OLD WASHINGTON − Buckeye Trail senior Vayda Neuhart has officially finalized her collegiate plans, recently signing with Division I West Virginia University, where she will continue her academic career and start a new athletic challenge by joining the Mountaineers’ women’s rowing team.
The signing marks a remarkable next step for Neuhart, who has spent her youth at full throttle. If it involves a ball, a bat, a track, or a shotgun, the versatile senior has probably competed in it. Juggling everything from youth competition cheerleading and T-ball at age 4 to high school varsity action in track, volleyball, basketball, softball, and even the Warriors’ trap shooting team.
Yet, when plotting out her collegiate destination, competing at the Division I level in a sport completely foreign to her wasn’t even on the radar. But when WVU and other high-level programs came calling, the always up for a challenge senior couldn’t pass up the chance to dive into uncharted waters.
According to WVU assistant rowing and recruiting coach Mikie Sevick, who handled Neuhart’s recruitment, the Mountaineers knew exactly what they were getting in the multi-sport Warrior.
“We are always looking for student-athletes who have demonstrated a strong work ethic, competitiveness, coachability, and a commitment to excellence,” Sevick said. “And we saw all those qualities in Vayda.”
Uncharted waters call the Warriors’ standout
“I had actually been reached out to by multiple colleges about rowing, some of those being Michigan State, Rollins College, and of course West Virginia University,” Neuhart said. “Rowing was never something I thought I would be able to compete in at the collegiate level since I had never tried the sport before.”
While rowing was a wild card, finding a college home was a quick decision. Neuhart already knew Morgantown held the academic key to her future.
“I knew I wanted to go to WVU since they offered my major, Sports Psychology,” Neuhart said. “So, I jumped on the opportunity of joining the rowing team.”
Trading the court for the water
Transitioning from local high school sports in the Inter-Valley Conference, to the rigorous world of Big 12 Division I rowing is a daunting leap, one that initially brought a wave of natural hesitation for Neuhart.
“When I realized I could compete at the Division I level in sport I had never played before, I was definitely skeptical and nervous to say the least,” Neuhart said.
Those nerves quickly faded after a conversation with Sevick, who saw athletic potential in Neuhart’s extensive multi-sport background, particularly her time on the volleyball court.
“After talking with coach Sevick, I felt much more confident in my decision of joining,” Vayda said. “She explained to me how many girls make the jump from volleyball to rowing. She also told me that if I was willing to put in the work, she would teach me how to be successful.”
Leaving a lasting Buckeye Trail legacy
Neuhart’s rare combination of natural strength and relentless work ethic has left behind a lasting impression on the athletic department she leaves behind at Buckeye Trail.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for Vayda,” Buckeye Trail Athletic Director Craig Taylor said. “She is an intelligent, hard-working young lady who will work to learn the sport. Vayda is strong and athletic, and I believe those qualities will allow her to be a good rower.”
Taylor noted that while the sport is entirely fresh to Neuhart, her willingness to step outside her comfort zone is exactly what has defined her stellar high school career.
“It will be something new for her, but that has never stopped her,” Taylor added. “In one of her senior night sentences, she wrote, ‘Don’t be afraid to try something new.’ And she has always demonstrated that quality. Warrior Nation is excited for Vayda and looks forward to watching her compete for the Mountaineers on the Division I stage.”
Moving as one on the water
Though she is stepping into a brand-new arena, Neuhart already sees how her years on the local courts and ranges have prepared her for the synchronization required on the water. Rowing is famously a rhythm sport, a concept that feels instantly familiar to a veteran volleyball player.
“I definitely see parallels between the timing in volleyball and the rhythm needed in rowing,” Neuhart said. “In volleyball, on both offense and defense, all six players must move as one. The same goes for rowing.”
The crossover advantage
That unique cross-sport potential is exactly what makes the Mountaineer coaching staff so eager to get Neuhart into the program. Sevick notes that top-tier college rowing thrives on landing high-caliber athletes ready to tackle a new discipline.
“One of the things that makes rowing unique is the opportunity it provides for exceptional athletes from other sports,” Sevick said. “Many successful collegiate rowers begin as crossover athletes, bringing skills and experiences from another sport into the rowing environment, As a crossover athlete, she brings a fresh perspective and strong athletic foundation.”
Ready for the Big 12 grind
To make sure she hits the water running in Morgantown, the senior has already begun a self-imposed crash course to prepare her body for the intense collegiate workload.
“I have been training on the erg − an indoor rowing machine − so I have been getting a little bit of a crash course in rowing,” Neuhart said. “What has intrigued me the most so far has been meeting the girls on the team and the intense training they put in. I’m very excited to start this next chapter of my life.”
That dedication will only continue to ramp up over the summer months before she officially reports to campus.
“My plans for the summer is to prepare for rowing contain a lot of endurance training and I will continue to work on the erg rowing machine to further my preparations,” Neuhart said.
Neuhart has never been afraid to try something new, and her transition to the water will be her biggest athletic challenge yet. With her summer training already underway on the rowing machine, the multi-sport Warrior is primed and ready to make a major splash in the Big 12 with the Mountaineers.
KSutton1@gannett.com; X: @KSuttonDJSports; Instagram: kevinsutton_dailyjeffsports
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: This Buckeye Trail standout is going Division I in a sport she’s never played
Reporting by Kevin Sutton, Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian / The Daily Jeffersonian
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