EL DORADO, Kan. – The Butler women's basketball program has added six new players to the program during the NJCAA April signing period. Ashley Gibson, Alli Heimerman, Teanna Reid, Elayna Spilker, Shelbe VanDerBerghe and Te'era Williams will join Butler for the 2013-14 season after signing national letters of intent with the Grizzlies.
"We have a great deal of excitement about this recruiting class," coach Mike Helmer said. "The character and abilities of each of these young ladies are of high caliber. We are going to expect big things from this group moving forward."
These six new comers will join a host of returners from a Grizzly team that went 26-7 last season. The student-athletes and a summary of their accomplishments are listed below.
Ashley Gibson / 5'10 / Forward / Edmond, Oklahoma (Deer Creek High School)2012-2013 OGBCA All State Team… OSSAA All State team… 5A State Champion… Played for Totsy Manning at Deer Creek High School… Went 27-2 her Senior year… Team Captain… 5A State Tournament MVP… 5A State Tournament 1st team… All VYPE Large School girls Basketball 1st team… The Oklahoman 1st team Big All-City... Averaged 12.4 points per game... Lead 5A with 3.2 steals per game... Hit 42.2% of her 3 point field goals.
Alli Heimerman / 5'6 / Guard / Garden Plain, Kansas (Garden Plain High School) 2012-2013 KBCA All Star team…2011-2012 KBCA All State 2nd Team… 2-Time All-Metro Selection… All State 3rd team…Averaged 13.9 Points, 2.3 Assists, 2.4 Rebounds and 2.5 Steals per game… Made 32% of her 3 point field goals… Played for Sarah McCormick at Garden Plain High School… Went 24-2 her senior year... Went 82-17 over her 4 year career at Garden plain High School.
Helmer on Heimerman: "We are excited to have Alli join our program. She is a talented player who comes from a good high school program. Because of that and her work ethic, I think she will make the transition to this level that much easier."
Teanna Reid / 5'7 / Guard / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Millwood High School)2012-2013 OGBCA All state…2012-2013 OSSAA All State team…All VYPE Small School Girls Basketball 1st Team… Went 23-5 her senior year… Played for Arnelia Spears at Millwood High School in Oklahoma City… Lead 3A with 18.2 points per game… Lead 3A with 5.6 Assists per game… Also averaged 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game… 2011-2012 3A State Champion… Went 87-20 in her High School career at Millwood High School.
Helmer on Reid: Teanna can play either the point or the shooting guard. She is very quick, handles it very well and has a legitimate jumper. Couple that with her defensive abilities and we believe that she has a bright future."
Elayna Spilker / 5'7 / Guard / Manhattan, Kansas (Manhattan High School) 2012-2013 Kansas 6A All State Honorable Mention… Averaged 13.6 points, 2.6 Assists, 2.6 Rebounds and 2.6 Steals per game… Played for Coach Scott Mall at Manhattan High School… was Team Captain… 2012-2013 2nd Team All Centennial League… 2013 Capital-Journal Girls All-Class Team Honorable Mention… Named to the All Flint Hills Team.
Helmer on Spilker: "Elayna is a fierce competitor that will make us better with her drive and determination. What she may lack in size, she makes up with heart and effort."
Shelbe VanDerBerge / 5'9' / Guard-Forward / Gardner, Kansas (Gardner-Edgerton High School) 2012-2013 Kansas All State Honorable Mention… Averaged 12.1 Points, 4.1 Rebounds, 2.1 Assists and .8 Steals per game... Hit 45.7% of her 3 point field goals… 2011 5A Power Lifting State Champion… Team 5A Power Lifting State Champion… Emporia State team camp All Star Team… 2nd team Eastern Kansas League… 2011 Kansas Pre-Season All State team… 3rd team 6A All State… Played for Scott Schaefer at Gardner-Edgerton High School.
Helmer on VanDerBerghe: "Shelbe has a very strong, powerful body. She will definitely help us inside and out by playing a variety of positions for us. Plus with both her Mom and Dad being former Grizzlies, she knows the expectations we have here."
Te'era Williams / 5'11 / Forward /Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Douglass High School) (Texas Southern University) 2012-2013 Southwestern Athletic Conference Freshmen of the Year… 3rd Team All SWAC… Averaged 13.2 points per game… Averaged 6.5 Rebounds per game… Started 24 of the TSU's 32 games… Scored a career high 27 points against Grambling State on March 13, 2013… Grabbed a career high 16 rebounds against Arkansas Pine Bluff on January 19, 2013… Led TSU in scoring in seven games and in rebounds in nine… Played in the WNIT… Scored 14 points and pulled in 9 rebounds against Kansas State University in the 1st round of the WNIT… 2012 Oklahoman Little All City Player of the year… OGBCA All State… OSSAA All State… 2-time 4A State Track Champion… Averaged 27.3 points, 10 Rebounds, 7 steals and 7 assists per game her senior year at Douglass High School… Te'era will be a sophomore in the fall for the Grizzlies.
Helmer on Williams: "Te'era is a tremendous athlete and one of the better rebounders we have seen. She has a big league frame and can score in a variety of ways."
