South Walton senior commits to play football at Ivy League Columbia

SANTA ROSA BEACH — Winston Harstvedt is trading in the laid back lifestyle of Santa Rosa Beach for the Big Apple.

Fresh off a summer run through Ivy League football camps that resulted in Brown, Penn and Columbia offering the 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior defensive star, the "lifelong Seahawk" committed to the Lions last week.

From flying down to watch Harstvedt in spring practice to staying in contact weekly with physical and digital mail, Columbia pushed all its chips in on the Seahawk. As a result he became invested as well in Columbia, which checked off all the boxes.

Ivy League? Check.

A coaching staff who was communicative and invested? Check.

A home that's utilize his talents as an edge rusher? Check.

A means to an end for his career goals in finance and business? Check.

Earlier this month on a visit, Harstvedt was able to break the news to head coach Jon Poppe in person.

"When I told him all the coaches walked in and were dapping me up and stuff," Harstvedt said. "They were all happy, all thrilled. The players who were there came up up to me and showed their support. It was a great feeling."

And also a stress relief from the grind of recruitment. Now, backed by his parents and coaching staff, Harstvedt can focus on his fourth and final season in Seahawk green.

"Winston has always been a Seahawk," Phil Tisa, South Walton's head football coach and athletic director, said proudly. "He's worked hard to cultivate his leadership abilities on and off the field to go along with his natural frame and athletic ability. He's an example of how taking care of academics opens up doors not available to everyone."

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The success in the classroom (4.2 weighted GPA) has transferred to the gridiron, where Harstvedt "reads offenses pretty well" and grown to be the voice of South Walton's defense. Last year, he delivered 46 tackles, a sack, two fumble recoveries, two pass deflections and an interception.

"Pass rushing is my specialty, but all the small things add up," said Harstvedt, who grew up watching Seahawk games as a kid.

South Walton's record was difficult last year en route to a district title. This year Harstvedt called it the "hardest schedule in school history" with 5A Gulf Breeze, back-to-back Elite 8 qualifier Choctaw and Fort Walton Beach in 4A, district champ Walton and perennial powerhouses FSU and Pensacola Catholic looming. That'll help get him ready for life in the Ivy League, where the Lions finished 3-7 last year after a season-ending 29-14 win over Cornell.

"We're going to win more games than people think," Harstvedt said.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: South Walton senior commits to play football at Ivy League Columbia