By K.I. Goldberg
TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 1/16/14
Bethel High School (CT) junior attack-midfielder Jimmy Oates has made a commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Mount St. Mary’s University.
Jimmy Oates ledger: 
High School: Bethel High School, Connecticut
Graduation Year: 2015
Position: Attack/ Midfield
College Choice: Mount St. Mary’s University (ConnectLAX college profile)
Club Affiliation: CT Hurricanes
Major lacrosse honors: Gait Cup, King of the Hill, Umass Mid-summer Classic, Yale Bulldog Bash
Academic Honors: Honor Roll
What will you major in/study? Undecided
Why did you choose the Mount? “I chose Mount St. Mary’s University, because of the atmosphere of the campus. In my college search I was really looking for a small school with good academics, and that is Mount St Mary’s. Academically it is also a great school for me, with a 5 year MBA program, I think I’m going to major in business.
“Also, on the lacrosse side of things, I knew that I wanted to play Division 1 lacrosse, and head Coach Tom Gravante is a great coach, and I’m excited to see how much better a player he can make me. The NEC conference is one of the most competitive conferences in college lacrosse, and I eagerly look forward to competing for a NEC title every year when I get there.”
What are your thoughts on this past HS lacrosse season/team’s outlook for next season? “Last season was a very good season for my team. We went 14-6, and capture our second consecutive SWC D2 Championship which was only our programs second title ever. We then lost in the second round and were State runners up to Joel Barlow in the Class M playoffs.
“This year we have moved to Division 1 for SWC’s and I’m excited to see how the team will hold up this year. We lost our whole starting defensive line, but we have new defenders ready to fill their spots and step up to the plate. Offensively, I think we will be fine, with most of our offensive players returning, we look forwarding to competing in Class M under the leadership of our new coach Chris Sgritta.”
Thank You: “I would like to thank the Bethel Youth Lacrosse association for everything they did for me, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be playing lacrosse today. I would also like to thank my parents for everything they do for me, they supported me 100% of the way. And I’d like to thank all of my friends and other family members that told me I could do it.”
Other schools considered: Sacred Heart University, Marist, Villanova, Eastern Connecticut State University
ConnectLAX, the official sponsor of Toplaxrecruits.com Boys’ Recruits, congratulates Jimmy Oates. ConnectLAX helps recruits highlight their skills and connect with college coaches. Recruits maximize their recruiting exposure with a mobile recruiting profile that is linked to their team’s roster, helping coaches find them on the field and evaluate their profile while watching them play. Create your ConnectLAX mobile recruiting profile for free. Click here to sign up!
