By Marty Gordon
A Christiansburg High School athlete has announced plans to play both lacrosse and football at Shenandoah University.
Mac Padgett made the commitment this weekend at the small liberal arts school located in Winchester.
The athletic teams compete n the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and hold membership in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). This past season, the Shenandoah University Hornets football team finished 5-5, while the lacrosse team was 7-9 last spring.
“I chose Shenandoah because I knew it was the place for me as soon as I first got on campus. I love the area, the family atmosphere around the school and with the sports programs and just the campus itself,” Padgett said.
Originally, he just planned to only play lacrosse, but as his senior football season got closer and closer he decided he didn’t want to give up playing football. So, he decided to play both.
His position in football has not yet been decided, but he will be playing defense on the lacrosse field.
His high school lacrosse team has only been a sanctioned VHSL sport for two years, but Padgett has played competitively since eighth grade as part of travel lacrosse.
“I do believe my best is still ahead of me, and that I am more than ready to play at the college level,” he said.
Padgett started playing football in the second grade but leans toward lacrosse as his favorite sport.
His goal for both sports is to be a starter at Shenandoah as a freshman and be a stand out player in his first year.
“My goal is to strive in the classroom while being able to get the full college experience,” he said.
Padgett plans to major in business administration.