photo by: Nick Henthorn

Wheeling Park’s Tresz McLeod, left-center, signs his letter of intent Wednesday with his mother, Raquel McLeod, left, his father, Michael McLeod, right-center, and his brother, Rynder McLeod, right. McLeod committed to join the soccer program at George Mason University.

WHEELING – Wheeling Park’s Tresz McLeod is swapping out Patriots red, white and blue for Patriots gold and green.

McLeod made it official Wednesday in a signing ceremony where the senior soccer star committed to George Mason University to continue his athletic career on the pitch.

Mcleod, Wheeling Park boys soccer’s all-time leading goal scorer with 118, signs on with the George Mason Patriots program after a career with the Wheeling Park Patriots that saw him become one of their most decorated players.

McLeod tallied 39 goals and 18 assists in his senior year, and is a three-time AAA Region 1 Player of the Year, four-time first team all-state member, four-time 5A OVAC champion, two-time 5A OVAC Player of the Year, three-time captain of The Intelligencer’s All-Valley team, and 2023 WV Soccer Coaches Association AAA Player of the Year, among many other accolades.

For McLeod, it all happened in a flash.

“My parents were right- once you get to high school, it does fly by,” he said. “It really did. The journey was something you can’t even explain, really. I’ve had to grind every day, everything that’s happened in my life, I’ve gotten past it and kept playing hard, been a better person, and kept growing.”

McLeod said he also considered Robert Morris and Duquesne, but ultimately settled on the Patriots and their head coach, Rich Costanzo.

“The coach,” McLeod began, when asked his reasons for choosing George Mason. “I just trust the coach a lot, he seems super excited to have me and he was just eager to have me on the team. I’d never seen something like that from a coach. He just seems trustworthy. I love the atmosphere of the campus, the soccer team, everything about it.”

George Mason went 13-4-1 this past season, competing in the D-1 Atlantic 10 Conference.

Celebrating McLeod’s decision were his parents, Raquel and Micahel McLeod, his brother- and soccer teammate- Rynder, along with Patriots head coach Mario Julian, teammates, assistant coaches and friends gathered in the JB Chambers Performing Arts Center at Wheeling Park High School.

“It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was little,” McLeod said of the decision. “Now it’s finally come true. I’ve got to thank my parents because of everything they’ve done for me. They brought me and my brother in when we were super young and they’ve taken care of us since. They just believed in me and now I’m here.”

McLeod said he plans to major in business at George Mason.