FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The latest crop of Fayetteville Tech student-athletes is once again driving home the point that the opportunities of a lifetime can start at the two-year level.
By late spring, five Trojans from the 2021 class had signed with four-year programs, proving that they have the skills in the field of play and in the classroom to succeed at the next level.
Men’s basketball players JeKael Gay, Donte Johnson and Jawon Eddie and women’s basketball player Troyshika Shaw have signed with in-state programs, while baseball player Turner Sircy is bound for Florida A&M.
Donte Johnson is on his way to NCAA Division II Mount Olive. Johnson was a steady presence inside for the Trojans the last two years.
The 6-foot-5 forward out of Snow Hill averaged 10.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game his sophomore season, earning third-team All-Region 10 Division II honors.
Eddie, a 6-foot-8 forward, also picked the DII route, signing with Shaw University. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Gay is headed to Montreat College, which appeared in the NAIA Division II National Championship tournament in 2020.
He averaged 13.3 points on the year and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore and added another dimension by developing his 3-point shot. He shot 45.5 percent on 3-pointers, second in Region 10 DII.
Gay and Johnson earned Region 10 All-Academic honors.
Shaw, a 5-foot-3 guard, will be playing at William Peace University, becoming the second women’s basketball player from FTCC to play at the four-year level. The Pacers earned a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2020.
Turner Sircy, a 6-foot-4 left-handed pitcher out of Moultrie, Ga., fulfilled a childhood dream by committing to Florida A&M, becoming the second FTCC Athletics alumnus to reach the Division I level.
Sircy battled through a season shortened by Covid-19 and overcame elbow surgery to earn his spot with the Rattlers.