Dowers, Ekstam, Spacke sign letters of intent

A San Diego Hall of Champions ceremony on Nov. 11 saw 204 high school seniors signing a letter of intent to play college athletics. Among them were three Ramona High School athletes.

Ashley Dowers and Izzy Ekstam will continue their softball careers at Thomas University after they complete their final high school season this spring. Dylan Spacke signed a letter of intent to play baseball with California State University Long Beach.

Spacke had given a verbal commitment to Long Beach State during the summer, but high school seniors were not allowed to sign until last Wednesday.

“Exciting I’m finally officially committed there,” he said.

Dowers and Ekstam became the first San Diego County softball players to sign with Thomas University, which is in the Georgia town of Thomasville, about 30 minutes from Tallahassee, Fla.

“I’m really excited to go play the sport I love in college,” Ekstam said.

“I’m just really excited, and I love just the overall community at Thomas University and I’m just excited to be able to play softball and room with one of my best friends,” Dowers said.

Thomas University is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Nighthawks finished the 2015 season ranked sixth among NAIA teams.

Thomas coach Bill Wilson attended the signing ceremony.

“They’re great girls,” he said. “I watched them play for a while.”

Dowers and Ekstam were among seven Southern California Athletics club players who signed. Wilson had observed their club activity and also became acquainted with the Ramona players.

“It’s important for us to have good players but also good people,” Wilson said.

Club play allowed Dowers, who was on Ramona High School’s junior varsity as a freshman and sophomore and did not play as a junior due to elbow tendinitis, to sign a letter of intent despite not having previously played varsity competition.

“It’s definitely not very heard of, but I was lucky enough to be on my travel team,” she said.

Although Cori McDonald has become Ramona High School’s librarian and will not coach the Bulldogs’ softball team during 2016, she watched Dowers practice and play during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

“She’s a great player,” McDonald said. “I can’t be happier for her.”

Ekstam also played on Ramona’s junior varsity as a freshman and sophomore before making the Bulldogs’ varsity as a junior.

“She did a phenomenal job for us,” McDonald said. “Last year really was a great utility player for us.”

Ekstam was a catcher as a freshman, a shortstop as a sophomore, and primarily a third baseman on the 2015 Ramona varsity.

“She’s just a phenomenal kid,” McDonald said.

Ekstam played third base well enough to be recognized during the Bulldogs’ post-season banquet as the team’s defensive player of the year.

“My highlight was probably getting defensive player of the year for playing a position that is not my number one,” she said.

Ekstam was also recognized by the Valley League coaches for her junior season, when she was named to the all-league second team.

Ekstam’s experience at three different positions allows Wilson to determine where she will best make a contribution for the Nighthawks.

“He does have his options, but I’m going to be working for catcher,” Ekstam said.

Dowers was a pitcher during her first two high school seasons, although due to her elbow injury she is expected to play second base and shortstop both as a Ramona High School senior and at Thomas University.

“My arm doesn’t hold up,” she said of no longer pitching.

Spacke is a pitcher and an outfielder for Ramona High School, but he is solely a pitcher in travel ball and is expected to be exclusively a pitcher for the Dirtbags.

“Just very proud of him and thrilled at what he’s been able to accomplish and what he’s now going to be able to embark upon at the next level,” said Ramona coach Dean Welch. “I couldn’t be happier for the kid. He really is a fine young man, and he is coming into his own.”He’s worked hard for it, and I’m really happy for him.”

Spacke was on Ramona’s junior varsity as a freshman and has been on the varsity since his sophomore season in 2014. Welch noted that Spacke has improved each year.

“That’s a testament to his work ethic and his attitude,” Welch said.

Spacke earned second-team Valley League recognition for the 2015 season.

“I was pretty happy with my Ramona High School career. I learned a lot from Coach Welch. He’s helped me grow as a player and a person, and I hope to make this last year a lot of fun,” Spacke said.

Spacke was also considering Cal Baptist before choosing Long Beach State.

“Long Beach State has an amazing baseball program,” Spacke said. “They have a very good kinesiology department.”

Spacke plans to major in kinesiology and hopes to become a physical therapist or a personal trainer after his playing career concludes.

Dowers was also considering Point Loma Nazarene University, although she did not receive a scholarship offer from that program and accepted the Thomas offer following a visit to that campus.

“I went out on a visit and I fell in love,” she said. “I just love the support that we got through the whole community and I love the girls on the team.”

Dowers’ likely college majors include kinesiology, biology, and nursing; she has future plans to be a physical therapist or a nurse practitioner.

Ekstam is leaning toward a biology major and has plans to continue her collegiate studies to the doctorate level, which could mean future college activity as a professor.

Ekstam was considering Kentucky State, Belmont Abbey and Eckard College before making her choice of Thomas.

“It felt like home,” she said. “The environment is beautiful and all the people there are really nice.”

Ekstam saw similarities between Thomasville and Ramona.

“It’s like a home away from home pretty much,” she said.

Ekstam and her family moved from Santee to Ramona four years ago. She spent most of her elementary school years at Rio Seco Elementary School in Santee, which is a K-8 school, before concluding eighth grade at Olive Peirce Middle School. Ekstam began her organized softball career with Santee’s American Softball Association program when she was eight.

Dowers made her competitive softball debut with the Ramona Girls Softball League when she was six. She moved from Alpine to Ramona when she was four and attended James Dukes Elementary School prior to Olive Peirce Middle School and Ramona High School.

Spacke moved from the Scripps Ranch area to Ramona 12 years ago. He attended kindergarten in Scripps Ranch before spending the rest of his elementary school career at Barnett Elementary School. He was 5 when he began his Ramona youth baseball career at the T-ball level and is on the Encinitas Gamers travel team. He also participates in scout ball for the Angels’ and Padres’ teams.

Although Spacke never played any other Ramona High School sport at the varsity level, he was on the Bulldogs’ freshman basketball team as a ninth-grader and on Ramona’s junior varsity football team as a sophomore. Dowers and Ekstam played softball only at Ramona High School.