The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Versatile Serena Brown has inked her name on the dotted line to attend Texas A&M on a full athletic scholarship where she will be continuing her throwing career for the Aggies in 2016 after she graduates from St Augustine’s College where she’s leaving some huge shoes to fill on the Big Red Machine athletic programme.

Brown, considered the next Lavern Eve, made it official yesterday at St Augustine’s College where she was flanked by her parents Sonjia and Whittington Brown, her sister Selina Brown, SAC’s principal Sonia Knowles, head track and field coach William ‘Knucklehead’ Johnson, head of the Physical Education Department Jason Edwards and her long-time basketball coach Felix ‘Fly’ Musgrove and track coach Bradley Cooper.

Brown, who turned 17 on September 15, said it was important for her to sign as early as she did and not have to worry about it anymore. She admitted that there were a number of other offers that she could have pursued, but she’s quite content with her final selection. She expressed her gratitude to all who helped her to reach this milestone in her life.

“I wanted to play basketball. That was on my mind, but Texas A&M wasn’t even on my mind,” she said. “Their approach is that with recruiting athletes, they don’t message them at all. They just want you to come on a visit and see what they have. To me that was kind of weird because I’m the type of person who likes to communicate with people. I’m a friendly person.

“But after going on the visit, I realised that they didn’t even need to contact me. I fell in love with it, but I didn’t want to take daddy about it. But I did. Everything was just amazing. So a lot of people wanted to know why I signed so early when I could have looked at more offers, but I wanted to make this decision so next year I can just focus on my exams and the clearing house.”

Her dad had indicated that they had narrowed their decision down to three choices - the University of Connecticut (UCONN), the University of Louisville and Texas A&M - for her to visit, but while he would have preferred to send her to his alma mater at Louisville, after meeting assistant coach Juan De La Garza, who coached Eve, Texas A&M was the final choice.

It was like going to a bigger version of SAC with all of the trophies on display and the vast campus with all of the indoor facilities one could imagine. In the dorm, they also have a swimming pool and cafeteria and even a theatre. They all fell in love with the school.

“Coach Juan De La Garza was happy to see her. He talked to her about coach Bradley (Cooper), who he competed with at the CAC region and how she (Serena) reminded him of Lavern,” the proud father said. “She met NCAA champion Shelby (Vaughan). They bonded and although this is going to be her last year, she told Serena she will still be around to guide her along.

“I knew she was good, but I didn’t know all of the big schools were after her. She compared SAC to A&M. She wants to go to a winning programme. When she came here at SAC, she found herself in a winning porgramme and that has been the key to her success. She has that winning mentality and that is why she selected Texas A&M. She just sees the best for her in the future.”

As she prepares to leave the confines of her home next year, her mother Sonjia Brown had to contain herself. She noted that it’s going to be something new for her to get used to because Serena has not left her presence for any long period of time, even though she would have travelled as far as China to compete on the national track team.

Holding back the tears, before she got a kiss on the cheek from Serena Brown, Sonjia Brown said she’s so proud of her daughter and she will miss her when she leaves.

And her sister Selina Brown said Texas A&M is the right fit as they make her work harder and she’s looking forward to her improving.

“When I look at her now, I know that Texas A&M will be the better fit for her,” Selina Brown said. “With the winning atmosphere, they will make her work harder and she will be able to achieve her goals. So I’m happy that she chose to go there.”

Brown, who intends to study industrial engineering, noted that Da La Garza has given her the indication that she could be the next Eve, whom Brown said she will be going after her national high school record before she’s done with athletics at SAC next year.

“I want Lavern’s record. I wanted it ever since I found out about it when I came to SAC in 2013,” she stated. “When I came here, I didn’t know much about CARIFTA and all those other events. Everything was just basketball, basketball. Coming into the sport, I realised that I could have gone further.

“It’s just amazing because I’ve put so much years into basketball. But it doesn’t compare to the national teams and the exposure that you get from track and field. It’s an individual sport and you do your best so that you can go far. In basketball, it’s a team sport and you and your team mates have to be on the same level to achieve any success. I’m only as good as the weakest link.”

She noted, however, that she will miss playing basketball.