By Katherine Gholson
Jumping into a school with more than 30,000 day-time students can be a bit overwhelming, but the four freshmen on the BYU women”s basketball team will need to step up their game in order for the team to reach their goal of winning the Mountain West Conference championship.
“Each of these women are basketball junkees, they just want to play,” said head coach Jeff Judkins.
With some of the top players from last year”s squad gone, the freshmen will need to come to each game ready to play.
Mary Martha Abell, Mallory Gillespie, Lauren Riley and Summer Sykes all came to BYU this summer hoping the team would help them make the college life transition and keep up with the level of play. Each of them said they found exactly what they were looking for.
“The support system here is amazing. I came here looking for a coaching staff and upper classmen that support me and it has just been wonderful,” Abell said.
Abell traveled the farthest of all the freshmen, coming from Monroe, La., where she was named All-State three times.
Abell has already received recognition in college. In the preseason polls, Abell was named the preseason MWC”s Top Newcomer of the year.
“Mary is a very versatile player; we”ve never had a forward that can do some things that she can,” Judkins said.
Louisiana Tech, Vanderbilt, Tulane and Texas A&M also wanted Abell. Now that she is here, Abell said she knows she made the right decision.
“I chose BYU because you can play basketball yet maintain an academic and spiritual environment at the same time,” Abell said. “You don”t have to compromise.”
As a freshman, Abell said she hopes to bring something to the table that can help contribute to the team unity.
A little bit closer to home is Gillespie. From Vineyard, Utah, Gillespie comes from an athletic family. Of her four brothers, one is on the BYU football team and another plays baseball for UVSC.
In 2004, Gillespie was named Utah”s Gatorade Player of the Year, along with being the Deseret News” Ms. Basketball and made her collegiate debut by helping her team win the shoot-around at the Cougar Tipoff.
“So far the experience has been great,” Gillespie said. “It is everything I have always hoped for and dream of.”
Vanderbilt, Pepperdine and San Diego State were also looking at Gillespie, but she said she wanted to come to BYU because there is a great coaching staff and the team is amazing.
“She can do so many things well; she can feed the post and put the ball on the floor,” Judkins said.
Judkins also said she reminds him a lot of Erin Thorn, former starting guard at BYU and now a WNBA player with the New York Liberty.
“I just want to be able to support the team any way I can,” Gillespie said. “Whether it be being a cheerleader or playing, I just want to play my role.”
Riley comes to BYU from San Clementa, Calif.
In 2004, Riley was named All-South Coast League first team, as well as being a nominee for the McDonald”s All-American team.
Riley debated whether to even play basketball in college. Because of two lower broke bones in her leg late in her junior year, when looking at schools, she looked more at academics than basketball.
“One day I just woke up and decided, I”m going to play at BYU,” Riley said.
Her decision came early in the year and, therefore, she committed to BYU earlier then most players.
This year Riley said she hopes to shadow Danielle Cheesman (starting forward) and maybe help her. She also said she is trying to learn everything she needs to learn, rebound and do what is needed of her.
Sykes moved here from Winlock, Wash. In her high school, she was voted the most outstanding female athlete for 2003-2004 and was named MVP in her league.
“There is no doubt in my mind that I am supposed to be here,” Sykes said.
Sykes, like Abell and Gillespie, said she visited five other schools. But said she is just grateful to be at BYU.
This season Sykes hopes to help the team in winning the MWC. She said she has made a goal to listen, exert herself and be productive.
“Whether on the floor, bench or wherever, I just want to be there for my team on and off the court,” Sykes said.
Judkins said these women are hard workers and are dedicated to the team. That”s why he recruited them.
For each of these girls, he said, if you tell them something they will take it seriously and incorporate it into their game.
“I”m excited about our future,” Judkins said.
