By Senior Staff Writer Jake Loomis, Correspondents Anna Hertzel and Jacob McLoughlin
Next fall, several Sharon High School athletes will participate in NCAA sports in college.
Jack Maron will be joining the Division I swim team at Brown University, and Gabe Korn will be playing Division II football and lacrosse at Bentley. Based on the Sharon High School profile, this is an impressive feat because out of 50% of SHS students playing a sport, approximately 1% continue to play in college, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The above picture is from the Hay Lightning Swim Team Facebook website.
Maron was Hockomock League MVP his freshman and senior years due to his dedication and work ethic. As a kid, he started swimming for fun, but it later turned into the biggest competition of his life. As Maron got older, to chase his goal of swimming in the Ivy League, he traveled to various events around the country, missing many days of school and time with friends and family. These events helped him gain experience and become a coveted swimmer that club teams and colleges wanted to recruit.
Maron explained that the recruiting process was challenging; he visited his top choices; however, on his trip to Brown, the location, team atmosphere, facilities, and academics were unmatched by any of the other schools he had visited: “Brown is a place where I feel like I belong and a place where I can continue to excel at a high level both in the classroom and in the pool.”
Maron will pursue a career in medicine at Brown. When asked if Division I was always in the cards, Maron responded that he had always dreamed of swimming in the Ivy League and put an early stress on his life to get to that point.
Another SHS Eagle will take his skills to college athletics as well: Gabe Korn committed to Bentley University to play Division II football and lacrosse. Unlike Maron, Korn began playing football when he was a freshman in high school. He defied all of the odds to be where he is today as the starting running back of the Sharon Varsity Football team. It takes hard work and dedication to be able to attend a Division II football team after picking up the sport in his freshman year of high school.
Although Korn has a great passion for football, when searching for colleges for athletics, he also evaluated the academic value of the school. Korn spoke about his goals: “Academically, I just want to get my degree and get a good job.”
Korn was a school record breaker as he shattered all of the previous records in touchdowns, rushing yards, and more. He plans to continue to aim for high marks as he will be studying business at Bentley in the fall.
Both Maron and Korn were able to accomplish their childhood dreams of playing a sport in college. Not only were they able to achieve impressive feats athletically, they were able to excel in the classroom. Congratulations to both students who will represent the Sharon High School Class of ’24 in post-secondary athletics.
