Scoring the Perfect Send-Off: Softball Players Who Missed Graduation for Championship Game Receive Special Ceremony
This article appears in the Fall 2026 issue of the Dominican Magazine.
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Dominican University senior softball players Ryley Davis ’26 and Paytin Salfi ’26 had a tough choice as graduation day dawned: walk across the commencement stage or help their team win the Division III Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference championship.
They decided to take the field.
To ensure they still received the college-ending moment they deserved, DU staff organized a special graduation ceremony just for the two of them on May 11.
Dressed in their regalia, the graduates were joined on campus by family, friends, faculty, staff and teammates for the ceremony, which featured speakers and songs—a mini version of the previous day’s commencement. This gave Ryley and Paytin the opportunity to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas—and experience Dominican’s motto of Caritas in action.
“When we got there and saw what was put on, it brought me to tears,” Paytin said. “It was so beautiful and so special and personalized for Ryley and me. It was an honor to have all those people show up for us.”
Cristina Lukas, head softball coach and assistant director of athletics, called the ceremony the “coolest event” she had ever attended in the 20 years she has been with Dominican.
“I was completely overwhelmed by the way this campus showed up for these two student-athletes,” she said. “I was actually in tears because of the gratitude I was feeling.”
Lukas said faculty and staff from across the university had inquired how they could take part in the special ceremony and support the student-athletes.
“It’s things like this that makes Dominican a special place,” she noted. “People truly care about the students.”
That same week after receiving their diplomas, Ryley and Paytin were back on the field as the team advanced to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's national tournament in Iowa. Though the Stars were eliminated in the ensuing games, they still ended their season as Division III NACC conference champions—and with the kind of college memories that will last a lifetime.
