The Warren High School track and field coaching staff stands behind senior Sydney Starcher, second from right, during her signing ceremony on Wednesday. Starcher,a two-time All-Ohioan in the high jump, is joined in the front row by (from left), her father (Jeff Starcher), sister (McKinley Starcher) and mother (Stephanie Starcher). (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

VINCENT — From being a two-time All-Ohioan at Warren High School, high jumper Sydney Starcher is moving on to greener pastures once her senior year comes to a close next spring.

On Wednesday afternoon inside the school’s Warrior Coliseum, Starcher signed her Division I national letter of intent to attend Marshall University next fall. She will join the Thundering Herd’s track and field program and switch school colors to green and white, which dominated the Warren gymnasium. Family, friends and coaches alike all sported the new color of choice as a show of support.

“When I was in eighth grade, I always told my mom I’m going to be a collegiate athlete one day,” said Starcher, who is the daughter of Jeff and Stephanie Starcher and a three-time award winner of Warren High School’s Female Athlete of the Year. “She was like, ‘As long as you work hard, I’m sure you are going to but you need a Plan B.’ There were a lot of other people who thought I was crazy for thinking that I’m going somewhere Division I.

“I would tell my friends I was going to be a collegiate athlete and they said maybe I should be a bit more realistic. But that was kind of the fuel to the fire.”

Her coaches along the way, especially at the high school level both in track and volleyball, were impressed with Starcher’s work ethic. As far back as junior high, Starcher made an impact at the state level. After making the podium in the high jump as a seventh grader, Starcher returned the following season and was a state champion.

Warren High School senior Sydney Starcher’s signing day with Marshall University is shown on the scoreboard inside Warrior Coliseum. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

She recovered from a severe ankle injury during her freshman year at Warren to earn All-Ohio honors. Despite missing the podium by one spot as a sophomore, Starcher returned with a vengeance and placed fifth last season.

“I broke my ankle as a freshman – I have a plate and three screws, so we were unsure how my freshman season would go,” Starcher said. “I came out that season and cleared 5 foot-7 and broke the school record. That was probably one of the best moments ever.

“I didn’t make All-Ohio as a sophomore, which I was pretty upset about. But I just had to pick myself up and work my way back on top. I finished fifth at state last year, the best I’ve ever finished.”

A pipeline exists between the Starcher family and Marshall University. Both her parents attended the school. After Marshall became more than a blip on Sydney Starcher’s radar this past January, she took a recent visit to the campus and confirmed her decision with the Thundering Herd coaching staff two weeks ago.

“My dad was so excited when I made the phone call,” said Sydney, who plans to major in the health sciences. “Marshall had the best academic program for me. The athletic program, their coaches by far as just the best. (Head coach Keith Roberts) has done so much for me. He knows the sport. He is someone you know you can cry on his shoulder to pick you up when you are having a bad day. That really stuck with me – I knew he would always have my back in a tough situation.

“The girls on the team and even the guys as well, they were all so nice. And so welcoming. On my campus visit, there was nobody on the team that just didn’t make me feel welcome. When I was going on my visits that was really important because they were going to be my teammates for the next four years.”

Starcher first arrived on campus at Warren and made her presence felt both with track and field and on the volleyball court. At 6-foot, she was a major threat at the net for volleyball coach Ann Skufca.

“When we started this whole entire conservation of her talent level and being able to play at the next level, whether that was for volleyball or track, it was an overwhelming process – as it is for most athletes,” said Skufca, who coached Starcher since her freshman season. “We sat down and discussed with her, keeping every option open – asking do I want to do this or do I want to do that?

“For Sydney, with her work ethic and ability to go above and beyond – whether at volleyball or in track – she is very motivated and that’s what I explained to her in my vision for her competing at the next level. She certainly has the skills to do that and be very successful. And I just wish her the best in that.”

On Wednesday, the Warren track and field coaching staff enjoyed their photo opp as a group with Starcher. Including Sally Maddox, who was the Warren head coach for Starcher’s freshman and sophomore year.

“Sydney had done really well as a junior high athlete so we knew she had talent – she came in immediately and started jumping very well,” Maddox said. “I saw immediately that she was going to be successful at high jumping.

“She worked very hard and wanted to learn and perfect. She was very, very good at trying to work at all the details because high jump tackles a lot of perfection and a lot of extra work to make everything hit just right. I’m very proud of her. She deserves this. Marshall is very lucky to get her.”

Away from the track and away from the court, Starcher knows how to make people smile. That is one trait which sticks with coach Skufca.

“Sydney always brought a smile to everybody’s face and laughter to the program – you never knew what was going to happen,” Skufca said. “Sydney was the go-to and knowing that I could trust her to rise above.”

With the recruiting process behind her, Starcher can turn her attention to the indoor track season followed by the spring’s outdoor season. A weight has been lifted.

“It’s kind of been a long process, but the coaches at Marshall have made it really easy on me,” Starcher said, “It just made it a lot easier for me to make my decision.

“Now I can just give it everything I have this spring and leave nothing behind – no regrets. I’m just really positive about this season.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com