It was an eventful day for Owensboro athletics, as last week Jalen Carr, Xavier Conrad, Max Baur, and Ethan Lippert all signed letters to compete at the college level. Longtime teammates on the gridiron, Carr and Conrad will be pairing back up at Lindsey Wilson University.
“It feels great, Carr said. “We’ve been teammates since we were little kids, and our parents are close with each other. We work out together, so we have always been together.”
At the same time, the swimming duo of Baur and Lippert are headed to Transylvania University and Centre College.
“Ethan and I are really close,” Baur said. “We’re close friends, and we’re close teammates. Our swimming journeys have been similar, and we have been on the same team for years and years now. …It felt pretty special to both sign on the same day and give speeches together. It felt pretty meaningful to me.”
Two defensive keystones for the Red Devils, Carr and Conrad, were instrumental in the program winning their first State Championship since 1986 this past fall. Carr recorded 39 total tackles and two interceptions, while Conrad finished the year with 54 total tackles, five sacks, and a pick.
Carr spoke with multiple schools throughout his recruitment process, including Kentucky Wesleyan College, Eastern Kentucky University, and Georgetown College, but the senior acknowledged that Lindsey Wilson felt like home.
“Coming out of high school, Lindsey Wilson was one of the schools I had on my radar,” Carr said. “I also have a couple of teammates going there, so I felt it would be a good bond. I also have a former teammate in Kenyata Carbon who plays basketball there. He taught me how I could fit in, and I just went from there.”
Carr will play corner at the collegiate level, and there is a possibility of taking some reps at safety. In the classroom, he plans to major in sports managment
“It feels great to be a collegiate athlete,” Carr said. “It’s something I have always dreamed of, and I always told myself I didn’t want my mom to have to pay for college. I was able to do that by earning a full ride to every college that offered me. I made her happy.”
Having received multiple offers, including KWC, Georgetown, and a few JUCO schools, Conrad stated that he appreciated how Lindsey Wilson immediately made him feel welcomed.
“I chose Lindsey Wilson because it is close to home, and when my friends and I visited, they prioritized us,” Conrad said. “They made it feel like home and even offered us to come back when we needed to.”
During his freshman year, Conrad acknowledged that he realized he had a chance to play collegiately due to his height and length. To accomplish his dream, he started frequenting the weight room and focused on increasing his speed and agility.
As his collegiate career draws near, Conrad stated that he will focus this summer on consistency.
“I definitely need to stay consistent on my diet, but I am more focused on becoming more consistent overall,” Conrad said. “I feel like I have the weight, but you can always get stronger. I definitely need to work on my speed and my consistency. Consistency will do it for you.”
Having played soccer in his youth, Baur switched to swimming when he was in fifth grade on a whim. Seven years later and he transformed into a crucial member of the Red Devils, reaching Semi-State this past winter.
During his recruitment process, Baur spoke with multiple schools including Centre, but acknowledged that the familiarity at Transylvania won out.
“My older brother goes there. I went to a stayover there last fall, and I really enjoyed it,” Baur said. “I fell in love with the swim program, and I am really excited to go there to continue my swimming and academic career. …It was a great visit, and I got to watch one of their practice and stay overnight. I had a great time overall.”
While he doesn’t know exactly what events he will be competing in at the next level, he is hoping to continue in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly. In the classroom, he plans to study health and exercise science on a pre-assistant physician track.
Lippert has always been in the water since he was two, before joining the Owensboro Marlins three years later. After having reached Semi-State multiple times over his Red Devils career, this winter, he took his game to the next level. He broke the school record in the 100 freestyle (48.86) and reached the 2026 KHSAA State Swimming & Diving Championships.
Lippert focused his college search on finding a school that would push him and help him during his journey as a swimmer. He spoke with a plethora of colleges, including Transylvania and a few other DIII schools, but appreciated the culture of Centre.
“I visited their campus, and it is a really beautiful campus,” Lippert said. “They also just redid their natatorium, so they have a really nice pool. I also really like the culture of Centre. …I really enjoyed my visit, and the Head Coach is a nice guy. All of the swimmers were excited to meet me, and it just felt like a team and a family.”
Throughout his recruitment process, Lippert acknowledged that academics was a key discussion point.
“I’ll be studying mechanical engineering,” Lippert said. “If I were to go to Transylvania, I would have to do three years there and then two years at UK. But Centre is just now getting an accredited engineering program, so I can spend all four years at Centre.”
