TROY — Troy High School seniors Megan Robinson and Abigail Welbaum made their college choices official Wednesday morning at the Trojan Activity Center.

Robinson will continue her swimming career at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. and Welbaum will pitch for the Lee University softball team in Cleveland, Tn.

Megan Robinson

The daughter of Scott and Lori Robinson knew Cumberlands was the place for her immediately.

“The campus is beautiful,” she said. “When I took my visit, I had a really great bonding experience with the team and coaches. And the town is one of the safest towns in America. I knew it was a place I could see myself living for the next four years.”

Robinson has been swimming for almost as long as she can remember.

“I think I started swimming when I was six years old,” she said. “But, from the time I was six to probably 15, it was just rec (recreational swimming). I never really swam competitively until high school.”

Since she started swimming at Troy, she has been very competitive and looks to continue that at Cumberlands.

Along with relays, she swims the 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke and will continue that at the next level.

She has been a district qualifier all three years at Troy.

“I never really thought about swimming in college before,” Robinson said. “It was in high school when I realized I could swim in college.”

As a sophomore, she was second team All-MVL in the 200 IM (2:29.14) and 100 backstroke (1:07.66) and honorable mention in the 200 freestyle relay.

As a junior, she was second team All-MVL in the 200 IM (2:29.91), 100 backstroke (1:07.66) and the 200 freestyle relay.

Robinson hopes to take it to another level this year.

“It would be great to make it to the state meet,” she said. “And we have a relay team that could do that.”

After that, she will be ready to the challenge at the next level.

Abigail Welbaum

For the daughter of Dan and Heather Welbaum, it was love at first sight when she visited the Lee University campus.

“We were driving through the campus and we couldn’t find the softball field,” Welbaum said. “So, we are driving all over the campus and we just kept commenting on how beautiful everything was.

“And it was in the winter and it was raining, but it was just so beautiful. It was amazing. I knew that is where I wanted to be the next four years.”

The sport of softball was love at first pitch as well for Welbaum — in the first grade.

“I remember I was in room one night and my parents told me they needed to talk to me,” she said. “They told me there is an opportunity for you to play Rec softball. Why don’t you just give it a try and see if you like it. I said ‘Sure’. From the first time I played, I have loved the game. I knew probably in the sixth grade that I wanted to play in college.”

And after losing her freshman year to Covid, Welbaum has had an amazing two years on the mound for Troy.

As a sophomore, she was 15-3 and had a 3.93 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 112 innings.

She also batted .318 with six doubles, three home runs, 24 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

Welbaum followed it up last year with 14-1 record and 1.32 ERA. She had 125 strikeouts in 95 and one-third innings.

She batted .365 with eight doubles, four home runs and 32 RBIs.

“I think Lee is a great fit for Abigial (Welbaum),” Troy softball coach Scott Beeler said. “And Lee is getting a great player. Abigail has an incredible work ethic. I knew in sixth grade she was going to be something special. I wish she could have had her freshman year to see where her numbers would be now. I am going to feel like I am losing a daughter after she graduates.”

Welbaum is not satisfied yet.

“There are always things you can get better at,” she said. “My goal every day in practice is to get one percent better than the day before. If you can do that, you are going to be successful.”

Which Welbaum has been for four years at Troy — and you can expect that to continue at the next level.

Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]