My parents were on me because the clock was ticking. But I wanted to be sure I made the right choice, and I believe I did.”

Cayden Mazurek

 Riverdale Ridge High School’s Cayden Mazurek waded through all the things that go with recruiting, and he did so through an ongoing pandemic. 

                Most importantly, he made his college commitment. 

                “I was able to visit Lake Forest (Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois), and it was a beautiful place, especially being right in Lake Michigan,” Mazurek said. “Meeting the coaches and seeing practice was great. We had genuine conversations and a great time.” 

That wasn’t the only factor that swayed the decision. 

“I chose Lake Forest because of the hospitality and character of the school and coaches,” he said. “It feels like a family there, and that’s what I wanted.” 

Mazurek, who was expected to sign his letter April 19 at RRHS, is a multi-sport athlete. The football teams from Chadron (Nebraska) State, McPherson University and Lewis and Clark State were interested in Mazurek. 

“It took me a while to actually make a decision on what school I wanted to attend,” Mazurek said. “My parents were on me because the clock was ticking. But I wanted to be sure I made the right choice, and I believe I did.”
                Mazurek wants to major in finance with the goal of getting into the real estate field after college. 

Recruiting during this time did seem very weird, but I have nothing to compare it to,” Mazurek said. “From stories I hear, it seemed as if it was non-existent. But I don’t know any different, and we had to work with what we had.” 

Mazurek described his future as “nerve racking.” 

“But I’m excited to move to a new chapter in my life, meet new people, and create experiences I won’t forget,” he said.