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NewsElgin Basketball Standout Commits to Play at MVNUwritten by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
MOUNT
VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's
basketball team landed its top recruit on Tuesday as the Lady
Cougars received a commitment from Katie Keller to join the team
in 2003-2004.
Keller, a 5-foot-6 guard from Prospect, Ohio, has signed a letter of intent to further her education and continue her basketball career at MVNU. As a senior at Elgin High School, she averaged 19.7 points per game. She finished her career as the Lady Comets' all-time scoring leader with 1,384 points, and she also set school records for most points in a season (454), most points in a game (36), and most three-pointers in a game (7). Among Keller's many honors, she has been named to the All-Conference First Team three times, the All-Ohio Honorable Mention Team twice, and the All-Ohio Special Mention Team once. A four-year starter, Keller helped Elgin to the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title three of her four seasons and the 2002 district title with a 23-2 overall record. "I am very pleased that Katie has decided to join our team next season," said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory. "I expect her to come in and compete for playing time at our recently vacated shooting guard spot as well as the point guard position next year. She is an outstanding shooter with good quickness. She can hurt you in a lot of different ways. If you play her loose, she will bust the three. Play her tight and she will take it to the basket or hit a pull-up jumper. She is also a very solid defender who makes plays with her feet and hands. She is a very gifted and intelligent player." "I am excited about the caliber of player we are getting in Katie, but I am equally excited about the type of person she is," Gregory added. "She comes from a great family, and I look forward to helping her succeed on the hardwood and in the classroom and expanding her Christian walk." In addition to her accomplishments on the basketball court, Keller also competed in softball, golf, and track as she has earned a total of 11 varsity letters. She was an All-Conference and All-District First Team selection in softball in 2002 as the Lady Comets won the district title and finished as the region runner-up. In golf, she was the medallist 14 times over a three-year period and qualified for the District Tournament in 2001. She also set the school pole vault record as a freshman as well as the freshman 100-meter hurdle record in her only year in track. She scored in the district finals in four events and was a regional qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles.
"Mount Vernon Nazarene has always been my top choice," said Keller of her decision. "I was very impressed with the small campus atmosphere, the Christian values, and the caring attitudes. I am confident that MVNU will help me grow academically, athletically, and spiritually." MVNU, an NAIA Division II school, finished the 2002-2003 season with a 10-19 overall record. The Lady Cougars, who won the National Christian College Athletic Association national title in 2001, compete in the American Mideast Conference South Division.
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