Four Columbus High School girls basketball players took the next step in their athletic careers Monday.
Guard Hannah White inked her commitment to Alabama State while teammates Berniya Hardin, Deryona Smith and Jatyler Turner committed to Meridian Community College.
“It feels great that we can all go on a scholarship and be able to go to school for free and all the hard work finally paid off,” White said. “It really feels good.”
White, a 5-foot-8 guard/forward, pointed toward Alabama State’s persistence on the recruiting trail as to what made it stand out.
“They came to every game and they showed so much love and you can tell they really wanted me to be there,” she said. “They were always here supporting, always calling. It just felt like family.”
For Hardin, Smith and Turner, they will continue their basketball journey together.
Sitting alongside one another at the converted scorer’s table, the group laughed and smirked as family members begged for photos of the college-bound contingent.
“It feels good to know that we’ll be able ball on the next level with each other,” Smith said. “I’m just ready to see how it goes.”
At Columbus, the foursome helped the Falcons to a 23-5 record in 2018 and a round of 16 appearance in the Mississippi High School Activities Association 6A playoffs.
Columbus head coach Yvonne Hairston expressed that she will miss the group’s leadership and poise on and off the court but that she’s proud to have played a part in their continued success.
“This is what we do it all for,” Smith said. “We love to win championships and that’s a wonderful thing, but to see them move on and advance into their lives and to say that you were a part of that and know that you’re a part of that, that is the greatest thing ever.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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