In the class of 2024, ten athletes have committed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Something only seven percent, or roughly one in 13 high school athletes accomplish. These individuals, in addition to showcasing exceptional athletic talent, have demonstrated remarkable dedication in balancing challenging academics and demanding schedules to advance to the collegiate level.

McCoy Lyman

Senior McCoy Lyman has committed to Dartmouth University for diving after verbally committing his junior year. 

Lyman started diving in middle school after leaving gymnastics behind, looking for something similar to pursue. Lyman made diving history at Midtown, qualifying for the GHSA Swimming & Diving State Championship and placing first in the diving state meet. 

“I’m really excited to be up in New Hampshire,” Lyman said. “It’s going to be a lot different from Atlanta, but I think it’ll be a cool change. Sports-wise, I really like the community aspect that the swim and dive team at Dartmouth shares, and I’m glad I get to be a part of it.” 

Lyman looks forward to the Ivy League education experience and competitive diving environment and team, leading him to an impressive education and sports environment and connecting with others who share a love for diving.

Allie Planeaux

Senior Allie Planeaux committed to University of North Carolina-Wilmington to play Division 1 soccer and major in exercise science. 

Planeaux committed her junior year after starting for varsity since her freshman year. Planeaux visited UNCW and fell in love with the people, team, location and educational opportunity. 

“It really has everything I’m looking for,” Planeaux said. “Being close to home while getting an opportunity to go to school on the beach, playing soccer with people I really like, and being able to major in something I’m interested in, it all came together perfectly.” 

Planeaux is grateful for her time at Midtown and credits her academic and athletic success to her club and high school seasons. 

“Between club and high school, I’ve learned so much on and off the field,” Planeaux said. “I’ve grown as a player and a student during these seasons and my parents, coaches and teammates have pushed me to be better everyday.”

Miles Hadley

Senior Miles Hadley will be continuing his academic and athletic career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. 

“I’m super excited about West Point,” Hadley said. “The thought of meeting new people and living in a new city is cool. Although my experience will be different than most, I’ll have friendships for life after basic training.” 

Despite the unique college experience, Hadley looks forward to the opportunity and discipline provided by West Point. 

“Going through these challenges together brings people closer,” Hadley said. “I think my decision to go to a military academy could best be explained as delayed gratification, short term struggle for long term success. West Point offers an elite education for free while limiting a lot of distractions. I understand there’s going to be times when I’m going to want to give up, but it’ll prepare me for the real world, so, overall, I think the experience will be extremely beneficial for  whatever field I pursue.” 

Hadley looks to continue his sports career as a center back, right back or center defensive midfielder, similar to his Midtown and Atlanta United positions, studying computer science.

Briaiah Lewis

Senior Briaiah Lewis has committed to Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia to play Division 3 basketball for the next four years. 

Lewis played varsity basketball and volleyball all four years, but was most interested in pursuing collegiate basketball.

“It has been a dream,” Lewis said. “It’s been my parents’ dream; it’s just been a dream that I never knew if it would happen or not, so now the hard work has paid off, and it’s rewarding that I actually get to go and play.”

Lewis said Berry College stood out to her because her Midtown head coach Martravious Little reminded her of the head coach at Berry.

“I did have five other schools in mind,” Lewis said. “But I love that Berry is something different. It’s outside of Atlanta; it’s nothing like where I’m from. All the girls and the coach were very welcoming, and it just seemed like a very good program that everyone would want to be a part of.” 

Looking back at her high school career, Lewis said she’ll always remember her bonds with her teammates and getting the opportunity to play with her two older sisters, Jade and Trinity.

“I have had so many great memories with my team and my sisters,” Lewis said. “The Final Four game [my senior year] would have to be my favorite specific memory because I played with the most freedom I’ve ever played before; I got to really enjoy it and have a lot of fun. I just had so much fun being able to enjoy the game, and I ended up dropping 22 points.”

During her high school career, Lewis was named to the Region 5-AAAAA First Team her junior year and GHSA 5A All-State Team her senior year. Lewis said she hopes to continue this success.

“I’m excited to see how I’m going to adapt,” Lewis said. “I do feel prepared because of making it to state this year and having coach Little as a coach and my parents pushing me. While I’m there I’m hoping to grow in my skills and get better.”

Ian Shuler

Senior Ian Shuler will be playing Division 1 soccer at Denver University next year, studying International relations. 

Shuler accumulated an impressive soccer resume, playing at notable clubs like FC Porto, Orlando City, Concorde Fire, and NTH NASA. Before coming to Midtown, Shuler spent two years playing soccer for North Atlanta. 

“Playing for Midtown has been an amazing time with great people,” Shuler said. “My coaches and teammates have helped shape me as a player, and these past two seasons have been really successful.” 

Along with an impressive soccer program, Denver offers an impressive education and ideal location for Shuler. 

“I’m looking forward to growing as a player and a person at Denver,” Shuler said. “Denver has a lot to offer on and off the field, and I’m ready for a new location and experience.”

Caitlin Stanley

Senior Caitlin Stanley has committed to Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont to play Division 3 softball for the next four years. 

Stanley has been playing softball for over 10 years, and said she started softball because her older brother played baseball, and she wanted to do what he was doing.

“I decided I wanted to play softball in college pretty early on,” Stanley said. “Throughout high school I kept my options open and decided that if the right opportunity didn’t present itself, I wasn’t going to sacrifice where I wanted to go to school or the kind of school just to play.”

Stanley said she decided on Middlebury College because she fell in love with the location and coaching staff.

“When I was doing my college search, Middlebury ended up being my number one choice as a school for everything, not just regarding softball, so I pursued those coaches and that program to get recruited,” Stanley said. “It’s really small, and I think it has the right fit and culture for me. The coaches were also super kind and welcoming, and the program seemed very supportive of what I wanted to do.”

Stanley only played on the Midtown softball team her freshman and sophomore year because of injuries; however, she said she enjoyed the experience it gave her. 

“My favorite memory was seeing how the team grew and seeing a lot of people come together to try and build up a program,” Stanley said. 

Stanley said she is excited to get the opportunity to continue playing her sport and aspires to not lose sight of why she plays it. 

“I hope to enjoy it in college and really embrace the fact that it’s a game that I fell in love with as a little kid, and never forget why I’m doing it: for my love for it and how fun it is,” Stanley said.

Sawyer Maddox

Senior Sawyer Maddox has committed to McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois to continue his waterpolo career at the Division 2 level.

Maddox has been playing water polo since he was 10 years old, and started playing because his older brother did.

“I knew I wanted to be a student athlete,” Maddox said. “I wanted to take some burden off of my parents, so I thought why don’t I just go to a school for waterpolo.”

Maddox said he decided on McKendree College because it fit his standards. 

“I love the team and the coach there,” Maddox said. “I like a smaller college better than one of the big ones, so that was what I was looking for in my colleges, as well as a good accounting program and help with my dyslexia.” 

Maddox said he enjoyed his high school seasons and all the memories he made. 

“My favorite memory is when me and some of the people I first started playing with all went to a 3v3 tournament, which was a lot of fun,” Maddox said. 

During high school Maddox led the state in forced turnovers and got selected to represent the Southeast at Nationals. Maddox said he is excited to continue his waterpolo success at McKendree College.

“My hopes and goals for my future in water polo is to have fun playing in college,” Maddox said.

Ellie Palaian

Senior Ellie Palaian has committed to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio to play Division 3 soccer for the next four years. 

Growing up, Palaian played both basketball and soccer, but Palaian was most interested in pursuing college soccer like her older sister, Kaitlin, who committed to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

“After watching a few of my older sisters’ games at West Point and seeing the intensity and camaraderie, I decided it was something I was going to chase after,” Palaian said. “I switched clubs to play at a higher level and attract more attention. I sent out thousands of emails, and the recruiting process was a tough experience, but I’m very happy with how it turned out.”

Palaian said when deciding on a college, academics were a major factor and Case Western Reserve University is both one of the best Division 3 teams and ranked high academically. 

“I went into every visit with the mindset of, ‘if I didn’t play soccer, would I still love it here?’” Palaian said. “The school was a big part for me, and I wanted a smaller school with challenging academics that could get me somewhere after college. I knew Case Western would challenge me academically and, on top of that, I could play competitive athletics.”

Palaian was a four-year varsity starter. Throughout her years at Midtown, the Knights soccer team advanced to the Elite Eight her freshman year, Final Four her junior year, and advanced to the State Championship her sophomore year. 

“Any of our playoff runs are fun memories,” Palaian said. “I love the intensity and the emotion on the field during those high-pressure games; it was fun to see how we reacted as a team to competition and the pregame warmups for those games were always very fun.”

Palaian was awarded Region 5-AAAAA First Team both her sophomore and junior year and said she wants to continue her success at the college level. 

“Soccer-wise, I hope to make great friends and be successful as a teammate and as a player,” Palaian said. “I also hope to make it far in the NCAA tournament because I think that will be a really cool experience.”

Brady Scheinfeld

Senior Brady Scheinfeld has committed to Colorado School of Mines to play Division 2 soccer and pursue his passion for engineering. 

Scheinfeld has played soccer for more than 10 years, starting his career at Inter Atlanta and ending at Concorde Fire after switching clubs his sophomore year. With a long time love for being active and outside, Scheinfeld fell in love with Colorado early, drawn to the scenery, skiing and outdoor life. 

“I’m pretty excited about Mines,” Schienfeld said. “It’s basically a whole package of what I’m looking to do in playing soccer as a center back, studying mechanical engineering and then being able to ski on the weekends.”

Reed Williams

Senior Reed Williams has committed to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts to continue her rowing career at a Division 3 school.

Williams started rowing three years ago, rowing for St. Andrew Rowing Club.

“I hadn’t really heard of it before, but was interested in trying, and ended up really enjoying it,” Williams said. “I wasn’t originally planning on rowing in college when I joined, but after I progressed the next two years and saw a large portion of the graduating seniors commit, I wanted to, too.” 

Williams decided on Smith College because of a combination of factors. 

“I committed to Smith because, after learning more about the team environment, academics and their schedule, along with school, I thought it was a great fit for me,” Williams said. “I also love the area and that it wasn’t too far from Boston; I’ve seen that there are internship opportunities and connections you can get from the school.”

Williams said her favorite memory from rowing was the racing at regionals at Lake Lanier, where she medaled at a few regattas.

“I had multiple fun races, and after [everyone had raced], the entire team had such good energy,” Williams said. “In order to win the points trophy, every race contributes even if it doesn’t medal, so it shows the hard work everyone has put in.”

Williams said she is grateful for the opportunity to continue rowing at the collegiate level. 

“Right now I’m working to get faster before the fall,” Williams said. “I have no specific goals for rowing in college right now but I’m excited for the next steps.”