Cameron Mims and her brother, mother and father and Tyra Thompson and her mother and father sit in the Gladiator Gallery waiting to sign Thompson’s and Mims’ Letters of Intent to play basketball on May 12. Thompson will play basketball at at Albany State University and Mims will play basketball at Lander University. “We are excited to have Tyra and Cameron playing basketball in college,” CCHS Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward said. Photo by Ana Aldridge.
By HANNAH GALE – Writing Coach
Clarke Central High School seniors Tyra Thompson and Cameron Mims signed to play women’s basketball at Albany State University and Lander University, respectively.
The Clarke Central High School athletic department hosted the signing of seniors Tyra Thompson and Cameron Mims on May 12 in the Gladiator Gallery in the New Gym. The two seniors earned athletic scholarships and signed Letters of Intent to play basketball at Albany State University for Thompson and Lander University for Mims.
“We are excited to have Tyra and Cameron playing basketball in college,” CCHS Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward said.
Mims and Thompson have both played varsity basketball at CCHS for four years under head girls varsity basketball coach Carla Johnson.
“(They are) very hardworking and dedicated players for me these past four years. I’m going to miss them greatly and I know they’ll do well at the next level,” Johnson said.
Though Thompson is keeping her talents in Georgia, she looks forward to living in a new city.
“I feel great about (playing basketball at Albany State). It’s my way out of Athens,” Thompson said.
Though the girls received offers from other colleges such as Berry College, Mars Hill University and Mary Baldwin College, they feel like they made the right decisions.
“I’m very excited (to play basketball at Lander University). It was my first option from the start. That was the first team I tried out for and visited,” Mims said. “I worked out and visited like five other schools after that and I was just still stuck on Lander for some reason, because I just felt like it was meant for me to be there.”
According to Mims, a lot of time and dedication had to be given by both girls in order to earn an athletic scholarship.
“I started playing basketball in eighth grade and I didn’t expect for me to go as far as I am going now, so I’m really proud of myself for all the hard work I put in,” Mims said.