 |
 Head Coach Karen Middleton inked four players in her first signing class. |
 |
Nov. 13, 2009
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina Head Women's Basketball Coach Karen Middleton announced the signing of her first class, at the helm of the Catamount women's program. Melanie Stewart (Franklin High School, Franklin, NC), Shauna Terry (Southern Vance High School, Henderson, NC), Rena Wakama (Wake Forest Rolesville High School, Wake Forest, NC) and Kristen Lyon (Jordan High School, Durham, NC) have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Catamounts in 2010-11 - with all hailing from the state of North Carolina.
"I'm extremely excited about the four very special young ladies who will join our program today," Middleton said. "Kristen, Melanie, Shauna and Rena are solid students, great people, and have the same drive and motivation as our current team. They want to compete and win Championships as Catamounts. All four have the ability to make a significant difference for our team on the court. The future is very bright in Cullowhee."
Stewart is a 6-5 forward/center who has a prolific shot blocking ability. In her junior campaign, at Franklin High School, she averaged nearly three blocks a contest.
"Melanie is a 6-5 center who has great hands and runs the floor well," Middleton said. "This summer, Mel took her game to another level. She can score going left or right, and her best year's are ahead of her."
Terry is a 6-1 forward who is an all around athlete. She excels not only in basketball but volleyball and track and field, and was a North Carolina 2-A All-Conference Honorable Mention selection as a junior in the 2008-09 season. In the 2009 volleyball season, Terry led her volleyball team with 595 kills - which ranked her 3rd in the state for kills during the 2009 season, as recorded by MaxPreps.
"Shauna is an extremely athletic post player," Middleton said. "She can jump out of the gym and score in a variety of ways. Shauna is a game changer that will continue to grow in our system due to her versatility and scoring ability."
|
|
 |
"Rena is an intelligent point guard who can score any number of ways," Middleton said. "She has a high basketball IQ, loves to run in transition and is extremely aggressive defensively. She is a competitor that will make everyone around her better."
Lyon is listed as a 5-10 guard who can do it all. As a junior at Jordan, she led the PAC-6 Conference in assists and was second in scoring. She recorded 11 double-doubles and had season highs of 25 points and 17 rebounds.
"Kristen is an athletic and versatile guard," Middleton said. "She is able to handle the ball in transition, post up in the paint, or step out and hit the three. Kristen is a student of the game and works extremely hard to improve each day. She is a true competitor on the court and in the classroom."
"We are very proud of these four young women and are ecstatic that they are officially members of the Catamount family," Middleton added. "I know each will develop and become leaders and role models within our community."
