A Yuma County high school softball player has signed a rare letter of intent with a Division I athletics program.
Yuma Union High School District officials said Addison Duke of Gila Ridge High School in Yuma signed last week to play the University of Mississippi.
Duke, a senior center fielder and shortstop for the Hawks, will attend "Ole Miss" in Fall 2024.
In a released statement Duke said “I’ve always wanted to play there. It’s been my dream school since I was like 12 and just to see that whole thing come true is really exciting. It’s going to be interesting going somewhere completely different from Arizona and just seeing a whole bunch of new things.”
While many Yuma County high school graduates attend larger public schools including the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, it's rare for one to continue their athletic endeavors at a Division I school.
Ole Miss plays in the Southeastern Conference, or the SEC, which is home to big sports programs including Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana State (LSU).
Damian Moreno of Kofa High School and Somerton is on the men's wrestling team at Arizona State.
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If we've missed any recent student-athletes from Yuma County who have recently played at the Division I level in college, please let us know on our social media pages for KAWC on Facebook or Twitter/X @kawcnews.
Scroll down for past news articles regarding Gila Ridge High School.
