Metro State College announces Andrus signing

Metro State College of Denver, Colorado sent a press release about their three new basketball players including Sky View’s very own, Amy Andrus. They had a few nice things to say about Andrus that would be fun to share with you.

Andrus is a 5-foot-11 forward from Richmond, Utah, and just finished an impressive senior season at Sky View High School. As a senior this past winter, she average 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.1 blocks and was named Salt Lake Tribune first team all-state, Region V Most Valuable Player and Herald Journal Player of the Year as she led the Bobcats to the state tournament for the fourth time in her four years as a starter. In her career, she totaled 1,252 points and 987 rebounds and was named all-state four years. An excellent all-around athlete, Andrus was also a two-time honorable mention all-state volleyball player and a four-year letterwinner in track and field.

“Amy is a skilled forward who will bring size and athleticism to our team,” Cline said. “Her high school team was very successful. Amy has knack for getting to the basket and scoring. She gives us another scoring option and she will bring more toughness to our team. Amy could have gone to a lot of different schools in the country and we are very excited that she chose Metro State.”

Metro State Announces 2010-11 Women’s Basketball Recruits

by Andy Schlichting — Sports Information Director, Metro State College

DENVER, Colo. — Metro State women’s basketball interim head coach Tyler Cline announced the addition of three players for the 2010-11 recruiting class, bringing the total to six newcomers for next season. Freshmen Amy Andrus (Richmond, Utah) and Chelsea Libonati (Aurora, Colo.) and transfer Tawny Drexler (Golden, Colo./University of San Francisco) join Autumn Chase (Broomfield, Colo.), Sullivan Ziegler (Denver, Colo.) and Kat Powdrell (Albuquerque, N.M./Western Texas College), who all signed in November during the early signing period.

Andrus is a 5-foot-11 forward from Richmond, Utah, and just finished an impressive senior season at Sky View High School. As a senior this past winter, she average 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.1 blocks and was named Salt Lake Tribune first team all-state, Region V Most Valuable Player and Herald Journal Player of the Year as she led the Bobcats to the state tournament for the fourth time in her four years as a starter. In her career, she totaled 1,252 points and 987 rebounds and was named all-state four years. An excellent all-around athlete, Andrus was also a two-time honorable mention all-state volleyball player and a four-year letterwinner in track and field.

“Amy is a skilled forward who will bring size and athleticism to our team,” Cline said. “Her high school team was very successful. Amy has knack for getting to the basket and scoring. She gives us another scoring option and she will bring more toughness to our team. Amy could have gone to a lot of different schools in the country and we are very excited that she chose Metro State.”

Libonati, a 6-foot-3 center from Aurora, Colo., is one of the most heralded recruits in school history, as she is ranked 48th-best post player nationally by ESPN’s Hoop Gurlz. As a senior at Cherokee Trail High School, she averaged 12.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 27 games, while shooting 62 percent from the floor and 71 percent from the line. She also earned honorable mention all-state honors and was a first team All-State Colorado Coaches Girls Sports honoree. Libonati was a three-year letterwinner and was twice named first team all-conference.

“Chelsea gives us the much needed size we need. She is a long and tall post player who will definitely give us a better inside presence. She will give us an option on offense and help us defend the paint on defense. We are really looking for her to come in and play right away.”

Drexler will have one year of eligibility remaining as she transfers in from the University of San Francisco. As a junior, the 6-foot center saw limited action and averaged 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 points, appearing in 28 of the team’s 32 games. She spent one year at USF after joining the Dons from Western Nebraska Community College, where she averaged 10 points and seven rebounds as a sophomore, earning all-region honors. A 2007 graduate of Golden High School in Golden, Colo., she was named first team all-state in basketball and second team all-state in softball, averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“Tawny is a skilled and crafty post player that will make an immediate impact for us on offense and on defense. Having Division I experience is huge at this level. She also played for one of the top junior college programs in the country. She is a strong and physical post player. Tawny’s work ethic is second to none and she will be able provide us with some leadership and set a great example for our younger players.”

“I am very excited to add these three players to our other three signees. With the addition of Sullivan, Autumn, Katarina, Amy, Chelsea, and Tawny to our returning six players, we are primed to make a run at a conference championship and an NCAA tournament berth. The future for Metro State looks very bright.”

Chase is a 5-foot-9 guard from Broomfield, Colo., where she led BHS its fourth straight state tournament championship, despite missing half of the season with an injury. She recovered to average seven points and two rebounds after the injury.

Ziegler is a 5-foot-5 guard from Denver, Colo., and was a McDonald’s All-America nominee this past season for Heritage High School. She averaged nine points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals as a senior.

Powdrell is a 5-foot-11 forward from Albuquerque, N.M. She will join the Roadrunners after two years at Western Texas College. She averaged 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 points as a sophomore after posting averages of 6.4 points and 7.1 rebounds as a freshman.

Metro State is coming off a 17-12 season, including an 11-8 finish in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, despite starting three freshmen. Head coach Linda Lappe resigned in mid-April to accept the head coaching position at the University of Colorado. A national search for her replacement is underway.