Life after high school sports can lead to opportunities as varied as the athletes themselves. Some graduates head to major universities, while others never play competitively again. But in the middle, some graduates find a spot on the rosters of the local community colleges.

Since community colleges are such a geographic melting pot, this can mean that sometimes yesterday’s rivals are today’s teammates.

A good example of this is Everett Community College’s women’s basketball team. This year’s roster includes athletes from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska, but also from local high schools like Cascade and Stanwood…and Edmonds-Woodway and district rival Mountlake Terrace.

Two of these former adversaries are 2015 graduates Claire Fyfe (EW) and Riley Zucker (MLT). Having played against each other just last year, they now find themselves working together with the high school rivalries left behind.

Fyfe is a nursing major who plans to transfer to the University of Washington to pursue her dream of being a pediatric nurse. Her former on-court rival Zucker is a psychology major who also hopes to study at UW. In addition, she is a singer/songwriter.

The third member of our Edmonds School District triad is sophomore and team co-captain Maddie Nealey. Nealey, a 2014 graduate of Edmonds-Woodway, may be a familiar voice to viewers of the Sound Live Sports Network, where she assists her father Keith behind the mic on broadcasts. Nealey also hopes to be university bound to complete her masters in business.

All three players have decided to focus solely on education when they make their transition to a four-year program, but for now they are able to enjoy the sport they love while beginning their higher education.

— Story and photos by Karl Swenson