Change of heart
A change of direction at the last minute paid huge dividends for Abygail Grexton.
The Ridley College senior had been slated to attend Syracuse University this fall, but a change of heart landed her at Dartmouth College, where she will study international relations and skate with the women’s hockey team.
“It was kind of last minute,” Grexton said. “Ever since I was little, I wanted to go to an Ivy League school.”
Grexton, who hails from Thornbury, took a tour of the campus in March and came away impressed.
“When I toured, the coaching staff was so welcoming. I loved the environment and feel very fortunate to go there,” she said. “The staff was amazing through the whole experience. They showed me what it was like to have a really good recruiting process.”
Grexton was able to meet the coaching staff and some of her future teammates.
“They talked about the small environment and I thought that was a great fit. I thought it was a lot like Ridley in a way,” she said.
Grexton, who was fourth on the Tigers in scoring with eight goals and 14 points in 20 games, is looking forward to the challenge of playing at the next level.
“Dartmouth’s philosophy involves a lot around hard work and knowing where you’re supposed to be,” she said. “It’s a lot about systems.”
“The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is a great league with amazing competition so I’m really excited to challenge myself both athletically and academically.”
Grexton began playing hockey when she was three years old and quickly progressed. Ridley head coach Amanda Wark encouraged her to pursue playing at the collegiate level.
“She (Wark) helped me along the way and got me to where I am today,” Grexton said.
Grexton completed her final exam this week and is in the process of finishing up one last course online.
She has fond memories of her time at Ridley.
“It has done a lot for me. I couldn’t be at Dartmouth without it. Ridley really helped me develop both academically and athletically. I have some amazing friendships with my teammates and at the school. It’s been a really great experience.”
Grexton is working out with a program sent to her by Dartmouth and is looking forward to getting back on the ice.
“It’s really hard,” she said. “I was really excited for my third term and graduation and prom and everything. It’s a right of passage and something everyone looks forward to but Ridley is trying their best to reschedule for some time in the future. I’m just counting on that and hoping everything goes back to normal soon.”
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