The high school girls basketball season is set to begin next week acros the state, and on Wednesday some of the top players from around Western Wisconsin were already looking to the future signing their National Letters of Intent to play at the next level.
It's easy to stand out when your six-foot-six, but Mondovi's Anna Cole has game to go with all that size. The Buffaloes big threat down low is heading to bluegrass country to play college hoops at the University of Kentucky. Anna averaged 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a junior, and next year, she'll be playing Division 1 basketball in the Southeastern Conference. Anna Cole: "I took a trip down to Lexington, and it's a great town, and playing in the S-E-C is something I couldn't pass up."
Anna played A-A-U ball with a pair of signees at Osseo-Fairchild. Laura Peterson will suit up for Division 2 University of Mary in North Dakota, while her teammate Kate Wrobel heads to Minnesota State-Moorhead. Both schools are in the Northern Sun conference, which means these long-time friends will be foes twice a season. Says Laura, "It's going to be intense, but we've played against each other before. We'll be against each other on the floor, and friends off of it." Kate agrees, "It's great having her signing with me, she's someone I can rely on and she'll be there for me."
Joining them in the Northern Sun is Colfax standout Courtney Doucette, as she signs with Division 2 Minnesota-Duluth. Last season, Courtney proved she could hit the big shot, shooting 39 percent from three-point land, as the Vikings advanced to the WIAA state tournament. Courtney says, "It's feels good getting it out of the way knowing I'm going to Duluth. They are good inside, and I'm a shooter, so
that's where I'll fit in."
The other big signing of the day, Eau Claire North's Sam Priace makes it official, she'll play her college ball at Kent State University. Ohio's a long way from Wisconsin, and Sam humored her new coaches by giving them a cheesehead, in return, of course for some Kent State swag. Says Price, "Personally, I'm not a Packers fan so I'll wear the Kent State stuff. I've been about it for a long time and now I can focus on playing for the Huskies."