Wallace reels in more signees

By Buster Wolfe | Selma Times-Journal

Published Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Wallace Community College-Selma made big strides in its recruiting Monday by signing seven recruits, four in basketball and three in volleyball.

The Lady Patriots signed three basketball guards — Jamia Whiting of Sidney Lanier-Montgomery, Crystal Turk of Selma and Tristiana Mays of Jefferson Davis-Montgomery — and 6-foot-1 forward/center Jasmine Miller of Jefferson Davis–Montgomery.

Southside’s Regina Bartholomew was an early Wallace-Selma signee. She averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals per game.

On the volleyball side, two Selma players — Andreka Trone and Shanetta Craig — will join Britanna Dupree of Robert E. Lee-Montgomery.

Mays, whose nickname is “Tree,” said she likes the defensive end of the basketball court. She said she averaged two or three steals per game.

“I wish basketball could be like football,” she said, with an offensive team and a defensive team. “If I could just play defense, I would.”

Whiting said she thought she would fit into the Lady Patriots under first-year Coach April Harper. She also excelled in defense, winning Lanier’s awards as most improved player (sophomore and junior), defensive player (junior and senior), academic award (junior and senior) and coach’s choice award (senior).

Whiting played four sports in high school, with basketball, softball, track and field. “The sport that I was most successful in was basketball,” she said.

She was the student of the year as a junior and senior. She also was nominated for the Wendy’s Heisman Award, the student athlete citizenship award, the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship and the Jimmy Hitchcock Award.

Turk was a point guard at Selma, having played basketball since the seventh grade. Her awards include Defensive Award, Bulldog Award, Miss Basketball Award and Sixth Man Award.

WCCS assistant coach Herman Turner said he was not concerned about the abundance of guards so far.

“Even though most of them in high school played guard, with their athleticism they can play the No. 3 and No. 4 positions,” Turner said. “And they’ve got speed, pretty good speed. They also are very good academically.”

Harper said she believes the volleyball team is shaping up well with the newest signees.

“I think we’re looking good right now,” she said. “We are certainly filling up with the few scholarships we have remaining. We have a lot of good players coming back.”

Craig and Trone were players under Coach Harper at Selma High. Craig, who will be a sophomore, started with Harper in the eighth grade. She is the daughter of Williams and Oretta Craig.

Trone is the daughter of the late Vivian Trone. She said she “hoped to learn a lot and have a successful year.”

Dupree said she plans to study pre-med or criminal justice at Wallace-Selma. She was a setter for Lee-Montgomery.

“I think this looks like a good opportunity for me,” she said about the Lady Patriots volleyball team.

WCCS will hold its last scheduled tryouts for women’s basketball and volleyball hopefuls Saturday. Volleyball tryouts will be from 8-11 a.m., followed by basketball tryouts from 1-4 p.m.

Anyone who wants to try out can contact Coach Harper or Coach Turner in advance at 876-9630 or 876-9346 for more information.

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