Most competitive soccer players grow up dreaming of playing for a Division One college, it’s a goal that seems so obtainable. But rarely do any actually go on to play in college, in fact, less than two percent of high school athletes go on to play a Division One sport. For Charlotte McMurtrie ’26 this past summer though, these dreams became a reality. McMurtrie an attacking mid for the Michigan Hawks verbally committed to Purdue University in August just months after the June 15 recruiting window opened. Being one of the top players in the country, McMurtrie immediately had interest from many colleges, but Purdue stood out among the rest.

“I loved the campus and I loved the coach’s goal for the team, I really saw myself fitting in with the program,” said McMurtrie. “ I liked them before the recruitment window opened because they sent me some mail,  but I didn’t know about them too well until after the recruitment period started.”

The college recruitment process is a stressful period in many athletes’ lives. The countless emails sent and phone calls with coaches are overwhelming. McMurtrie echoed this experience.

“Coaches can’t talk to you until June 15 so you have to send a bunch of emails before that point and then when it opens up it’s stressful because you have a bunch of calls the first day but then it kind of fizzles out for a bit,” said McMurtrie. “Scheduling those visits was a little stressful too because you have to work around your schedule and theirs and you have to go quick when you’re dealing with scholarships and stuff because they don’t stay around forever.”

The transition from playing a competitive sport in high school to college is a big one, but McMurtie is embracing the opportunity.

“I’ve trained for so many years to make it to the next level so I think I really am ready for college,” said McMurtrie. “All of the practice and tournaments around the country have made me confident in my skills. I’m excited to see the different level of play in college and the work I will have to put in.

Since McMurtrie committed so early, she still has two seasons of club soccer left to go. Most would take their foot of the gas but McMurtrie does not expect any sort of attitude shift.

“Because I am already committed a lot of the pressure on me to perform is gone,” said McMurtrie. “ But I’m not going to change the way I play because we [ Michigan Hawks] are trying to win another national championship.

Although McMurtrie excels on the field, her advisor, Dylan Madden is impressed with her leadership and energy in the classroom.

“She is an example for all of her peers,” said Madden. “ All of her classmates love to be around her and interact with her.”

Playing a college sport takes hours upon hours of training and practice. Classmate Lauren Ye ‘26 can attest to McMurties dedication and effort from what she’s seen in school.

“Charlotte is one of the hardest-working people I know and I’m not surprised she has gotten this far,” said Ye. “ I think no matter what obstacles she faces she will overcome them and succeed”

To ensure her best performance at the club level McMurtrie elects not to play for Greenhills soccer despite the experiences it entails

“Our coach doesn’t want us to play because of the risk of injury and overlap with club season,” said McMurtrie. “ I have a lot of friends on the team but I put my club first and I need to make sure I am healthy for club season.”

In the summer of 2023, McMurtrie and her teammates on the Michigan Hawks captured a national championship, taking down opponents from all over the country. Now, McMurtrie and her teammates will be going their separate ways for college and will be competing against each other

“Most of the people on our team are playing in college,” said McMurtrie. “ A couple are going to other big ten schools like Northwestern so I will get to play against them. It’s cool because I’ve played with them my whole life and now we’ve finally made it to the next level.

With McMurtrie’s recruitment journey over, (at least for the moment) she leaves us with a bit of advice that helped her get to where she is today.

“If you work hard and put in the time the results will come, just believe in yourself and trust in your preparation and you will be rewarded.