PARKERSBURG -Choosing which college to attend can be an agonizing decision for high school seniors.
Especially for athletes such as Parkersburg High School's Kennedy Walker, who had several basketball programs seeking her services.
But Walker's choice came swiftly and decisively.
The minute she stepped on the campus of Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, she said to herself, "This is it.''
Walker made that decision final in a Friday night ceremony at Memorial Fieldhouse attended by teammates, friends and family members.
Sitting in between her mother, Michele Walker, and stepfather Hugh Byers, Walker signed her offer from Lake Erie.
Walker is an imposing figure with her 6-foot-4 frame. But she isn't your typical post player who plants themself in the lane. Rather, she is one of the best outside shooters on the Big Reds roster.
"I've known Kennedy since she was in the fourth grade,'' said PHS head coach Kenny DeMoss. "I've watched her develop her game over the past eight years. She's always had ability and she takes ownership of her ability.''
The impressive thing about Walker's game, said her coach, is her ability to run the floor. While some post players are the last to arrive at the offensive end, Walker has speed. Plus, she can shoot from outside. Last year, on shots in the range of 10 to 15 feet, she made 50 percent.
It's not just Walker's ability that stands out. She's also an intense competitor who works hard every day to improve her game, and thus her team. That's why she will serve as one of Parkersburg's captains this season.
"She sets the tone in practice,'' said DeMoss.
Walker praises DeMoss and his staff for developing her self-confidence.
Walker got some necessary exposure to college coaches through her play with the Mid-Ohio Valley Xtreme, an AAU-team coached by Glenn Dawson. She noted four of the six seniors on that team already have signed college offers.
While Walker is excited over the prospect of playing college basketball, her immediate focus will be on her senior season at PHS.
"We want to make it to the state tournament this year,'' she said. "It's been a long time since Parkersburg has been there. We would love to win a state championship.''
Walker is quite popular with her PHS teammates. And she already has bonded with some of her future teammates at Lake Erie. During her visit, she was pleased with how well she "fit in,'' adding to her comfort zone there.
