Four Bluefield High School athletes sign with Bluefield State

May 26—BLUEFIELD — The fantastic four showed up with plans to move from Bluefield High to Bluefield State for the fall 2022 semester to continue their studies at the next level while maintaining their athletic endeavors.

Seniors Beyonka Lee and Ethan Spangler are prepared to join the Big Blue track and field squad with Solomon Mitchell planning for a BSC tennis career while Sandraya Dickey is ready to play softball for the Lady Blues.

Spangler continues the family athletic tradition, as his sister, Autumn, also played sports at BHS and later at Bluefield State. He has played football for the Beavers and also been a solid contributor on the highly successful Bluefield High track team.

He is also the valedictorian of the Bluefield High Class of 2022, a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, is a business completer and the most recent "Great American Rivalry Series" Top Scholar scholarship winner representing BHS in the annual Beaver-Graham football classic played each fall at Mitchell Stadium.

"I get to stay close to home and participate in the sport I love (track and field)," says Spangler, who plans to enroll in a pre-med course of study.

"This (Bluefield State) is a great opportunity to get an education and the engineering program is excellent," says Dickey a National Honor Society member who graduates 17th in the BHS Class of 2021 and was a standout performer for the Beavers softball squad which won 31 games total in a resurgence under Coach Barry Reed the last two seasons. She plans to enroll in BSC's civil engineering program.

Mitchell played four solid seasons of tennis at Bluefield High while performing well as a business major and he is looking forward to a career in sport management.

Anxious to remain in a familiar environment while moving to the collegiate ranks, he says, "I can be in a competitive environment athletically while staying close to home. Both of those are important to me." He is planning to become a retail business owner after completing his education at Bluefield State.

Lee is anxious about the chance to attend and play sports at BSC, noting, "This is a great chance to prepare myself for a career and a successful future and I can continue to be part of sports program. I am excited."

Bluefield High School athletic director Don A. Jones, Jr., himself a Bluefield State alum, was pleased for both schools.

"This is a big day for our school and for Bluefield State. We have a fine group of young people making a decision to continue their education at the next level and at the same time continuing to showcase their athletic talent.

"We are proud of their achievements here at Bluefield High and look forward to watching them grow into productive citizens at Bluefield State right here in their hometown."