With graduation nearing and the spring sports season coming to a close, the standout senior athletes from this year have chosen their college commitment destinations and signed their National Letters of Intent. From venturing out of state to making history, these five senior athletes all have an honored past and a bright future in store for them.
Alex Held
Held will be traveling three hours west to play soccer at Iowa Western Community College, a top team in the National Junior College Athletic Association. A four-year varsity starter for the Trojans, Held had a decorated career that included a second-team all-conference nod her junior year. The West girls’ soccer team reached the postseason the past two years with Held as a defensive stopper, but she can also contribute on the offensive end of the field. She is currently leading this year’s team in assists.
Held has played for the Iowa Soccer Club for eight years, leading her team to back-to-back U.S. Club Soccer State Cup titles in 2024 and 2025. She joined a Reiver team that has won three national championships in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.
Held defines the program’s success and the standard it upholds as reasons for her interest. “I’m excited to join a culture that wants to win while also having fun,” Held said. With Iowa Western being a junior college, Held has the opportunity to keep playing elsewhere after her two years there. “They are a good feeder program for higher levels, like [National Collegiate Athletic Association] DI or DII. They do a really good job at producing talent,” Held said. She is looking forward to continuing to develop her game and winning more championships.
Oliver Mikulski
After an incredible senior season that included winning a state championship, Mikulski will be traveling to Minnesota to swim for St. Cloud State University.
He has been swimming with the Iowa Flyers Swim Club since he was in elementary school, competing in several national events. He is a four-year varsity letter-winner for the Trojan-Bolts. At the state championship, the two relays he swam in and his 50-meter freestyle finish helped secure the title for the team.
Mikulski recorded a personal best of 20.88 seconds in his freestyle swim, which earned him recognition from several colleges. He chose St. Cloud State and named the coaching staff as a key factor for his decision. “That was probably the main reason I committed there, for the coaching. [The coach] made it very welcoming. It felt like home,” Mikulski said. He is excited to meet new people and compete at a higher level.
Julia Dorale
Dorale will make history as the first twirler for Johns Hopkins University. She has been one of West’s featured twirlers for all of her high school career and has also been training and competing at Ambition Baton Twirling since she was seven.
Dorale was initially admitted to Johns Hopkins, one of the country’s top research institutions, as a student. She didn’t have intentions to continue baton collegiately, but that changed when she learned that this school was exceptional at forming new customs. “When I read the acceptance letter, the first sentence was ‘Hopkins is a place where firsts lead you forward’. It became apparent to me that Hopkins was a place that wants to celebrate being unique,” Dorale said.
From there, it was easy. She contacted the director, and they agreed to her being the school’s first twirler. Athletics are a little different at Johns Hopkins than at West, as the school’s most popular sport is lacrosse; however, Dorale embraces this difference. “I’m really excited to go out east to a different sports culture, and I think twirling for a brand new sport is going to help me build my relationship with twirling more,” Dorale said. She is eager to start this new tradition that she hopes will continue after her.
Brady Thoma
Thoma will be playing baseball for the Central College Dutch. After appearing in 11 games as a junior for the Trojans and recording excellent statistics highlighted by eight runs batted in, Thoma gained notice from schools.
The first baseman chose to continue his career at Central, citing the strong culture of the team and the school’s overall athletics. “The coaches were really nice and helpful. Everyone supported each other and went to [other sporting] events together,” Thoma said.
Thoma is joining a team with several American Rivers Conference championships under its belt, most recently in 2012, and he is looking forward to contributing to the team’s success and furthering its excellence. “Experiencing what it’s like to play at a different school and at a higher level is something I’m really excited about, and I want us to be successful,” Thoma said. Entering the starting lineup this summer for the Trojans, Thoma is aiming to reach new heights in his last season of high school baseball.
Hallei Praska
Praska will be making the short trip to Cedar Rapids to continue her dancing career at Mount Mercy University.
Praska has been dancing with Nolte Academy for 15 years, including ten years performing in The Nutcracker. She has participated in numerous recitals and competitions with Nolte, and she has also been on the West dance team for two years. She credits her dance team coach, Rachel Petersen, for connecting her to college coaches and supporting her throughout the recruiting process. “My coach from the dance team here really helped me, and introduced me to the Mount Mercy coaches,” Praska said.
She also formed a relationship with the Mount Mercy coaches early on, which solidified her decision. “The coach came to one of our practices for scouting. I got to talk to her and get a feel for the program,” Praska said. While she did look at other schools, Praska ultimately chose Mount Mercy because of its location and the sense of community. “I liked that it was closer to home,” Praska said. “I really felt I fit in there.” She is excited to dance at a higher level and continue to showcase her skills.
