Women ink JC All-American Holmstead

ANCHORAGE – One of the nation's top women's basketball junior-college players has signed a National Letter of Intent with Alaska Anchorage as head coach Tim Moser announced Wednesday that Utah native Haley Holmstead will join the Seawolves in 2011-12.

Holmstead, a 5-8 guard, spent the last two seasons at national power Salt Lake Community College, where she became just the 16th woman in NJCAA history to earn back-to-back First-Team All-America honors.

She was also the first woman to earn consecutive Scenic West Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year awards as SLCC won the regular-season league title both years.

“Haley is a proven winner. Her accolades speak loudly for her talent and work ethic,” said Moser, who has led the Seawolves to five straight NCAA Tournaments. “She has a natural gift to score and a high basketball IQ. She is a very driven and coachable young lady who is battle-tested and ready for GNAC play. We are so very excited that Haley chose to wear the Green & Gold.”

Holmstead led the nation with 21.6 points per game as a freshman and ranked third as a sophomore with 23.6 ppg. The American Fork, Utah, native left SLCC with school records for points in a game (44), season (658) and career (1,328), while also setting numerous free-throw marks, shooting 87 percent (400 of 462) from the stripe for her career.

At American Fork High School, Holmstead led her team to the 2009 Class 5A state title with a 22-2 record, earning MVP honors at the state tournament. She was the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior and earned 5A MVP honors from both the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News.

Holmstead is the fourth signee for the Seawolves' 2011-12 recruiting class, joining fellow JC transfer Bruna Deichmann (5-9, G, Balneario-Camboriu, Brazil/Coll. of Eastern Utah) and incoming freshmen Jessica Madison (G, 5-8, Port Angeles, Wash.) and Katie Richens (G, 5-8, Roosevelt, Utah/Union HS).

The Seawolves are coming off a 27-7 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament 2nd Round and won the inaugural Great Northwest Athletic Tournament title.

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