DAVE DEVEREUX Fourteen student-athletes who signed college letters-of-intent were singled out at a ceremony Thursday afternoon at Ida Baker High School.

The process of selecting a college can be tricky for those individuals who possess the combination of grades and athletic ability. The best option might be close to home or thousands of miles away.

A large school or a small school. A lot also depends on the major areas of study offered.

Fourteen Ida Baker High seniors, who were honored during an end-of-the-year ceremony Thursday, went through that process and had a variety of reasons for selecting their school.

If there is a common ground, it’s the desire to continue playing sports, likely the one they’re most passionate about.

“The hardest part is getting the kids somewhere, getting them a look,” Baker basketball coach Greg Coleman said. “Once they’re there, they don’t have to worry about that.”

Some of the official signings took place throughout the academic year, while others were recognized for the first time Thursday in the school gymnasium.

Mike Anderson became Baker’s first Division I signee when he chose Western Carolina University for football.

Two basketball teammates, Zach Campbell and Gabe Rodriquez, are taking their game to the same place – Division II Pfeiffer University in North Carolina.

Miles Rubinski, who holds a 4.6 GPA, is headed to Stetson University for baseball.

The list of signees also includes Amanda Teets (Eckerd College/tennis), Joe Johnson (Webber University/soccer), Anthony Frederick (South Florida/soccer), Isa Miranda (Webber University/soccer), Jamie Ross (Francis-Marion University/softball), Marvin Riedewald (Augsburg College/football), Jarred Jackson (Quincy University/football), Ron Ward (Marion College/football), Trevor Cottrell (Baldwin Wallace College/football) and Christian Nenninger (Adams State College/track).

The group represents a combined 3.25 GPA and continues the growth of the athletic programs at Baker, which opened its campus on Agualinda Boulevard in 2005.

“It was shaky at first, coming into a new program,” Rubinski said. “Eventually we were able to overcome (the inexperience) and have a winning season.”

On the softball field, Ross helped lead the Bulldogs to their first ever regional appearance during her junior year, and continued to be a rock-solid performer as a senior. At Francis-Marion in South Carolina, she figures to utilize her versatility. She played third base for the Bulldogs, but could adjust depending on the areas of need.

“They’re looking at her for shortstop, third base, outfield, anywhere,” Jim Ross said of his daughter, who plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Teets, the Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles player in tennis, said she chose Eckerd in St. Petersburg because it’s a small, private campus. She wants to study chemistry and possibly pharmacy and prefers the close interaction with professors.

Campbell and Rodriguez were instrumental in helping the Bulldogs reach regionals in basketball for the first time this past season. The 6-foot-6 Campbell gave them the combination of inside and outside skills, while Rodriguez improved each season.

“Gabe is going to excel because of his work ethic,” Coleman said. “The potential is there for Zach because he’s going to add some weight. He’s going to come back in three months and nobody is going to recognize him.”

Anderson, Riedewald, Jackson, Cottrell and Ward are five members of the football team who will be playing at the college level.

Riedewald must adjust to the cold weather in Minneapolis, where Augsburg College is located.

Ward, who also competed in track and basketball, received a lot of information before deciding on Marion College in Indianapolis.

“He went up there and checked it out,” his mother, Cherry Ward, said. “The coaches up there were very pleasant and he had the chance to look around and understand the academics as well as the football.”

Cottrell, one of five departing seniors on the Bulldogs’ offensive line, is going to Baldwin Wallace, near Cleveland, where several family members live.

The Bulldogs won their first district title in track this spring and Nenninger played his part, competing in the 110 and 300 hurdles, long jump and triple jump. He figures to compete in several events in college, too.

Baker also made strides in soccer. From the boys’ squad, Johnson and Frederick are continuing their careers.

“I’ve been thinking about it since middle school. I wanted to go on and play,” Johnson said. “I didn’t want to stop.”

Miranda had her best season on the girls’ team in her junior year when the team reached regionals for the first time. She suffered an ACL tear, which forced her out of the lineup for the majority of her senior year. She said the experience of going through the rehab motivated her even more.

“It was really an eye opener for me,” she said. “It showed my passion was for soccer.”