ALTON - Last week, soon-to-be Marquette Catholic High School graduates Hayden Sherman and Aiden O'Keefe both signed to continue their academic and athletic careers in college.

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They both signed up to go to McKendree University, Sherman for baseball, and O'Keefe for golf.

McKendree is a Division II private university in Lebanon, Illinois, a short 45-minute drive from Alton.

For their achievement, both are Tucker's Automotive Repair and Tire Athletes of the Month for the Explorers.

Hayden Sherman

This will be Sherman's third time as a Riverbender.com AOTM, and he's earned all three by being a three-sport athlete. One year he played four different sports.

Athlete of the Month is sponsored by

He's played both baseball and bowling all four years, hockey three years, and cross-country one.

Baseball is what he chose to stick with and it's where he had his favorite memory. He recalled hitting his first homer his junior season against Breese, saying "it was a great feeling."

Sherman is also a great student earning High Honor Roll as a sophomore and Honor Roll his junior and senior years.

At McKendree, he plans on going into business/marketing.

Aiden O'Keefe

For O'Keefe, this will also be his third time as a Riverbender.com AOTM because he's been a staple to the Marquette golf team all four years.

He was also a two-time STL Post-Dispatch Player to Watch and holds Marquette's 9-hole record.

He chose McKendree because of its completive golf team and because it's close to home. He plans to go into accounting.

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