Aside from academic excellence, Brebeuf students flourish in sports. More than half of the student body at Brebeuf partake in sports. Balancing academics and athletics can sometimes be challenging; however, many students find their way to reach new levels in their sports lives. 

Here at Brebeuf, many students take their talent in sports to the collegiate level to further their academic and athletic careers. With that being said, many athletes at Brebeuf are planning to play sports in college. A few of those outstanding athletes are Evan Haywood ‘24, Rowan Pearl ‘24, and Lexi Gin ‘25. 

For Evan Haywood ‘24, basketball has been at the forefront of his priorities since he first touched the court 12 years ago. Haywood, shooting guard, made his commitment to Butler University at the beginning of his senior season. 

Growing up, Haywood played multiple sports like baseball and football, but always dreamed of playing college basketball one day. Eventually, he narrowed it down to strictly basketball and began perfecting his game. 

Along with middle school and high school basketball, AAU became a time for him to compete and grow as an athlete, allowing him to be looked at by college coaches. Haywood has been competing for Progeny for the past four years, where they compete against other Midwest teams. With AAU basketball, he was able to begin his recruiting process and caught the attention of college coaches from multiple universities. Now, he works to lead his team into the IHSAA postseason, striving to complete his senior year with a strong season. 

Next up, center-back Rowan Pearl ‘24 revealed her commitment to play college soccer for the University of Notre Dame this past November, following her fall season. 

College soccer has always been something Rowan aimed at, but as she got older, she soon realized it was something she was not willing to give up. Pearl has played soccer for eleven years, for Brebeuf and Indiana Fire ECNL Soccer. 

Pearl also played basketball and volleyball but ultimately knew her love was for soccer. She also received offers from other schools, but once she stepped onto campus, she knew Notre Dame was her place. Pearl immediately noticed the atmosphere of Notre Dame, saying, “The competitive culture and welcoming environment was something I didn’t want to miss out on.” 

After finishing her Brebeuf career this past fall and helping her team to multiple playoff runs, Pearl’s training has not stopped as she continues to push herself and further her athletic abilities in the off-season. 

Despite only being a junior, Lexi Gin ‘25 made her commitment to play collegiate volleyball as a libero for Pennsylvania State University in the summer before her junior season. 

Ever since first grade, Lexi Gin has had a love for the game of volleyball. Even though volleyball was her primary sport, she also used her athletic talents to play basketball, softball, swimming, tennis, and soccer in her middle school years. 

As a freshman, Gin was a varsity starter and helped push her team to win the State Championship, winning in the fifth set against Bellmont. 

Aside from Brebeuf volleyball, she devouts her time to playing club for Munciana, where she travels to tournaments in Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas, and Florida. 

With the help of her Brebeuf coaches and club coaches, Gin attracted attention from several universities. She started the recruitment process very early by reaching out to coaches at a young age. She believes that starting the process young gave her that edge she needed, saying, “I always wanted to play in college, so I started recruitment young and kept contacting coaches until I got the results I wanted.” 

Gin will complete her last season at Brebeuf in the coming fall, hoping to help her team to a 3A State Championship.