Megan Bettwy and Taylor Vladic are used to success when it comes to high school sports.
Just look at the accomplishments of the two Hollidaysburg Lady Tigers. For Bettwy, she went 22-0 in her junior and senior seasons with the tennis program, which included back-to-back District 6 doubles championships as well as trips to states. Vladic started all four years with the soccer program, won districts her freshman season, and was the team leader in assists all four seasons.
Now, Bettwy will take her talents to Clarion University, while Vladic will take the next step at IUP.
Both said they will get a chance to play right away at their prospective schools. The Clarion tennis team plays a fall/spring schedule. The team went 2-6 in the fall and started its spring schedule this month.
"[Clarion coach Lori Sabatose] told me I could be No. 2 or 3 on the team [as a freshman]," Bettwy said in explaining one of the school's selling points. "If I had gone to Slippery Rock, I would have been No. 5 or 6. They have a better record than Clarion, but I liked Clarion better. They are building a program there. I guess I gave up a winning record to be at Clarion so I could play."
IUP is coming off a 9-8 season.
"I always wanted to go there. I have known the coach [Adel Heder] for a couple of years. He was always coming to watch Hollidaysburg," Vladic said. "He's a good guy and he knows his soccer. He will push me to my limits."
Hollidaysburg tennis coach Brian Denis says the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, in which Clarion competes, has some of the top Division II tennis programs in the country.
"Megan will fit in better at Clarion because she will get to play more and she will get to play against nationally ranked kids at the other schools," he said.
Lady Tiger soccer coach Dave Soellner has been instructing Vladic since her junior high days.
"I know with her talent and her heart, she will be able to play [at IUP] and fit in right away," he said. "Just her last three years here in high school, I could tell that wherever she landed at in college, she would be able to adjust."
Bettwy, who has been playing tennis since third grade, said Clarion's education advantages were just as big as playing time.
"I can go there for four years and still do my graduate program there," said Bettwy, who will major in speech pathology.
Vladic, who played on traveling teams in Pittsburgh the past seven years, will major in criminology.
"Ever since I was little and started playing soccer, I knew I just wasn't going to play it in high school. I always wanted to go to the next level," she said.
