Tabor women?s basketball adds 12 athletes

The Tabor College women?s basketball team has signed 12 new athletes in anticipation of the 2015-16 season.

?We are really excited about our recruiting class,? coach Shawn Reed said. ?This is a very talented and skilled class, but we are equally enthusiastic about the quality of students and character that will be joining our program.?

Five transfers and seven freshmen join the Bluejays this fall, leaving Reed hopeful for the coming season.

?One of the most thrilling parts of this class is how many of these players have contributed to successful championship programs,? Reed said. ?We feel that experience will pay large dividends for our team.?

New players

Nicole Decker is a 5-foot, 10-inch guard/forward transfer from Lake Michigan College.

Decker was a contributor to a team that finished 24-10 overall, won the NJCAA District G Championship and qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.

During her sophomore season, Decker turned in per-game averages of 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. She shot 38 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free-throw line.

She was a third-team All-Western Conference selection and named to the President?s List for her academic achievements.

?It is very exciting to have Nicole join our program,? Reed said. ?She was a starter for a very successful program that qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament this past season, and we are excited to add a player with her talent and character to our team. Nicole can play both the small forward and power forward positions. She is a skilled shooter.?

Morgan Ediger, a 5-9 guard from Cimarron High School, helped guide the Bluejays to a 25-1 overall record and Class 3-A runner-up finish a year ago.

During her senior campaign, Ediger averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. She shot 44 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free-throw line.

Ediger scored 1,414 points in four years at Cimarron, during which time the Bluejays went 88-8.

Her honors include being named Miss Basketball for the state of Kansas by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. She was a selection for the 2015 KBCA All-Star Game and a second-team All-State All-Class selection by both the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital-Journal. She received first-team Class 3-A recognition from the Wichita Eagle, Topeka Capital-Journal and the KBCA.

Ediger was a first-team all-area pick by the Garden City Telegram, Dodge City Globe and Hutchinson News and named Player of the Year by the Garden City Telegram. She earned first-team recognition in the Hi-Plains League.

?We are thrilled to add a player of Morgan?s talent and character to our program,? Reed said. ?She is a very talented player and brings excellent perimeter skills and abilities to our team. Obviously, for us to have the player named ?Miss Basketball? in the state of Kansas join our team is a special honor, but we were excited about Morgan long before she received any of these awards and accolades.

?Above all of her achievements, Morgan is a great person and teammate. We are blessed to have her join our program, and I look forward to working with her during her career at Tabor.?

Jurnee Reid is a 5-9 guard/forward transfer from Butler Community College. Reid was a starter on last year?s 24-7 NJCAA Division I nationally ranked team. During her sophomore season, Reid turned in per-game averages of 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She shot 42 percent from the field, including 35 percent from behind the three-point arc, and converted 74 percent of her free-throws. Reid?s honors from her high school career at Wichita Heights include second-team, all-state recognition from the Topeka Capital-Journal; honorable mention all-state honors from the Wichita Eagle; first-team All City League recognition, and a member of the Dean?s Honor Roll.

?Jurnee is a fantastic addition to our team,? Reed said. ?She is a skilled forward that can score in a variety of ways, and she is an instinctive rebounder. Jurnee has been a key part of some very strong teams and we believe that experience will benefit her and our program during her career at Tabor.?

Taylor Mires is a 5-11 forward out of Cashion High School (Okla.). Mires helped lead her squad to a 25-4 record and Class 2A state tournament berth. Last year, Mires turned in per-game averages of 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. She was a three-year all-conference selection, a Class 2A All-Star, and a three-year Agra All-Tournament selection.

?We are very excited that Taylor is joining our program,? Reed said. ?She played for a very successful program at Cashion. Her experience at Cashion, coupled with her inside post presence, skills and work ethic, will serve her well as she joins our program at Tabor. We are blessed to have her join our program, and I look forward to working with her during her career.?

Kristyn Wedel, a 5-11 forward, comes to Tabor from Remington High School. Wedel helped lead the Broncos to a 19-5 overall record and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament. Her senior year, Wedel averaged 11.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game. She earned honorable mention 3A All-Class honors from the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital-Journal. She was a first-team, all-league recipient and was named to the all-academic team at the Marion tournament.

?Kristyn is a strong basketball player and a wonderful addition to our team,? Reed said. ?She has been a part of a very successful team at Remington and brings strong interior skills and abilities to our program. We are excited to have her join our program and I look forward to coaching her at Tabor.?

Tristen Leiszler is a 5-7 guard from Concordia High School. Concordia finished fourth in the Class 4A Division II state tournament and posted a 14-9 overall record. During her senior campaign, Leiszler recorded these per-game averages: 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. She shot 38 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free-throw line. Leiszler received first team, Class 4A-II honors from the Wichita Eagle and the KBCA. She was a third-team selection by the Topeka Capital-Journal and was a first-team All-North Central Kansas League recipient.

?We are very excited that Tristen is joining our program,? Reed said. ?She is a very talented and competitive player. She brings excellent perimeter skills and abilities to our team. Tristen has the ability to play a variety of guard positions but we believe she will be a terrific wing player in our system. We are blessed to have her join our program, and I believe she will be a great player at Tabor.?

Taylor Deniston is a 5-4 guard from Holcomb High School. The Longhorns were 11-10 last season, and Deniston averaged 18.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game. She shot 48 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free-throw line.

Deniston was a first-team, Class 4A-II All-State KBCA selection and played in the 2015 KBCA All-Star game. She earned first-team, All-State recognition from the Wichita Eagle; was named a second-team, all-area pick by the Hutchinson News; was a second-team, all-state selection by the Topeka Capital-Journal; and was a member of the all-GWAC first team.

?Taylor is a fantastic basketball player and a terrific addition to our team,? Reed said. ?She is a competitive, tough and talented player. She brings strong point guard skills and abilities to our program. We are blessed to have her join our program, and I look forward to working with her and watching her impact our program at Tabor.?

Shaletha Clark is a 5-9 forward who transferred to Tabor from Seminole State College. The Belles were 14-13 last year, during which Clark recorded per-game averages of 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

?Shaletha is a very good addition to our team,? Reed said. ?Shaletha is very skilled with the ball and can score in a variety of ways. She is a strong rebounder and can defend both on the block and the drive. We are very pleased she is becoming a Bluejay, and we look forward to having her on our team.?

Megan Galusha is a 5-5 guard from Chisholm High School. Galusha helped guide the Longhorns to a second-place finish at the Class 3A state tournament with an overall record of 25-6. She averaged 16.2 points per game a year ago. Her honors include: OGBCA All-State, 3A All-State, Northwest All-Star, 3A State All-Tournament team, 89er All League, Wheat Capital All-Tournament team, and KOFM All-Tournament team.

?Megan is a very strong addition to our program,? Reed said. ?She is a very talented and competitive guard. She brings excellent experience and skill to our team. We are very excited she is joining our program, and I look forward to working with her and watching her grow during her career at Tabor.?

Maggie Ramirez is a 5-6 guard who comes to Tabor from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She was named Best Defensive Player at St. James High School (Minn.) in 2012. In addition to joining the basketball team, Ramirez is running cross country at Tabor.

?We are very happy that Maggie is joining our program,? Reed said. ?She really missed basketball during her time at UW-La Crosse and wanted to get back on the court. Maggie is a tireless worker and we are so glad that she is joining our program.?

Makayla Jacobs is a 5-10 forward from Ozark High School. Ozark went 10-7 last year. Jacobs also played AAU basketball with the Missouri Elite.

?It is a joy to have Makayla join our program,? Reed said. ?She is a tireless worker, defender and rebounder. Makayla is a passionate person and will be a terrific fit to our team both on and off the court. We are excited to watch her grow and positively contribute to our program with her tireless work ethic and energy.?

Destiny Climpson is a 5-5 guard who transferred to Tabor from Kilgore College. During her freshman season, Climpson averaged 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 32 percent from the field and 65 percent from the free-throw line.

A graduate of Union High School, Climpson turned in per-game averages of 9.8 points and 1.5 assists per game her senior year. She shot 32 percent from the field and helped the Redskins advance to the regional final and finish with an overall record of 15-10. Climpson was named an Outstanding Player at Union High School, as well as conference MVP. She was named to the Putnam City All-Tournament team.

?It is a great to have Destiny join our program,? Reed said. ?Destiny is a skilled guard that has deep range. She is also skilled with the basketball and can create opportunities for her teammates. We are excited she is becoming a Bluejay.?

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