Twins on the football field. Twins on the soccer field. Twins on the lacrosse field.

Three sets of twins entered Catawba College this fall as freshmen. All expect to excel on the athletic field as well as in the classroom. They will room together. They will eat together in the cafeteria. One set even expects to major in the same subject.

Devan and Daine Hedrick

Devan and Daine Hedrick of Lexington chose Catawba because of the football and academic programs. But the fact that the college was close to home played a role in their decision, too.

Their father, Gary, died two years ago of an aortic aneurysm, so they especially wanted their mother, Gayle, to be able to share in their triumphs.

“We wanted our mom to be a part of our college experience,” says Devan.

“She can come down the road and see us play ball,” Daine adds.

Their father helped them get into North Davidson High School their junior year to play football.

“He passed after our first game, so he never got to see us play a home game,” says Daine. “That has brought us a whole lot closer to our mom.”

The Hedrick twins speak with respect about their parents and the way they were reared.

“I believe our parents did a good job bringing us up,” says Devan. “We want to do the right thing.”

They don’t hesitate a moment when they’re asked what is important to them:

“Christ,” says Devan.

“God, family,” says Daine.

“Friends, respect,” adds Devan.

Devan and Daine are fraternal twins. People tell them that Devan looks like his father and Daine looks like his mother.

The youngest of four children, they are so close that they often finish one another’s sentences. They talk about what convinced them to come to Catawba.

“The people here...” Devan begins the thought, and Daine ends it: “...seem like family.”

“We do about everything together,” Devan says. “We hunt and fish and hang out together. We have the same friends.”

They will room together in Woodson Hall.

“We’ve shared the same room all our lives,” says Daine.

“Why change now?” asks Devan.

Devan, the older by three minutes, plans to major in either sports management or psychology. Daine is still undecided.

They know that college is going to require more of them than high school — both on the field and in the classroom.

“It’s going to be a whole different experience from anything we’ve done before,” says Devan. “The community has high expectations for us on the field, so we want to fulfill that.”

“The main thing is to get an education,” says Daine. “We’ve got to keep our grades up. That’s Mom’s big rule right there.”

The Hedricks believe there are distinct advantages to being a twin.

“He’s always got somebody to back him up,” Devan says, “and I’ve got the same.”

Ryan and Ross Hudgins

Ryan and Ross Hudgins came from Poquoson, Va., to study science and play soccer at Catawba. They are the last of five boys born to Tyrone and Gayle Hudgins.

Ryan, who hopes one day to become an orthopedic surgeon, will major in biology/pre-med, and Ross, who hopes to become a pharmacist, will major in chemistry.

“He’ll write the prescriptions, and I’ll fill them,” says Ross.

Like the Hedrick twins, Ryan and Ross didn’t even consider going to different colleges or rooming with anyone but their twin. They liked what they saw when they visited the campus. Besides, they both got academic and athletic scholarships.

“We wanted to be in a small environment where we can have one-on-one contact with our teachers,” Ross says.

Ryan was born 19 minutes before Ross and tends to answer questions posed to both twins. But both are outgoing.

“I’m more of a daredevil,” Ryan says. “I’ll try something before he will.”

Ross, on the other hand, is more conservative, neater and ever so slightly taller — by a half inch. The primary distinctions, however, seem to be the mole on Ryan’s temple and his curlier hair.

But mostly they’re the same, which makes for considerable confusion on campus.

“Our teammates are trying to figure us out,” Ryan says. “Some people do a double take.”

The Hudgins twins agree that family is important. So is service to others. They have worked on building projects for the less fortunate through their church.

They have set their goals for the semester: at least a 3.5 grade-point average and a good season. Whatever their experience, they know they will always have a soulmate in the classroom, on the soccer field and in the dorm room.

“When you have a problem or an experience,” says Ryan, “you always have somebody you can share it with.”

Scott and Doug Smith

Scott and Doug Smith of Fauquier County, Va., not only look alike, with their blond hair and brown eyes. They also have the same interests.

“It’s like having a friend that does everything that you do,” says Scott.

“He’s exactly like you,” Doug adds. “Whatever you like, he likes.”

The youngest of three siblings, they are the identical twins of Donn and Sally Smith. Scott is 2 1/2 minutes older than Doug.

The Smith twins determined early on that they would go to the same college.

“I didn’t want to leave him,” Doug says. “We help each other out and do everything together. We always have. He’ll be a good roommate. I know I can live with him.”

They are both on the lacrosse team, and both will likely major in business. In high school, they were on the golf, wrestling and lacrosse teams. Scott also ran cross country.

They were evenly matched when they were pitted against one another.

“We used to wrestle together, and it was real close,” Scott says. “We could go for hours and not have anything happen.”

So close are they that Scott remembers one night two years ago when he sensed that Doug was in trouble.

“I was driving down the road, and all of a sudden I got this sense. I thought, ‘I hope Doug is going to be careful of the deer out there.’ Then I got home and my mom said Doug had been in an accident with a deer.”

For all their similarities, the Smith twins are also different. Doug points out that he has a mole on his cheek and that Scott is more outgoing.

“He’ll talk forever,” Doug says. “I’m more shy.”

They also dress differently. Scott typically wears T-shirts and jeans, and Doug wears khakis and collared shirts.

“I just love to have fun,” says Scott. “I try to work as hard as I can, but I love having fun and love everybody else having fun.”

He acknowledges that it’s probably going to be harder for him to focus on studies than Doug, but he knows it has to be done. He also wants to do well on the lacrosse team.

Doug hopes to join the golf team as well and improve his game this year.

“I also expect to learn a lot,” he says, “to learn more about responsibility and time management.”

The main thing, they say, is to do their best. Scott says it first.

Doug agrees:

“I know it’s the same thing, but I’d say that, too. In everything I do, even if I don’t like it, I still try to do the best I can.”