When Nansemond-Suffolk Academy senior Keith Cooper started playing varsity golf, he knew he wanted to keep doing it beyond high school. Now he will, after committing to play for and attend Virginia Wesleyan College.

“It was very easy,” Cooper said of the selection process. “I had Virginia Wesleyan on my radar from the start when (Saints coach) Katie (Murphy) told me that the coach was interested, and I got to know the coach.”

The head golf coach at Wesleyan is Bryan Hearn, and Cooper said, “He offered me a spot on the team, and he said it was always open.”

Because Wesleyan is a Division III school, it cannot offer athletic scholarships, making a commitment a little more informal.

After applying to the school, Cooper got his acceptance letter.

“I told Bryan that I got in, and he asked me if I was committed then, and I said, ‘Yes.’”

Cooper said Hearn and the closeness of the school to home were the chief factors in his decision.

Reflecting on the significance of being offered a spot on a college team, Cooper said, “It means a lot,” because, as he later added, Hearn is “putting trust in me and my golf game, giving me the opportunity.”

Cooper’s mother, Barbara Cooper, spoke for herself and her husband when she said, “We are so excited. We are so proud of him.”

She said their son showed complete initiative in choosing the school, and they liked the idea of him attending a small school, a sentiment Katie Murphy echoed.

“It’s very exciting for him,” Murphy said. “He’s staying local. I think it’s a good fit for him personality-wise. He comes from a small school.”

Murphy expects Cooper to be a strong contributor to the Marlins, just as he has been with the Saints. She described him as the type of player whose performance you do not have to worry about from match to match.

“You don’t have to wonder how much commitment they have to their game, whether or not they’re going to be a good player,” Murphy said. “They’re just steady, and I think that’s a good adjective for Keith.”

He has been an all-state selection in each of his high school years and has helped Nansemond-Suffolk bring home two state championships.

“I think he will be an asset, not only to the golf program, but to those around him,” Murphy said, noting Cooper’s thoughtfulness in helping his teammates and love for being a team player. “I think they’re truly getting a class act of a young man added to their program.”

Cooper said his top priority in his college search was finding a good academic school. He plans to major in business.