Monique McLean never thought she’d like New York City enough to spend four years there. That was before her early fall basketball recruiting trip to St. John’s University.
On Friday, the Bruton High School senior will sign an early letter of intent with the Red Storm. She’s the first Panther to land a Division I scholarship in a major sport since quarterback Bryan Randall signed with Virginia Tech after the 2000-01 school year.
“I fell in love with everything when I went up there for my visit,” McLean said Wednesday.
“I liked everything about it: the city, the school, the coaches, the players on the team, the shopping, the partying. It’s a great atmosphere up there. I think Williamsburg is maybe way too small for me.”
McLean chose the Big East school over Temple, Miami, N.C. State, William and Mary, James Madison, West Virginia and Old Dominion. Reluctant at first to even take a recruiting visit to New York, she’s glad she did.
“It never occurred to me that St. John’s would be the place for me,” she said. “But the coaches were nice on the phone and then when I met them in person. I guess it’s a surprise that I’m going there, but it didn’t surprise me that I’d like the city as much as I do. There’s just so much going on up there.”
McLean led Bruton to last year’s Group AA state championship game.
She was all-Bay Rivers District and all-Region I after her sophomore year and all-district, all-region I and all-state last year.
She averaged 15 points and nine rebounds as a sophomore and 20.7 points and 9.6 rebounds as a junior.
* Tabb guard Justin Melton has accepted a basketball scholarship to Mount Olive (N.C.) College, a Division II school in the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference. The 5-foot-10 guard was first-team All-Bay Rivers and Region I and second-team Daily Press all-star last year. Melton averaged 18 points a game as a junior.
* Jamestown’s girls’ basketball team will play three or perhaps four games in Naples, Fla., from Dec. 30-Jan. 3. The Eagles made a similar post-Christmas trip into Tennessee last season, a trip coach Jason Asbell credited with making his team better. Jamestown finished 26-3, losing to Fort Defiance in the Group AA state quarterfinals.
CROSS-COUNTRY
Girls teams from Jamestown, Lafayette and Bruton and boys teams from Tabb, Grafton and Jamestown will run in Saturday’s Group AA state cross country meet at Great Meadow in The Plains. The girls race is at 1, the boys at 1:45.
In addition, six runners from Bay Rivers District teams that didn’t qualify will run as individuals: Tom Williams of York, Jeff Gibson of New Kent, Jason Burleson of Poquoson and Roger Moore of Bruton, plus Kaylee Cossaboon of New Kent and Karen Terry of Smithfield.
Tabb, Grafton and Jamestown were 1-2-4 in the Region I boys meet, and Jamestown, Lafayette and Bruton were 1-3-4 in the Region I girls’ meet.
Mallory McClaine of Lafayette won the girls title, and Benjamin Mulherin of Tabb was second in the boys race.
FIELD HOCKEY
Lafayette’s Kellie Jenkins was shut out but not ignored in Tuesday night’s Group AA state quarterfinal field hockey game against Courtland.The Rams’ 3-0 loss ended their season at 20-3 and closed Jenkins’ career that included last year’s state championship.
“We didn’t assign anybody to her, but we knew where she was,” Courtland coach Amy Anderson said of Jenkins. “We’ve played against her in the past, and we’ve seen her play, so we know how good she is. But she tends to get angry and down on herself when things don’t go well. We saw a little of that (Tuesday night).”
INTERESTING STATISTICS
Jamestown’s Terrell White has caught only 23 passes from Randy Suders, but 11 have been for touchdowns. … Thirteen Poquoson runners have needed 430 carries to match the 2,150 yards Josh Zidenberg had in 230 carries at this point last season. … Chris Rojas of Bruton and Darrieus Ramsey of Grafton are the only Bay Rivers runners capable of joining Travis Lee (already at 1,148 yards) and George Pittman (1,240) as 1,000-yard rushers. Rojas needs 134 yards against New Kent and Ramsey needs 27 against Poquoson. … With one game remaining, only three BRD receivers will finish the regular season with at least 500 yards: Terrell White of Jamestown (currently at 688), Dakari Taylor-Watson of Lafayette (550) and Brandon Garlow of Grafton (534). *
