WHITEHALL — Whitehall got in on the National Signing Day festivities Wednesday morning by celebrating a pair of athletes moving on to college. Football star Kyle Stratton signed with Taylor University in Indiana, while volleyball star Kayla Mulder inked with Concordia University Ann Arbor. Both are NAIA schools.
Stratton will leave Whitehall as the most decorated quarterback in school history, having led the Vikings to three conference championships and four playoff wins, including the 2022 district title, during his three seasons taking the snaps. Stratton’s father, Keith, has been defensive coordinator throughout head coach Tony Sigmon’s 11 seasons at the helm, so Kyle literally grew up on the Whitehall sidelines.
“There’s very much this ‘such is life’ kind of moment there,” Sigmon said. “We’re just proud of him, and we’re proud of all of our kids and we’re excited that he gets to chase a dream. I think he’s going to do a wonderful job there, talking to the coaches and everybody involved. He’s ready for that next step.”
Stratton said Taylor visited his home early in the recruiting process, which stood out to him, and campus visits for games impressed him as well, particularly the atmosphere. During remarks at the ceremony, Keith described the Taylor coaching staff as a staff that reminded him of the Vikings’ own, making him confident in sending his son to play for them.
Stratton, who is listed at 5-9 but played much bigger, said he grew more comfortable playing his style of football as he gained more experience at Whitehall.
“That’s just the way I was made,” Stratton said. “I’ve always had to do what I can with what I’ve got. I feel like I’ve gotten better at that...I’m glad they took a chance on me and I hope it pays off.”
Mulder, who is home-schooled but played for the Viking spikers, credited coach Ted Edsall with getting her into the outside hitter spot during her time playing club volleyball at Inside Out. She’d previously played libero, but excelled and played all six rotations for Whitehall.
Mulder, like Stratton, said love for the game inspired her to pursue playing in college and added CUAA was the school she visited that felt most like home during the process.
“The girls were nice,” Mulder said. “The coaches were welcoming. It’s (a) Christian (school). I just felt warm as soon as I left.”
Edsall said Mulder, who plans on majoring in a business or finance field at CUAA, will be tough to replace on the Whitehall roster and said it’ll probably take multiple players to do it. He added that she’s well prepared to take the next step as a player.
“She’s been tremendous,” Edsall said. “She’s a nice kid, a very good teammate. People respected her. We’ll really miss that also.”
