For college athletes, graduation means saying goodbye to coaches, teammates and sometimes even their games. Although some strive to make a career in sports, most college athletes do not go on to play professionally. Their jerseys transform from a daily uniform to simple memorabilia. At Ball State, 2006 marked another year for athletes to take off their jerseys for the last time and move past college athletics.
Kyle Dygert graduated in May and just finished his final season as a Ball State University athlete.
"It was the best experience of my life," Dygert said about playing for the Ball State baseball team. "I have so many great friends on the team, and I probably have some friendships that will last a very long time. It's a very rewarding experience."
The second baseman was recently named MVP of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, contributing a two-run home run in the fourth inning to pull away from Kent State in the final game. In his senior year, Dygert's batting average was .316, including seven home runs. Dygert is proud of his team for winning the tournament for the first time in Ball State's history.
Aside from excelling on the baseball diamond, Dygert was named an Academic All-MAC athlete for the second year in a row. He graduated with a 3.652 grade point average.
"I think graduating in four years while playing baseball and getting as high of a GPA as I did was my greatest accomplishment," he said.
Dygert majored in biology and plans to enroll in a four-year program to become a doctor of pharmacy.
"I have gotten into Ohio State's pharmacy school, so I'm headed there in the fall," he said.
Patrick Wilkes-Krier has polished his skills and improved his game on the Ball State men's golf team. Not only has he competed all four years of his college career, but he has impressed his coaches and teammates. Wilkes-Krier has consistently increased his distance and increased his fairway and green percentages. He was named an All-American athlete for maintaining a GPA above 3.5. He competed in professional and amateur tournaments leading into his senior year, while placing second in the Michigan Amateur and sixth in the Michigan Open. Wilkes-Krier plans to pursue a career playing professional golf.
"Well, the short and sweet version is that I'm staying amateur for the summer and turning pro in the fall," he said.
He will live in his hometown, Ann Arbor, Mich., for the summer while playing in tournaments such as the Michigan Amateur, Michigan Open, U.S. Amateur and the Western Amateur, as well as qualifiers for the U.S. Open and possibly the Buick Open.
"Very few professional athletes, especially golfers, are successful right away," he said. "I'm expecting to take a long road to success."
Not all senior athletes have the same plans as Wilkes-Krier; some are pursuing careers using skills they learned as students at Ball State University.
Jill Scully, a senior math major and competitive runner, plans to take a teaching job in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The record-breaking athlete was named Ball State's Athlete of the Year for all of her athletic success. She was selected to the All-MAC First Team and was named Most Outstanding Outdoor Track and Field Performer in the conference. She currently holds three distance records at Ball State. Although she wants to pursue a career in education, running will always be an important part of her life. She plans to run in organized races with a sponsorship from a running company located in Fort Lauderdale.
All of the athletes advise younger college athletes to take advantage of the opportunities offered to them while in college.
"Enjoy your team," Scully said. "Have fun and work hard, but remember to appreciate your teammates."
Wilkes-Krier's athletic career has been focused around hard work and dedication to achieve personal growth.
"The easiest thing to do to be good is to practice," he said. "Don't just go through the motions. Look at the best athletes ever - the reason they're the best is because of their hard work."
Dygert encourages all collegiate athletes to enjoy their experiences.
"Work hard and have fun playing your game," he said. "It's a good opportunity we have to go to school and still continue to play. Take advantage of that."
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