A HUGE BLESSING: Two Oakley seniors sign letters of intent to play collegiate sports
OAKLEY - Brooke Mabey is going to miss many things about southern Idaho.
Oakley seniors sign college letters of intent
Oakley senior Brooke Mabey signs an autograph on Monday, April 13, 2026, while the school celebrates her signing a letter of intent to play college volleyball.
Family, coaches, classmates. Everyone knows everyone in Oakley.
The senior Hornet identified something else as she looks toward her future, which will take her all the way to northwest Iowa.
"I always joke about my mountains," Mabey said. "I am going to miss my mountains that I have lived in my whole life."
Mabey's family moved to Oakley when she was in second grade, and the Goose Creek Valley town quickly became home, as it does for most in the area.
On Monday, the community celebrated Mabey and fellow Hornet Sarah Toribau as the two seniors signed letters of intent to play collegiate sports. All 176 Oakley Junior and Senior High School students packed the school's gymnasium to commemorate the occasion.
Mabey will enroll at Iowa Lakes Community College this fall and join their volleyball team. Meanwhile, Toribau - a pioneer of women's wrestling for Oakley and the Magic Valley - will join the Western Colorado women's wrestling team.
"Honestly, it does not even feel real yet," Mabey said. "It's fun right now, but I don't think it has hit me that I'm going to college and going to play volleyball."
Oakley seniors sign college letters of intent
Memorabilia from Brooke Mabey's volleyball career rests on a table on Monday, April 13, 2026, at Oakley High School. The school held a ceremony to commemorate Mabey signing her college letter of intent to play volleyball.
For Mabey, this is the culmination of what she has strived for since joining the Oakley volleyball team.
The Oakley Hornets have become a staple of success on the volleyball court. In the last four years, Oakley has qualified for the state tournament each season.
In 2025, the Hornets finished in third place at the state tournament. The year prior, Oakley was the runner-up to Butte County.
On a personal level, Mabey always had her future in the back of her mind.
Bryn Cranney, the head coach of the Oakley girls volleyball team, spoke at Monday's signing ceremony. She recounted how confident Mabey was in her future as a volleyball player.
As a freshman, Mabey told the coaching staff that she would play college volleyball, according to Cranney. She formally realized her dreams on Monday when she signed with Iowa Lakes CC.
"The girls I played with are my best friends; they're like my sisters," Mabey said. "It really was a huge blessing to come to Oakley and play these sports for this community."
Toribau did not have the same path as Mabey.
Part of that comes from the sport Toribau has set the standard in of late. The Idaho High School Activities Association first sanctioned a state wrestling tournament for girls in 2022.
Oakley seniors sign college letters of intent
Medals from Sarah Toribau's wrestling career drape over a table on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the Oakley High School gymnasium. Toribau signed her letter of intent to wrestle during a ceremony in the gym.
Even as an individual, Toribau did not start wrestling in organized competitions until two years ago.
She quickly made headway on her way to a brief, but successful, career as a Hornet.
Toribau won the 2024 District 4 165-pound division to earn a spot at the state tournament. There, as the No. 2 seed in the division, Toribau finished fifth.
Two losses at that tournament represented her sixth and seventh losses of the 2024-25 season.
For other athletes competing in their first organized season of a sport, that is an impressive return. It only inspired Toribau for more.
As a senior, Toribau rattled off a record of 38-4 ahead of the 2026 Idaho State Wrestling Tournament. Each of those four losses came to Skyline's Molly Olague.
Once again, Toribau carried the No. 2 seed into the state tournament, this time in the 170-pound division. Toribau coasted through the tournament to set up a familiar match against Olague in the title bout.
Oakley seniors sign college letters of intent
Oakley High School star wrestler Sarah Toribau poses with her brother (left) and father (right) on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the school's gymnasium. Toribau signed her letter of intent to wrestle at Western Colorado University on Monday.
Toribau finally got the best of Olague with a win via decision to claim the 170-pound girls wrestling state title. Over her two years wrestling competitively, Toribau amassed a record of 83-11.
Of all the people she thanked, she expressed notable gratitude toward her brother, Ethan Toribau.
"He (Ethan Toribau) coached me through my journey," Sarah Toribau said. "They (Toribau's family) are my biggest inspiration. They stood by my side the whole time."
Sarah Toribau's connection to her family played a key role in her decision to sign with Western Colorado University. Her father lives in Utah, and she would be close enough to Idaho for an easy drive to visit.
She described going to school in Gunnison as her own life away from home. Still, Sarah Toribau will miss so much of what her home in Idaho means to her.
"The support in this area is huge," Sarah Toribau said. "My coaches have done so much for me. It makes me emotional because they really do have a huge impact on my future and what I am going to do with my life."
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.