5/23/08
NEMCC's RANDLE SIGNS WITH DIVISION ONE UNIVERSITY
All-American Chooses Miss. Valley State
BOONEVILLE, Miss.-- Northeast Mississippi Community College softball star Shanika Randle (Houston) has signed to continue her college career with Mississippi Valley State University, a Division-I school that competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
MVSU, under head fastpitch softball coach Lee Smith, went 25-25 overall, 11-2 in conference play in 2008 and captured their fifth straight SWAC title dating back to 2004.
“I’m used to winning,” said Randle. “I was able to play for winning teams at Houston (High School), at Northeast the past two years, and now I’m excited that I’m going to play for another winning softball program at Valley under Coach Smith.”
As a sophomore, Randle led the Northeast Tigers to the 2008 MACJC North Division title, the Tigers’ 7th in the last eight years. Batting in the lead-off spot, the former Houston Lady Hilltopper led Northeast with a .405 batting average that included 70 hits in 173 at-bats, 12 doubles, five triples, and 23 RBI. Randle was 15-of-18 in stolen base attempts in ’08.
“When we signed Shanika out of Houston (High School) we knew she could hit,” said NEMCC head softball coach Jody Long, “and we knew she was a great student. What has been a pleasant surprise the last two years has been her leadership ability. She has been the take-charge person on our team and she’s going to be that type player for Coach Smith at Valley as well.”
Randle was voted 1st Team All-Region 23, 1st Team All-State, and 1st Team All-North Division following her sophomore campaign. After batting .353 with six homeruns and 30 RBI as a freshman, Randle was named a preseason NJCAA All-American heading into the 2008 season.
Northeast’s star outfielder and leadoff hitter was a star in the classroom as well during her two years at NEMCC. Randle finished the 2008 spring semester with a 3.67 GPA in Math Education. She was one of eight NEMCC sophomores on Long’s ’08 squad, all of which carried 3.0 grade point averages or better. As a freshman in ’07, Randle scored a perfect 4.0 GPA helping NEMCC softball earn the 12th best team grade point average nationally according to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
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Complete 2008 All-Region 23 List:
Rebecca Bailey Copiah Lincoln Community College
Danielle Ryan Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Jessica Duboisson Pearl River Community College
Shenique Brass East Central Community College
Mary Alice Moore Hinds Community College
Judy Barber Pearl River Community College
Kayla Crochet Copiah Lincoln Community College
Kami Hebert Louisiana State University Eunice
Lisa Jansen Northeast Mississippi Community College
Chasity Williams Itawamba Community College
Alicia Malone Northwest Mississippi Community College
Whitnee White East Central Community College
Shanika Randle Northeast Mississippi Community College
Callie Weaver Northeast Mississippi Community College
Ashton Nelson Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College