A big piece of the Southwest Men's Soccer rotation over the past two seasons will get the opportunity to shine on the next level as sophomore Sergio Padin put the pen to the paper recently and signed with Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"I'm really excited because it is a good university, a good spot and they won their conference last year and that makes it more exciting to go there," Padin said.

He adds that he is very grateful for his time in Summit, especially for the hospitality shown to him as an international student athlete.

"Obviously it is a change and at Southwest I met a lot of people, I met a lot of friends and a lot of families that took care of me because I'm from Spain," Padin said. "It is a new chapter in my life and I will try to do my best both on and off the field. I'm excited for the future."

Even though he didn't get to go on a visit to Keiser, but he was sold on two conditions.

"I didn't get to go yet but I saw some pictures there and one of my friends from Spain who I played with will be going there," he said. "We will be rooming together. It is going to be easy for me. And even if I didn't know anybody there, I think that it will still be the same."

Padin stood out over the past two seasons for the Bears finishing second in scoring in both. In 2023, he had 15 points on seven goals and one assist in 15 matches. Last season he appeared in 17 matches finishing with six goals and five assists for 17 points.

When he gets to West Palm Beach, Padin said that the plan will remain the same as he will continue to play the midfield position. Although he says he will need to put more work in to adjust to the higher level of play.

"I will try my best and I will have to work out more because the league will be more difficult," he said. "But that makes me excited because I love the competition."

Another factor that drew Padin to Keiser was they offered his major of International Business.

Southwest head coach Zach Mills said that he is thrilled to see Padin sign noting that Keiser came into the picture late in the process and once it did, it was the right fit.

"I'm thankful that the opportunity came up," he said. "We all had faith that he would go somewhere because he is such a good player and good guy. He wanted the right fight, academically, athletically and personally."

He adds that he is going to miss Padin not only for his stellar play on the pitch or his good grades in the classroom but also his positive attitude, adding that he set a good example for the younger student athletes.

"The positive attitude (example) is one of the things that he is going to leave behind," Mills said. "I think  that he is leaving that positivity behind the way he enjoyed life and his friends and teammates and playing."