Seven Churchill County High School athletes recently signed letters of intent to play sports at the college level. From left: Manuel DeSantiago Tapia, track, Peru State College, (Neb.); Lonnie Adams, Arizona Christian, wrestling; Trevor Hyde, Montana Western, football; James Kelsey, Edmonds College (Wash.), baseball; Chase Carnahan, Miles College (Mont.), baseball; Anthony Juarez, Shasta College (Calif.), baseball; and Taralynn Vershum, Williston State (N.D.), softball.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
Seven Churchill County High School athletes recently signed their letters of intent to play sports at the next level.
Chase Carnahan, who played on two Greenwave baseball teams that advanced to the state tournament, will continue his career in Montana at Miles College.
“I decided to go there because it felt right,” Carnahan said. “The program seems very structured.”
Carnahan said he received support from his Greenwave coaches, and during the past two seasons, the Fallon graduate has been one of the leaders of the Northern 3A.
During the 2025 campaign, he batted .437 with an on-base percentage of .539. He led Fallon with two home runs, 41 runs and 45 hits. He also batted in 19 runs.
Carnahan said his play during the offseason helped him progress during the year. He played fall baseball for the Muckdogs, a traveling baseball team in Reno, until workouts began for the Greenwave.
James Kelsey is another player from the Greenwave baseball team who will be competing at the college level. He signed his letter of intent to play at Edmonds College in Lynwood, Wash., a short distance north of Seattle.
Edmonds College is two-year community college that also offers four-year bachelor's degrees.
“They reached out to me during the fall, and then I went on a visit,” he said.
Kelsey was one of the main factors for Fallon emerging as one of the top teams in the Northern 3A and also qualifying for the state baseball tournament during the past two seasons.
“We had a talented program with a lot of good players,” he said.
Kelsey and Carnahan emerged as a solid one-two punch for the Greenwave. Kelsey batted .363 this season. He smacked one home run this year, but he scored 35 runs and led the team with 32 RBIs.
Anthony Juarez established himself on the mound with a 4-3 record and will play baseball at Shasta College in Redding, Calif. He was the team’s workhorse, pitching 59 innings during the season. He also led the team in strikeouts with 43.
Juarez batted in 12 runs and had 20 hits in limited appearances at the plate.
“I posted videos, and they reached out to me,” he said. “I went on a visit and there was no doubt I wanted to go.”
Juarez said he likes Northern California and is looking forward to the new adventure. Although Shasta is a two-year college, he said the staff helps players moving on to the next level.
MORE GREENWAVE SIGNEES
• Manuel DeSantiago Tapia will run cross country at Peru State College in Nebraska.
Tapia, who also ran track and excels in the long distances, said he will miss the mountains as he sees a different part of the country with a flatter landscape.
Tapia said he feels he can help the team, but he also looked into the college’s criminal justice program.
“I know I will miss Fallon,” Tapia said after signing his letter of intent.
• State wrestling champion Lonnie Adams, who competed at 138 pounds, is headed to Arizona Christian in Glendale.
While Adams said he’ll miss Fallon, he won’t miss the Nevada cold and snow.
“I know I’ll enjoy the weather during the winter,” he said with a grin. “I enjoyed the visit.”
Adams put an exclamation win on his state championship in February since the finals for all classes were held in Fallon. Now, it’s on to preparing for the next level.
“They contacted me during the wrestling season and asked me to come for a visit,” said Adams, who compiled a 34-14 record which included 29 pins.
Adams said Arizona Christian is an NAIA college and faces opponents in Oregon, New Mexico and California.
• Taralynn Vershum is going in an opposite direction from Arizona and will be attending Williston State College in North Dakota.
“Their coach reached out to me,” the Greenwave softball player said. “At first, I didn’t want to go that far away from home. He kept reaching out, and I decided to go.”
Vershum, who played on a state championship 3A softball team in 2024, competed again this spring at the state level. This time, though, longtime rival Fernley shocked the Greenwave for the coveted state trophy.
“I had a good season, and we went to state,” Vershum said.
A solid player behind the plate as a catcher, she helped Fallon post more than 20 wins during the past two seasons. At a batter, she hit .341 in both her junior and senior seasons and led the team in 2024 with six home runs.
This year she had 17 RBIs, two home runs and seven doubles.
• Trevor Hyde is also going to the cold country to play football at Montana Western in Dillon. Over the years, many graduating seniors from Churchill County have attended Western to play football.
Hyde, at 6-foot-1 inches and 220 pounds, plays both sides of the ball and made a mark in the Northern 3A as a guard on offense and noseguard on defense.
During the 2024 season, the Greenwave began the season slowly under a new coach but improved during the season and qualified for the state playoffs. Fallon lost in double-overtime in the first playoff game.
Hyde had a solid season, accounting for 49 solo tackles and four assists. He was the Northern 3A lineman of the year.
Montana has been on Hyde’s radar since his sophomore year.
“I reached out to the coach, and they then started talking to me during my sophomore year,” he said.
During his senior year, he visited the campus.
“I knew of the strong connection,” Hyde said, noting the ties between Fallon and Dillon.