Wednesday morning began with a signing at the collegiate softball level for McKayla Blackburn of Trenton High School, who was able to garner her fall success in the pitching circle for the Lady Bulldogs into an invitation to join the program at North Central Missouri College, one that, after some thought, Blackburn accepted. After the signing in the THS Commons, Blackburn, who went 18-5 in her senior season with an ERA in the mid 2’s, spoke about her decision with KTTN Sports Director Tom Johnson:
With Wednesday being a major signing day for colleges and universities across the state, more recruiting news was soon to follow.
From the high school basketball hardwood, East Buchanan’s Ethan Kilgore, a dynamic scoring and rebounding dynamo for the Bulldogs, inked with the Division One University of Idaho Vandals. Kilgore, who will open his senior season on Friday, November 22nd when East Buchanan hosts Trenton (Hot Country Z 101.7) at 7:30, chosen Idaho offer another D-1 offer from Columbia University, in addition to seven different offers from D-2 schools. Kilgore has a strong history of success against Trenton, including a 50-point night to open his sophomore season when THS traveled to Gower in November 2017.
At the University of Missouri, men’s coach Cuonzo Martin announced the signing of 7-foot-3 inch Jordan Wilmore of Baltimore, Maryland to the Tigers basketball program. Wilmore, playing last season for Whitehaven High School in Memphis, Tennessee, averaged eight points, three blocks, and 10 rebounds per game, winning the Tennessee District 16 AAA Championship in the process, finishing with a mark of 25-8.
Northwest Missouri State’s mens basketball program announced the addition of three student-athletes to Ben McCollum’s Bearcats, with small forward Daniel Abreu of Willard High School (Springfield, MO), shooting guard Byron Alexander of Staley High School (Kansas City, MO) and shooting guard Spencer Schomers of Creighton Prep (Omaha, NE).
Next door in the Northwest women’s basketball office, excitement was high for Coach Austin Meyer, who inked 5’11” power forward Jillian Fleming of Liberty (MO) High School, 5’9″ guard Molly Harnett of St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, KS) High School, and 5’8″ guard Caely Kesten of Lawrence Free State (Lawrence, KS) High School to National Letters of Intent.
On Thursday afternoon, one of the most highly recruited girls players in the Class of 2020 on the local scene made her collegiate decision, as Green City High School senior Brooke Littrell signed with the MIAA’s Central Missouri Jennies. Littrell’s signing put a climax on a recruiting saga that included a verbal commitment to nearby Truman State University just over one year ago, with Littrell re-opening her decision after Truman State Coach Amy Eagan left the Lady Bulldog program three months ago.
Photo credit – Facebook / Trenton High School / Trenton, MO
