Erin Garner, a Hamilton resident and a student at Trenton Catholic Academy, signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Georgia Tech University.
HAMILTON — Erin Garner, a Hamilton resident and a student at Trenton Catholic Academy, signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Georgia Tech University.
Erin, a 6-foot-3 member of the Lady Mikes 2013 Non-Public B State Champions, will join the school next year, which is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
According to a school press release, Erin was recruited by such high-profile programs as Syracuse and Lousiville, but ultimately fell in love with the program at Georgia Tech.
”After meeting the coach and some of the other players, they made me feel right at home,” she said.
Her father, Urian Garner, who has served as her Amateur Athletic Union coach for many years, also believes the program will be a good fit.
”All of the schools she considered had great academic programs,” Mr. Garner said. “Pro women basketball players don’t necessarily make a lot of money, but you can make a great career with the right education.”
While some may point to the advantages created by her height, she pointed to her other basketball skills.
”My strength is running the floor, getting tough scores and playing shutdown defense,” she said.
Erin joins three other players from the 2013 Lady Mikes championship team who have signed on to play at Division I colleges, the release stated.
As the only senior on the team this year, she is ready to assume a leadship role, particularly to the underclassmen.
”I’ve been playing basketball since I was 4 years old, and understand the responsibility of being a team player and taking on challenges,” she said. “TCA always has high expectations of their players and teams.”
Teammate Jamayrah Moore is thrilled for Erin, affectionately called “Ewok” by her peers.
”You can’t find a sweeter person off the court, or a tougher competitor on the court,” Jamayrah said. “Erin is a role model for the rest of the girls, and we plan on having a great sendoff season with her.”