Thursday, Nov. 20, was not any regular day for the McNicholas community; it was the day two seniors signed letters of intent to play their sports at the college level. AJ Gundler signed to continue playing baseball and Ava Strange committed to playing volleyball beyond high school.
AJ Gundler committed to play baseball for Lincoln Trail College, located in Robinson, Illinois. Lincoln Trail is a Junior College in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference. He wants to pursue a degree in business management there but may switch his degree after he completes their 2-year program. Gundler began playing baseball when he was around 8 years old and has been an integral part of McNicholas’ s baseball team since his sophomore year, when he first made varsity. That year, he hit over .300, stole 14 bases, and scored 22 runs. The next year he scored 19 runs and stole 16 bases. He plays mainly outfield and middle infield. Through his sophomore and junior years, he achieved 2nd Team All-GCL honors. (Stats from mcnhs.org)
He said that he is “most looking forward to meeting my teammates and getting to be with them every day because at junior college and where I’m going in particular there’s not much to do other than baseball.” Gundler said that he would most remember practices with his friends, and his biggest influences throughout his career have been his half-brother, who is a coach at Lake Erie College, and his parents. He also added that his teammates were a crucial part of his high school success by supporting him and making many parts of the journey more enjoyable.
Ava Strange committed to playing volleyball at Fairmont State University, in Fairmont, West Virginia. It is an NCAA Division II program in the Mountain East Conference. She is majoring in exercise science to go into occupational therapy. Strange began playing volleyball in 3rd grade around the age of 7 when her mom introduced her to the sport. She has played on the varsity team at McNicholas for three years, where she plays as an opposite. The team has had success during Strange’s career here, winning two district championships and a state final run in 2023, while also achieving regional runner-up in the 2024 season. She was also awarded the Rocket Award this year, one of the highest honors for McNicholas athletes. (mcnhs.org and ohsaa.org)
Strange said she is most “looking forward to making a legacy of myself there and to put myself out there and to grow with my teammates and make new friends.” Her biggest influence has been her parents, who showed great support along the way. She said that she will most remember her senior year and how the whole team supported her through her signing process and how they all worked to bring the team together.
The McNicholas Milestone 