Chase Overton grew up in Christiansburg and has been a three-sport star at North Cross. Saturday, he announced he would continue his athletic career at Hampden-Sydney with a chance to play two of those three sports.
For now, the college is looking at him for his contribution on the basketball court, but coaches have left the door open on lacrosse. He averaged double figures on the court this past season and was one of the top three-pointer shooters in the Commonwealth.
On the lacrosse field, he averaged two goals and three assists per game, leading the Crusaders to another state playoff run.
“I’m in a great position right now. I have committed to play basketball, but the lacrosse program has offered me an opportunity to join the lacrosse team as well. Both the basketball and lacrosse coaches have been great and are supportive if I choose to play both sports,” he said.
But the key could be Overton’s success in the classroom. He has maintained a B+ average for most of his high school years and will finish with a 3.6 grade point average.
“Hampden-Sydney has demonstrated that they value me as a student and an athlete. Everyone from the admissions team to the president, faculty, alumni and current students have reached out to me. As a result, they have awarded me for my academic achievements with the President’s scholarship. Additionally, the basketball coaches have stayed in regular contact with me and shown great interests in having me be a part of the team,” he said.
The multi-sport athlete has a long-term goal of leaving an impression that shows his dedication to excellence in academics and being a dominant player in athletics.
“During my visit, the coaches talked about winning a national championship. That’s a great team goal, and during my four years, I want to work to make that happen. I expect to be a leader on campus and a part of the brotherhood that’s so important to the Hampden-Sydney experience,” he said.
Overton received lacrosse offers from Bridgewater, Western New England, Wabash, Hood, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Thiel College.
“I was accepted to 13 schools, so when it came time to evaluate college opportunities, I looked at the offers from each school and thought about every visit, phone calls, letters and emails. All of these interactions stayed with me, and in the end, I chose Hampden-Sydney because of the school’s strong sense of brotherhood and tradition, great academic reputation, small class sizes, its focus on preparing students for life after college and the connections I made with the players and coaches on my visit,” he said.
The school, according to Overton, gives him the best opportunity to accomplish all that he would like to do as a student-athlete.
“The coaches for these (other) schools have been great. They’ve stayed in contact with me for months, patiently waiting for me to make a decision, and I’ve contacted each coach as well as the admissions offices to inform them of my college decision. Additionally, more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the country have contacted me to apply,” Overton said when announcing his decision.
He also received merit offers to attend schools such as: Xavier, St. John’s and Duquesne.
Overton plans to major in Business and Economics and hopes to obtain a minor in Psychology.
Hampden-Sydney is a member of the NCAA Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference. This past year, the basketball team was 11-16, while the lacrosse team finished the regular season with a 12-5 record and will say goodbye to 10 seniors.
