A pair of cousins are two of the most recent high school athletes from Canton who have committed to playing their respective sports at the next level. Etta Coburn, a junior at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeview, Conn. and Samuel Sieminski, a senior at Canton Central, have both made their decision to extend their athletic careers.
Coburn Commits to UMass
Coburn, who left Canton Central to attend prep school after her sophomore year, has committed to Division I University of Massachusetts Amherst. She will begin her time at UMass in 2024, after reclassing as a sophomore upon her arrival at Hotchkiss. Her departure from Canton came on the heels of a massive sophomore season for the Golden Bears, where she was named Section X Most Valuable Player, was a member of the Watertown Times First Team All-North, and amassed 73 goals and 48 assists for 121 total points on the season. She was also named a member of the Under Armour 150 in the summer of 2020.
Coburn plans to major in psychology at UMass, with a focus in either criminal psychology or sports psychology.
“I believe that Umass is a good fit for me most importantly because they value the type of person you are on and off the field and encourage you to grow in both aspects during your time at the university,” Coburn said of her commitment. “I admire how much they value character, hard work, and commitment and I am willing to give them my best in all areas.”
Coburn has spent plenty of time on the UMass campus already, having attended some camps and clinics at the school prior to the opening of the recruitment window. She said UMass Head Coach Jana Drummond reached out to her after the recruitment window opened on Sept. 1, and she was on campus later that month for a full visit.
“I loved the campus when I received my first official tour,” Coburn said. “I was able to attend a class in the honors college which reminded me of my learning environment at Hotchkiss that I thoroughly enjoy. In addition, after living in Canton and attending Hotchkiss, both in more suburban areas, I was looking for somewhere a little more populated and accessible location wise and therefore Amherst seemed perfect. It was a combination of the amazing lacrosse program, strong academics, local family, and the town of Amherst that motivated me to commit to the university.”
Coburn has family not just local to the area, but actually directly on campus at UMass Amherst. Her uncle, Greg Carvel, is in his seventh season as the head coach of the men’s hockey team at the school where he won a national championship in 2021.
Coburn said she’s excited not only to play highly competitive lacrosse at the school, but also to be part of the inclusive culture created within the UMass women’s lacrosse program. And while she’s looking forward to what the future holds, she still has plenty left to accomplish in high school.
“I am preparing to play at the collegiate level by putting the time in during the off season with other girls on my team at school. We often will go to the field house after classes and on Sundays to play pick-up or go shoot. I also enjoy going for runs and lifting in order to stay in shape while also staying busy with soccer and hockey,” Coburn said. “In the next two seasons at Hotchkiss I am going to focus on having fun with my team while growing together and learning to work well with all my teammates and to continue to improve in my areas of weakness. I hold myself to the expectation that I will always give my best effort and I will continue to contribute all that I can in my final two seasons. Also, last year we had a record of 15-1 and as a team we will strive to beat our previous record!”
Sieminski Swings at Dickinson
With one season left to add to his impressive north country golf resume, Sieminski has his sights set on competing at Divison III Dickinson after graduating high school.
“I had Dickinson in mind as one of my top choices and reached out to the coach to let him know we were going to come visit,” Sieminski said. “I loved the campus and Coach (Darwin) Breaux couldn’t have been better. He gave me a tour of the great facilities they have and was the final factor in going to Dickinson.”
Sieminski likened Dickinson to a Pennsylvania version of St. Lawrence University, adding that he knew he wanted to find something that emulated the size and environment of his hometown school, but wanted to venture from Canton. He said the school felt like the perfect fit as soon as he stepped on campus.
“It had a small town feel like Canton does without the cold,” Sieminski said. “Dickinson is located in Southern PA and stays a lot warmer than Canton. This is perfect in a number of ways but a big reason is that it extends the golf season.”
Sieminski, a decorated junior golfer in the north country, has a team goal in mind for his senior season. The First Team All-Northern golfer is focused on helping the Golden Bears secure a third straight Section X Championship and also hopes to go undefeated through the regular season.
Aside from his First Team All-Northern honors, Sieminski is also a two-time individual state qualifier, and won the 2022 Men’s Club Championship at Partridge Run Golf Course in Canton.
Much like his cousin’s expectations at UMass, Sieminski is most looking forward to the camaraderie of being part of a team at Dicksinson.
“One aspect I look forward to in Dickinson’s golf program is the team itself,” he said. “My best friends in high school were a part of the golf team and I look forward to meeting everyone on the team and not only winning but having fun while doing it.”
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