,” he said.
“It's going to be tough, but I'm excited for that level of competition.”
Woodworth plans on studying biomedical engineering.
Denison University, Granville, Ohio
Flores began making a difference for Demon athletics when she was a freshman and has lettered in softball, basketball and track all four years. Last year at the state track meet, she placed third in the discus ( 121 feet, 2 inches) and fourth in the shot put (34-1.75).
On the basketball court, she averages 8.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game, helping DHS go 12-5 so far this season.
She’ll continue to play basketball and throw for Denison University in Ohio next year.
“I had the opportunity to visit the campus and coaching staff in November and fell in love,” Flores said. “The academics were perfect, and the coaching staff was wonderful, even offering me the opportunity to participate in both basketball and track.
“I’m grateful to both the coaching staff at Denison and my current coaches for encouraging me with this opportunity. Being able to continue in two of the sports that have made me the athlete I am today is such an amazing opportunity. I am very excited to continue two sports that I love.”
Continuing to play, she said, is what’s she is most excited about. “I’m excited to encounter these new experiences in Ohio and experience life away from Durango.”
In basketball, Flores will play forward and post. In track, she’ll continue throwing the discus and shot put and try throwing the javelin and hammer.
Flores will have until the end of her sophomore year to declare a major, so she said she’ll go in undecided with an open mind, but would “love to pursue medicine and science.”
She also considered Northern Arizona, Fort Lewis College, the University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines.
Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia
Knight is one of three DHS football players who signed Wednesday that were part of Durango’s state title team in 2021 and its run to the quarterfinals this season. The two-time all-state and three-time all-conference lineman also was named the 3A Southern League’s defensive player of the year this fall. He had four sacks and averaged 5.6 tackles per game, helping DHS shut out six of its 11 opponents.
Knight was recruited to play defensive line for the Generals, but said he’d be happy playing anywhere on the field.
“I decided to sign with W&L because it’s an exceptional school and community,” Knight said. “I felt that I would be pushed by my peers and coaches at this school, and I can’t wait to be in Lexington.
“Washington and Lee football has great coaches who pulled off an incredibly successful season last year in the ODAC conference. Can’t wait to be a part of it.
“I really love the coaching staff at W&L. I’m most familiar with my recruiting coach, Bobby Jones, who is the OC and O-line coach at W&L. It’s a younger staff who bring a great amount of energy and knowledge to the game.”
Knight plans to study business, but said he’ll take an open mind to the school.
Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado
Stanley is an all-conference football and baseball player for the Demons. He had a scholarship offer to play baseball at Oklahoma Christian University, but decided to stay in Durango and play ball for Fort Lewis and its new coach, Johnny Cox.
Stanley played on both sides of the ball for DHS. He made 54 tackles as a defensive back to help the Demons shut down their opposition. He also caught five touchdown passes, ran for four and even threw one.
He signed with Fort Lewis as a safety.
“My love for the game as well as the phenomenal coach led me to my decision,” Stanley said. “Also, the overwhelming support from the community made me realize that I made the right decision.
“I believe coach Cox, as well as the other coaches he brought along with him, are exactly who the program, needs and I believe the community agrees with me. Hearing about how coach Cox plans to turn the program around played a huge role in my decision.”
Fort Lewis College; Durango, Colorado
Big man Walter Stauffer will also stay in Durango and compete on Fort Lewis’ football team. Stauffer was an integral part of Durango’s dominant defense this year and recorded a team-high seven sacks.
Stauffer has also been making an impact for Durango’s basketball team in the paint this winter where he is averaging 9.9 rebounds and 8.9 points per game. He has earned first-team all conference honors in both sports.
Stauffer will play defensive end for the Skyhawks, choosing FLC over Boise State and Wyoming.
“I wanted to be close to home and thought it was the best choice for my first year,” Stauffer said.
“The new coaches are putting a good team together, and I’m glad to be a part of it. I think (new head coach Johnny Cox) is a good guy and will be good for the program.”
He plans to study business.
Westmont College; Santa Barbara, California
Rion has qualified for the state swimming championships each of her four years at DHS, including this season in the 200-yard freestyle (2:00.99). In 2020, she won a district title in the 500-free and is the Western Slope of Colorado Female Athlete Representative for swimming. She has also competed in the Western Zone Championships twice in California, in 2019 and 2021. She’ll swim next year for Westmont College in Santa Barbara.
“The reason I chose Westmont was because of the amazing team environment, the location, and the amazing coaching staff,” Rion said. “I am most excited to swim outdoors and travel around the West Coast for competitions.”
She said she hopes to swim in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 freestyle as well as the 100 and 200 backstroke.
Rion chose Westmont over Pepperdine University, California Polytechnic University San Luis Obiso, the University of San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University.
She plans to major in biology and start the premed track.
Merrimack College, North Andover Massachusetts
Knight never really stops swimming, competing with DHS in the winter and on her club team the rest of the year. She said her new club coach, Sarah Rybka, has made “an amazing difference” in her results. “I’m seeing drops that that I haven’t been able to do in the past.” She said DHS coach Tom Joyner also really cares about the team’s athletes, which had a positive influence on her experience at DHS.
The distance swimmer will continue competing in the pool at Merrimack College next year, which is located near Boston and competes in the NCAA Division 1’s Northeast Conference.
Benedictine College; Atchison, Kansas
Robertson has played all over the infield for Durango, spending most of his high school career at shortstop and second base. At the plate, he hit .500 last season, which included a pair of home runs, 17 RBIs and 15 runs scored and helped DHS finish 14-3 overall. He’ll continue playing ball at Benedictine College in Kansas, where the school checked a lot of boxes for him off the diamond as well.
“I decided to sign with Benedictine because it met all my religious and academic needs first and had baseball,” Robertson said. “Benedictine has an ABET accredited engineering program. Talking with coach (Eric) Peterson he said they have you for four years to prepare me for the next 40 years of my life, regardless if that includes more baseball.
“When I visited Benedictine it was a cold rainy day and the team had a intersquad scrimmage. Even in the poor conditions the energy that both dugouts had was electric. I have played on low-energy and high-energy teams, and I always have thrived on high-energy teams. I love the talking smack to each other and pushing each other to get better.”
Robertson will continue to play in the middle infield for the Ravens. He plans to study mechanical engineering.
Lamar Community College; Lamar, Colorado
This fall, Kehm finished with a team-high 33 hits in 71 at bats for DHS softball, which was good for a .465 batting average. More than half her hits went for extra bases, including four home runs, three triples and 12 doubles. Kehm also scored 36 runs and drove in 29 for the Demons.
In the field, Kehm was one of Durango’s top pitchers, but played all over the diamond. On the mound, she finished with a 7-4 record and 57 strikeouts.
Her performance helped her earn first-team all-conference honors from the Southwestern League.
Kehm will continue to play softball for Lamar Community College, which is the town she first played ball in.
“It felt like the right college to go to if I want to learn more about softball and improve my skills,” Kehm said, adding a lot of other Running ‘Lopes go on to transfer to teams at four-year schools after playing for Lamar.
Kehm is a utility player and can play anywhere she’s needed. Lamar’s coach said she’ll be a good outfielder, but Kehm will also have a chance to pitch.
Kehm said she plans to study forensic science at Lamar with an eye toward becoming a forensic investigator or a medical examiner.
