Lady Bears Add Four Recruits
7/24/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 12, 1999
WACO, Texas - Four outstanding student-athletes signed national letters of intent to play basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears. Signing on the dotted line were Heather Burrow, Chanelle Fox, Kelly Sords and Jessika Stratton.
Heather Burrow, a 6-0 guard, will spend the next four years attending and playing basketball at Baylor. The 6-0 guard out of Red Oak High School averaged 23 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game as a junior for Neal Raphael. She was named the district's Offensive Player of the Year and ranks No. 21 in the class of 2000 according to the Texas Girls Basketball Report (TGBR).
"Heather is the most athletic and mobile tall guard we've ever signed. She is very quick defensively and can nail the long-range shot," commented Baylor head coach Sonja Hogg.
Also signing with Baylor is guard Chanelle Fox. Fox stands 5-11 and plays at Spring Westfield High School under Susan Smith. The left-hander was a TABC Class 5A all-state selection as a junior after averaging 12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.6 steals. Fox is ranked No. 44 by the TGBR.
According to Hogg, "Chanelle is a very athletic and runs the floor really well. She's a defensive specialist and since we really stress defense, she will fit in well."
Kelly Sords, a 6-3 post out of Austin's Westlake High School, is ranked No. 89 in the nation by the All-Star Girl's Report. Coached by Cathy Self, Sords, the 13th rated player in the state (TGBR), averaged 18.1 points, and 5.7 rebounds last season. Her Westlake team posted a 29-7 record and reached the regional quarterfinals. Sords is a TABC Class 5A all-region pick and has been a starter since her freshman season.
"Kelly is a big, strong inside player. She has great mobility and can shoot from the outside," said Hogg. "She runs the floor really well for a post," she added.
Point guard Jessika Stratton also committed to play for the Lady Bears. The 5-9 Colorado Springs, Colo., native attends Coronado High School and plays for Jamie Risberg. As a junior she averaged 17.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 6.0 assists a game and led the Cougars into the Final Four for the second-straight season. She ranked third in the state in assists and sixth in steals. In addition, she was a Denver Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado selection.
"Jessika is one of the most decorated players to come out of Colorado, she was really highly-recruited," Hogg said. "She's very active in the community and really enjoys working with children. Our players are active in the community, especially schools, so she's a perfect fit for our program," added Hogg.
"As evidenced by their impressive list of credentials, we signed an outstanding group of young women," said Hogg. "This is the most impressive, both in numbers and talent, recruiting class we've had in my six years here. Not only are they impressive on the court, they all have outstanding academic credentials as well. We are proud to welcome the student-athletes and their families to the Baylor family."
