The coronavirus pandemic has affected everybody in the world in seismic ways or in small ones, but it’s been especially significant those already in a transitional phase of life.
In normal times, there can be fewer sweeter periods of life than the senior year in high school, where one chapter is set to close and another is set to open, either in college or entry into working life.
The Class of 2020 has more uncertainty about when that future is possible and what it might look like than any senior class in recent memory. Despite that, they have plenty of triumphs and things to look forward to when life finds what its new normal will be. Here’s a look at some Aurora seniors, mostly athletes, and how they are handling something they never expected.
Future on the mat
Salem Scobee, girls wrestler from Lotus School For Excellence
One of the best moments of Salem Scobee’s life so far happened around an empty dining room table with her dog as a witness.
It wasn’t supposed to be that way for Scobee, who earned a rare college scholarship as a female wrestler and couldn’t wait to celebrate her National Letter of Intent signing day with her friends at Lotus.
The threat of the coronavirus took that away from her and left her as stunned as any takedown dished out by an opponent.
“The one thing I was really looking forward to was a signing ceremony at school with my friends,” Scobee said. “It hurt me so bad not to have that ceremony, but I don’t want to crybaby about it.”
A ceremony would have been especially special in a close-knit school of just 916 students (between kindergarten and 12th grade) — a far cry from the much larger public schools she’d been in before — where news of Scobee’s feats on the wrestling mat spread quickly after every tournament.
That she got a chance to wrestle at the next level at Midland University — a small school in Fremont, Nebraska — is a big deal, especially considering she’s still relatively new to the sport, which is in the midst of an explosion for girls in Colorado.
Scobee loved playing volleyball, but saw no future in it for obvious reasons — “I’m 4-foot-10, 105 pounds; I love volleyball, but that’s not going to happen” — in favor of wrestling. Her family never protested when she told them of her interest and her dad, a social studies teacher at Lotus, went and bought her wrestling shoes right away.
“They were all in,” Scobee said of her family. “They’ve been at every tournament, wiped my tears and been super, super supportive. When I told them about Midland, they really wanted me to go.”
The family got to see Scobee place fifth in the girls state tournament as a junior and then make it again as a senior, when she fell short of a medal at the tournament at Thornton High School in February. Scobee lost to the eventual state champion Kiona Conner of Denver East in her first match in the 105 pound bracket and then dropped a decision to fourth-place finisher Kelly Clingan of Loveland in the consolation round.
Scobee said her heart breaks for her friends who are seniors (in a small class of just 45 at Lous) who don’t have their futures set yet and a lot of questions.
It has made her even more grateful for a future at Midland, where she’ll get to live with her grandma and be surrounded by a large extended family in the area. Scobee, who works with kids at a daycare center, will work towards her goal of becoming a secondary social studies teacher.
Settling for second
Jackson Connelly, Regis Jesuit High School track standout
Jackson Connelly got out of the blocks perfectly and roared through the first 100 meters of the 200 meter dash at last year’s Class 5A state track meet.
The last half of the race didn’t go quite as well, however, and the Regis Jesuit standout crossed the finish line a blink of an eye behind Gateway’s Elijah Williams.
Standing in the second place spot on the medal podium at Jefferson County Stadium as a junior didn’t sit well, but he knew that his senior season would be different. Connelly couldn’t have known how different it would be because of the coronavirus pandemic that has changed everything and virtually nullified the countless hours he’s spent in gyms and on tracks in the past 11 months.
“Being second in state is great, but I was really hoping to win it this year,” Connelly said. “That really drove me to work really hard this offseason, so it’s disappointing not being able to have a chance to win a state championship. It stings a little bit.”
Worst of all, the spring weather has been better than usual for Colorado, which typically makes track a day-to-day struggle with its penchant for snow and cold.
“It doesn’t feel right for a Saturday in the spring that’s 70 degrees and sunny and not have a track meet,” Connelly said.
Connelly left a lot of unfinished business in his high school track career. He only got two state appearances as he lost his sophomore year to a torn hamstring before the wiped out senior year. He finished sixth in the 200 as a freshman and helped Regis Jesuit’s 4×200 relay to sixth and had the runner-up finish in the 200 last season, while he also missed the finals of the 100 by 0.08 of a second.
Connelly still ended up with the chance to compete at the Division I level at the United States Air Force Academy.
“I can’t wait for the high level of competition in college,” he said. “Everybody is running fast and it pushes you to the next level. I’m excited to be around a place where everything is there to make you better and I can spend time improving myself.”
While Connelly lost his track season, he did get a chance to compete in the fall with the Regis Jesuit football team, which went 11-1 and made it to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state playoffs. Connelly played a big part as a wide receiver as he tied for the team lead in touchdown catches with seven and finished second on the team in receptions (41) and yards (645).
“It was one of the most fun times in my life and I had a blast doing it with my friends and buddies,” Connelly said. “We had a strong bond as a team from freshmen to seniors and that’s something I will always remember.”
Outside of trying to stay in shape any way he knows how, Connelly has had a lot of time to think about the coronavirus and its impact.
“It’s not the way I would want to end my senior year, but it puts things in perspective about what is really important,” he said. “While I’m a little sad and disappointed, I’m keeping all the healthcare workers in my thoughts and prayers.”
Filling big shoes
Beneyam Yifru, Overland High School soccer standout
Ever since his family even thought about coming to America from Ethiopia, Beneyam Yifru has been a winner.
The Overland senior soccer star shared his exceptional story with the Sentinel during soccer season, a journey that began when his family had the good fortune to win a Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery — which go to a small number of applicants from six geographic regions around the world — that allowed them to come to the country.
The family has flourished ever since in the business world and academically, as Yifru’s older sister earned a Gates Scholarship at the University of Colorado that will pay for a decade of schooling. Not to be left out is Beneyam, who was recently announced as one of the 200 winners of the coveted Daniels Fund scholarship.
“I was able to carry on the tradition for the family,” Yifru said. “I had big shoes to fill, but my family never tried to put too much pressure on me. They are beyond proud of me and the best part is it opened more doors for me to compete (in soccer) at the next level.”
Yifru emerged from a group of 2,400 applicants for the Daniels Fund scholarship, which covers tuition and expenses and a variety of other things for four years of college. It also gave a boost to his chances of playing soccer where he wants in college as he brings a scholarship in hand.
Not that his soccer resume doesn’t stand for itself. A speedy striker with fearlessness and a knack for finishing in multiple ways, Yifru racked up 23 goals and nine assists during the fall for a much-improved Overland team and his performance earned him Player of the Year honors in the Centennial League, one of the top leagues in Colorado.
Yifru — who has long had a goal of playing professional soccer — has narrowed down his choices of schools to UC-Davis in California, Gardner Webb in North Carolina and the University of New Hampshire.
Yifru feels extremely fortunate that he got to play his senior season in the fall before the pandemic arrived, which gave him enough chances to put his skills on display to potential college coaches. He lost some chances for more exposure in the club season when games were canceled due to the coronavirus, but it hasn’t hurt him much from a playing standpoint.
With borrowed cones and balls, Yifru returns to the field at Overland — making sure to be there alone as he practices social distancing — and continues to work on his skills every day. He hopes all of his fell senior athletes do the same.
“My tips to other seniors is to take advantage of this time however you can,” Yifru said. “If you want to get better, go out alone and work on your craft. You don’t know who else is working. You want to come out on the other side of this quarantine in as good shape as you can.”
Yifru’s plan is to study biomedical engineering, which he sees as an industry that will be in big demand in the near future.
Big riser
Obi Agbim, Rangeview boys basketball star
The onset of the coronavirus kept Obi Agbim from the feeling of winning another state basketball championship, but it hasn’t kept him from planning for the future.
The recruiting process for prep athletes and for college programs alike has been severely impacted by the pandemic, but several Aurora athletes have still been able to secure their chances to play at the next level.
One of those is Agbim, who went from a key reserve on the Raiders’ Class 5A state championship-winning team as a junior to a nearly unstoppable force for coach Shawn Palmer’s team during a 26-0 season. Agbim’s performance opened a lot of doors and he stepped through one recently when he announced his commitment to Metro State.
“It’s been hard because I planned to play club ball as an unsigned player and around this time I would probably be celebrating a state championship,” Agbim admitted. “But I’m feeling good now.”
Agbim’s poise, confidence and jaw-dropping athleticism — which produced a number of did-he-really-do-that? moments — earned him EMAC Player of the Year honors, first team All-State and All-Aurora accolades and dramatically raised his profile.
Despite the individual honors, Agbim is most remorseful of the lost chance to accomplish a team goal he wanted so badly. The program still hopes that somehow the Colorado High School Activities Association can figure out a way to safely play the conclusion of the tournament when the pandemic clears, though it is a long shot.
“It was a long season, but we did it together and we made Rangeview history,” Agbim said. “We still have hope that somehow we are still able to play these games, but once we got that news, it didn’t feel real. It still doesn’t.”
In all likelihood, the next basketball competition for Agbim will come at Metro State, where he is part of a recruiting class that includes Rangeview teammate Christian Speller — another All-Aurora first-teamer who played a large role in his commitment — as well as Chaparral star guard Kobe Sanders.
Until then, Agbim is trying to focus on his online learning, taking frequent walks with his dog and hoping Aurora Public Schools can figure out a way to have a graduation ceremony as well.
Caddy’s Shack
Dakota Makinen, winner of Chick Evans caddy scholarship
Just a few years ago, Dakota Makinen knew next to nothing about golf.
The game has turned out to be the golden ticket for the Aurora resident.
Makinen is one of the 2020 winners of the Chick Evans Scholarship, which goes to high school-aged caddies across the country who demonstrate excellence on and off the golf course. The full-ride scholarship — named for famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. — has provided for the education needs of more than 11,000 caddies since its inception in 1930.
“I started off literally knowing almost nothing about golf; the day before training, I was begging my dad to show me which one was the driver and which was the putter,” Makinen said. “I picked up most of my knowledge in tournaments and high stakes moments where players will talk out loud. …The other caddies were super nice to me when I came in and they would also fill me in on lingo and jargon, so that helped, too.”
Even after two years and 175 loops (rounds) she’s caddied, she still considers herself far from a golf expert. But now she is an often requested caddy at the Denver Country Club and has mastered the mental part of the job.
“I think it is very much about being able to quickly assess someone,” she said. “Each player is unique and individual in their own way, so you have to approach them differently. It’s all about human connection and understanding right off the bat what kind of person they are and what they need.”
The Denver Country Club has a tradition of caddies selected for the Evans Scholarship and Makinen extended it this year. The scholarship (awarded by the Western Golf Association) is estimated to be worth $120,000, as it covers her lodging at the Evans Scholarship House on the University of Colorado campus plus four years of tuition.
Makinen found out she was a winner when she came home after helping out with auditions for a production at her school, the Denver School of the Arts.
“My dad was more emotional than I was,” Makinen recalled. “It didn’t really register at first, then we just started jumping around and celebrating. … I am absolutely thrilled to be a recipient of the scholarship. It’s an incredible weight lifted off my shoulder. My dad is a single dad and a musician, so college was going to be a stretch. This makes a world of difference in our lives.”
The coronavirus has kept Makinen off the golf course and brought an early end to her school, but it has taught her a new way of looking at things in the future.
“I think what the pandemic has taught me is really to appreciate each day and fullly live in the moments,” she said. “I’ve also seen more people practicing love and checking on each other. My neighbor called me over the other day and asked if we have enough groceries. My biggest hope is that everyone will take these things forward after this is over.”
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports