Ciara Richards is a senior volleyball player for Palm Springs High School. Richards, part of the Rancho Valley volleyball club’s Junior National Championship team, was a first team all-conference player in her junior year, compiling 43 service aces, 24 blocks, 163 digs and 345 assists.
Richards became a hot commodity for schools like Villanova, Denver and Auburn after attending the Junior Olympics. However, once she stepped on the campus of Auburn University she was ready to commit.
“I liked Denver a lot, but when I saw Auburn, I was blown away,” said Richards, who also considered Villanova. “The campus is big, the academics are really good and they treat the athletes really well. I loved the coaches, the girls and they told me when I commit they wanted it to be in a creative way.”
Wanting to impress her future coaches, Richards painted her 8-year-old African desert tortoise Beauregard. According to The Desert Sun, “Richards Decorated Bo’s shell in a washable blue and orange chalk paint with a big “A” emblazed in the middle of his shell and shipped a photo email to Auburn University.
I’m hoping the U.S. Army All American Bowl adopts this idea and makes every high school football player announce by writing their college decision on their favorite pet. Let’s be honest, this is much more interesting and creative than the traditional hat ceremony that almost every high school football or basketball player does.