AURORA | Zenobia Witt wanted a little mystery about where she would continue her track & field career at the next level, but the choice was pretty clear.
The Eaglecrest High School senior star — a six-time Class 5A state champion with big plans for her final prep chapter in the spring — used Wednesday morning’s Signing/Commitment Day celebration to reveal her future destination.
Witt crouched behind a table, then popped up with a sign and revealed a t-shirt under her jacket with her choice: the University of Pennsylvania, which she chose from a trio of finalists that also included the University of Miami and Texas Tech.
“I feel like a lot of people have been anticipating my signing, so I thought I’d make it a little bit more fun,” Witt told the Sentinel. “It was quite a journey to get here.”
Eaglecrest coach Chazz Burney said Witt did a good job of keeping her choice secret.
“I found out when everyone else did,” Burney said. “She wanted to have that flair and that drama because she earned it. To have that passion and emotion happen live for everyone, I thought it was great.”
Witt had taken multiple visits and had a massive number of offers to choose from, but Penn checked all the boxes for her. The offer was significant monetarily, it is located in a place where she has a family presence, it has the academic rigor she was seeking and the “vibes” on the campus were perfect.
“I have a lot of family out there, so that will make it be like a home away from home,” Witt said. “I enjoy the coaching staff and I I love the medical research center they have since I am going into biochemistry. …I know that athletics can only take me so far, so by being able to attend an Ivy League school, I think that will set up me up better for the future.”
Burney couldn’t find fault with the destination.
“It’s the perfect fit for her,” he said. “She’s a very, very strong academically and I don’t want that to get lost with what she does athletically. It’s an Ivy and fits everything she’s looking for and also a very strong track program with incredible facilities. She’s going to thrive.”
Athletically, Witt has recovered from an injury that hampered her a bit last season, but didn’t stop her from winning the 5A state championship in the long jump for a third straight season. She will aim to go 4-for-4 in the upcoming season, may return to the triple jump after she traded it for the hurdles last season and has an ultimate of leading Eaglecrest to its first girls state track & field title after the Raptors finished as the runner-up to Mountain Vista last season.
Another key factor in that quest was also honored for her choice, as Jenna Winn is headed to the University of Colorado.
Winn placed in multiple events at last season’s 5A state track meet and just a couple of weeks earlier, made it on the medal podium at the 5A state cross country meet with an eighth-place finish.
Mariah Gonzales, a three-time state champion with Eaglecrest’s outstanding hip-hop dance team, which has also earned national accolades — was recognized for her commitment to Northwest Mississippi Community College, while Christian Flores was honored for his future in men’s lacrosse at William Jewell College in Missouri.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
