WESTHAMPTON — Large groups of Hamsphire Regional students and faculty, as well as the families of four student-athletes, piled into the school’s library on Friday afternoon, as Chloe Moynihan, Elijah Picard, CC Thayer and Mary Thibault signed their National Letters of Intent to further their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Raiders athletic director CJ Holt said a few words to introduce the student-athletes and thank them for their countless hours of hard work to further the athletic programs at Hampshire, and soon after, pens hit the paper to make it official.

Moynihan is headed to Framingham State, Picard to American International College, Thayer to Westfield State and Thibault to Emmanuel College. Each of them enjoyed – or are currently enjoying – dominant senior seasons for their respective teams, and they reaped the rewards of their training on Friday.

“It’s great to see the kids be able to make it a reality of playing at the next level,” Holt said afterward. “It’s something that they accomplished and deserved, and the younger kids here can strive toward it as well. There are a lot of great Division 3 colleges and sports programs around for these kids to go play at, which is a great opportunity. They’re taking advantage of putting themselves in a good place academically while continuing their playing careers. It’s really a home run.”

Chloe Moynihan, field hockey at Framingham State

Chloe Moynihan scored 43 goals and added eight assists during her time at Hampshire, as the field hockey star helped the Raiders win three of their final four contests back in the fall. Moynihan had her family and teammates in attendance supporting her, as well as head field hockey coach Susannah Bastek – who delivered a speech that nearly brought Moynihan to tears.

Bastek instilled a self-confidence in Moynihan that allowed her to develop into one of the best overall players in western Massachusetts, and it earned her a spot on the Framingham State roster come this fall.

“It really does mean a lot to have everyone here supporting,” Moynihan said. “I struggled a lot with my confidence playing, so having this big crowd and being able to prove to myself that I can do this is a very special opportunity for me.”

Elijah Picard, soccer at American International College

Picard’s road may not have been smooth whatsoever, but he became one of the most important players on the Raiders’ back line last fall. In 13 of Hampshire’s 21 games, the defense allowed only one goal or fewer, and a lot of that had to do with Picard’s presence.

After suffering several injuries that kept him out of the lineup for a chunk of his high school career, Picard came back with a vengeance in 2024. His stellar season not only brought the Raiders to the doorstep of yet another MIAA Division 4 Final Four, it also earned him a scholarship to play Division 2 soccer.

“He overcame a couple of lower-leg injuries, and he just persevered through it because he loves the game so much,” Holt said. “It was great to see him have a healthy and really impressive senior year.”

CC Thayer, softball at Westfield State

On Thursday, CC Thayer went 4-for-4 and smashed a home run to lift the Raiders to a road win over Douglas. On Friday, she signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball at Westfield State. It was quite the 24 hours for the senior, and she was all smiles when signing her letter.

Hampshire head softball coach Brian McGan spoke on her behalf Friday, applauding Thayer for her growth both on and off the field. McGan has seen an impressive line of softball players come through his program, and Thayer is up there with the best of them. Now that her recruitment is closed, it’s time to bring more hardware back to Westhampton.

“Knowing that I have a great group behind me, and knowing that my coaches were here and wanted to show up just feels awesome,” Thayer said. “It’s so nice to not have to stress about this anymore and get it out of the way, and to know where I’m going as well is a great feeling.”

Mary Thibault, lacrosse at Emmanuel College

Similar to Thayer, Thibault just recently reached a milestone in her sport. Thibault surpassed 100 career points on Tuesday, and could potentially snag 100 goals if she continues at the pace she’s been playing so far this season. Emmanuel College will be the home of the Hampshire senior for the next four years, and that lacrosse stick isn’t leaving her side.

Thibault had a wave of friends give speeches, as well as her head coach, Grace Ahrensdorf. Signing the paper put her young life into perspective, making her realize that college really is on the horizon. Having her closest friends by her side made the moment even more special.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Thibault said, “just the fact that you’re actually moving up in the world in a way. It’s so great to have everyone here; the support and love from everyone feels amazing. The speeches were touching. I have great teammates, and I would die for them. I would do anything. They’re more than teammates, we’re a family. It’s kind of cheesy, but that’s how it is.”