Cupcakes and cameras were out as friends and family gathered at Durango High School to see Emery Miller and Carter Neiman both sign their National Letters of Intent on National Signing Day to play college soccer.
Miller will attend Division II Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah. Neiman will attend Division II University of Texas at Tyler in Tyler, Texas.
“I'm extremely proud of them but not surprised at all,” Durango girls head coach Melissa Halonen said. “I've been coaching or (been a) part of these kids’ soccer careers since they were in sixth grade and I knew from a young age that they had the potential to do that. Their own dedication and commitment to creating the opportunities and taking every opportunity that they can to be able to get to the next level has gotten them where they are.”
Miller and Neiman were key parts of the Demons’ success last season as they finished 10-5 with a second-round playoff loss to Mullen in the 4A state playoffs. Miller played forward and was third on the team in points with nine goals and five assists. Neiman was a defender and scored four goals last season.
At Westminster, Miller plans to major in pre-health and then work toward sports medicine and sports psychology. She liked the small size of Westminster as it has about 1,200 total students, which reminds her of Durango.
“They have a good team and a good family,” Miller said. “They have good coaches that are really fun, inviting and welcoming.”
Neiman is undecided on either majoring in civil engineering or business accounting at UT Tyler. She heard about the school from a teammate whose sister transferred there. One of the appeals to Neiman was UT Tyler’s engineering program, which is one of the best in Texas.
“We happened to be in the area, we went on a visit there, the coach had me up, I loved the coach and the facilities are amazing there,” Neiman said. “Then I went on a visit a few months ago and the team culture is amazing. It’s super fun, super competitive and they take it very seriously so that’s why I chose it.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
