Wednesday was the start of the national signing period across the country. New commits for the freshman class of 2015 came pouring in across all sports, except football, at all schools, including Georgia State.
Men’s basketball
The first day of the fall signing period for the Panthers was highlighted by men’s basketball signing Malik Benlevi to a national letter of intent. Benlevi currently plays for Jenkins High School in Savannah, Ga.
As a junior, Benlevi averaged nearly 14 points a game and played in 29 games total.
Last season, Benlevi led Jenkins High to a Region 3˗AAAAA championship.
Women’s basketball
Women’s basketball announced that a 5 foot 8 inch point guard Madison Newby signed a letter of intent to play hoops for Georgia State starting next season.
Newby currently plays her high school basketball for Archer High in Lawrenceville, Ga. Currently in her career, she has amassed over 1,200 points and 400 assists.
Archer has exceled with Newby’s on˗court presence as the school recently clinched its first three playoff berths in history. The Tigers advanced to the state championship last season.
In addition to Newby, K.K. Williams, who committed to Georgia State in September, also signed her National Letter of Intent.
Williams will continue her basketball career as a Georgia State Panther after playing for Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, TN. just outside of Nashville.
As a junior, she averaged five points and just under three rebounds for the Blaze. Williams came onto the hardwood primarily off the bench, but also had the opportunity to start a few games. Blackman High won the state title in 2014.
Volleyball
Volleyball also announced the signing of Sarah Renner, who announced her National Letter of Intent signing via her Twitter account.
Welcome! RT @SarrahRennerr: Signed my National Letter of Intent today! I’m officially a Panther �� #PantherFamily http://t.co/7AGjnnYHOD
— GeorgiaStateVB (@GeorgiaStateVB) November 12, 2014
Renner will arrive at Georgia State next season after playing her high school volleyball for Linn˗Mar High School in Marion, Iowa. She is also a multi˗sport athlete as she also competes in track.
Renner has won a pair or national championships in the USA Volleyball club competition. she has also has exceled in the classroom while at Linn˗Mar with a 4.1 GPA.
Sand volleyball
Sand volleyball also announced a pair of signees. One of them was Ashley McGinn who is a senior at the Gloucester County (N.J.) Institute of Technology (GCIT).
McGinn has experience playing court volleyball in addition to sand competition. Her 2013 and 2014 seasons have both seen McGinn compiled over 400 kills.
She was described as “the best player in Gloucester County Institute of Technology history” in an article on NJ.com.
The second signee of the sand volleyball squad is Brooke Weiner who, like McGinn, also has experience playing both court and sand volleyball.
Weiner is an outside hitter who is currently playing for Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Ca. about 25 miles away from Los Angeles. She also played at the club level for the Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA) Girls’ Volleyball Club.
While at the varsity level, she has put in 141 kills, 21 blocks, and a .423 hitting percentage.
Softball
Softball will welcome Reagan Morgan to the team beginning in the 2016 regular season. Morgan attends Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga.
Morgan plays second base as well as outfield.
As a junior, Morgan achieved a major milestone when she broke the Collins Hill High single˗season record for hits with 51. She also stole thirteen bases en route to a Class AAAAAA state championship.
Morgan’s teammate, Amanda Chance, will also join head coach Roger Kincaid’s team starting in 2016.
Chance is currently the team’s second all˗time career strikeout leader.
She is not only a pitcher, but also plays first bases. Chance throws and bats right˗handed.
Baseball
Baseball also received new signees. Head coach Greg Frady will welcome Ryne Inman to the team.
Inman will soon be wearing Panthers blue and white after a stint in high school with the Parkview High Panthers in Lilburn, Ga.
The 6˗foot˗5 Inman can throw the baseball within the 80˗90 mile per hour range.
Along with Inman, baseball also received a National Letter of Intent from Darius Sewell.
He is currently playing for Lakeside High School as well as for the Atlanta Blue Jays.
Last year for Lakeside, Sewell finished the season with a .306 batting average along with two home runs, three doubles, 14 RBIs, and 21 runs scored.
Golf
Golf also received a signing from Nathan Williams from Gainesville High.
On Jun. 12, 2012, Williams finished with the top spot in that year’s Furman Junior Classic with a first round score of 74 and a second round outing of 72.
Last October, he posted a tournament˗low round of 64 in the second round of the Gainesville City Junior Open at Chattahoochee Golf Course. The two˗day total of 139 was good enough to win the boys’ 16˗18 age division of the event.
