Philomath High seniors Joe Barnes, Adele Beckstead and Zoe Ringwald signed letters-of-intent during a school assembly Monday morning in recognition of their intentions to compete in collegiate athletics.
Barnes will play his final baseball season with the Warriors this spring before heading to Centralia (Washington) College. A hard-throwing pitcher, Barnes also played last summer with the Corvallis American Legion team. He has also been a top downhill skier in the prep circuit.
“I had a buddy that went there and now he’s playing at Tennessee Tech — he told me it was a good college,” Barnes said about why he chose Centralia, a two-year school. “And I want to get out of Oregon and go to some different places.”
Barnes said he wants to study business or law.
Leading up to the signing ceremony, the three students were asked to answer a series of questions, including any advice he could offer to those interested in playing in college.
“I think if you really want to play sports in college, you just have to believe in yourself,” Barnes said. “Have good mental health, work out more and stay dedicated. If I could redo it over again, I would want to start working out more and prioritize it more.”
A member of the Northwest Athletic Conference’s West Division, Centralia had a 26-24 overall record in 2023-24.
Beckstead, a year-round athlete at PHS, plans to compete in cross-country and track and field at Western Oregon University in Monmouth.
Beckstead has been a top runner with the Warriors’ cross-country program and placed in the top 10 at state in three of her four years. She has the fourth-fastest 5-kilometer time in the PHS record book. In track, she has been a top 1,500 and 3,000 runner over the past two years. Last spring at state, she placed second in the 1,500, sixth in the 3,000 and was part of the fourth-place 4-by-400 relay on Philomath’s state title team.
Beckstead said Western Oregon’s location appealed to her — it’s close enough to visit friends and family but also far enough away to fully experience college life.
“The team’s really nice and the coaches and everything so I’m really looking forward to it,” Beckstead. “I think it’s a good place for me with a lot of girls around my level (athletic ability).”
Beckstead plans to study environmental science and biology.
WOU competes in NCAA Division II and last month, the women finished 17th at cross-country nationals in Montana. In track, the school is currently competing in its indoor season.
Beckstead has also been a top Class 4A tennis player and plays in the high school band.
Ringwald will compete with the acrobatics and tumbling team at Limestone University, a private school in Gaffney, South Carolina. At Philomath, she has participated in cheer and last season helped the team place third at the state championships. This season, she placed second at the Oregon Cheerleading Coaches Association All-State competition. Off campus, she was also involved in club gymnastics.
Ringwald, who plans to major in physical therapy, said she feels Limestone was the best fit.
“It’s like a combination of cheer and gymnastics,” Ringwald said when asked to describe acrobatics and tumbling. “It’s got the tumbling aspect of gymnastics and the stunting of cheer. I think both of those are really my favorite parts of each sport so it really complements what I want to do.”
Limestone, which competes in NCAA Division II, had a dominant acrobatics and tumbling season in 2023-24 with an overall 12-0 record and final national ranking of No. 9.
PHS Athletic Director Mike Hood led the event with comments on student athletes and the coming collegiate experience.
“As we look towards the future, we remember that today is just not about signing a piece of paper,” Hood said. “It’s about embracing the opportunities that lie ahead, making the most out of every moment and continuing to strive for greatness in all aspects of life.”
Hood said there will be another signing ceremony this spring.
