Seahawks Griffin, Deane ink D1 letters
A few hours before the start of her senior season, Cape High girls’ basketball standout Alexiss Griffin put one concern to rest.
Griffin signed a Division I basketball scholarship with Kennesaw State University in a ceremony Monday at Cape High. Her Seahawks tipped off the regular season Monday evening against Fort Myers.
“I can’t believe it’s my senior year already,” said Griffin, a 5-foot-9 guard/forward. “It’s gone by so fast.”
Griffin was one of two Cape seniors to sign an athletic scholarship Monday. Renee Deane will continue her education and tennis career at Mount St. Mary’s University, a private, Division I school located in Maryland.
Deane, who went undefeated at No. 1 singles during the regular-season as a junior, also can concentrate more on her senior tennis season in the spring.
“It’s in an awesome location,” Deane said of the campus, “and they have a great academic program. I met with the team and they were all really helpful and nice.”
Despite playing tennis since she was 12, Deane said she didn’t think a college scholarship was a possibility until her junior year.
She continued to improve through her freshman and sophomore seasons, and then as a junior became the Seahawks’ No. 1 player and team captain, competing against the area’s best opposition.
As a member of the Seahawks, Deane has been coached by Betty Henderson and was coached by her husband, Bill Henderson, in middle school.
“She’s not only a great athlete but a great scholar and true leader,” Betty Henderson said.
Griffin is in her fourth season playing basketball for the Seahawks. Versatility is one of her main strengths, along with her ability to score points. She averaged 17 points per game last season.
At 5-9, Griffin can play on the perimeter, on the low block or as a slasher.
“If her shot isn’t there she will take it to the basket,” Seahawks coach Olivia Myers said. “We’ve depended on her scoring and leadership a lot. She’s brought a lot to the team.”
Griffin decided on Kennesaw State, located near Atlanta, over Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville University and USC-Aiken.
Kennesaw State plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference, which also includes Florida Gulf Coast University.