Barnes garners national basketball recognition
By JJ Ossola
IV Leader Sports writer, Nov 9, 2006
Illinois Valley Community College’s women’s basketball
sophomore guard Markita Barnes, has been named preseason third team All-American
by the National Junior College Athletic Association.
“It’s a great honor for her and for the team,” said head
coach Steve Crick. He went on to say, “We have had players get recognized at the
end of the season but Markita is our first player to get recognition before the
season starts.”
Returning sophomore forward, Erin Wiedmann said of Barnes,
“She definitely deserves it. She brings a positive attitude and her basketball
skills are outstanding. She is always very encouraging in practice, always
wanting to try things over and over until they are perfect. She is always
willing to help people out.”
For Barnes basketball has been a part of her life since first
grade where she learned the fundamentals on the Salvation Army team. From there
she went on to play at the Boys and Girls club in Beloit until starting for her
junior high team. Barnes has always played guard, and when she started for the
Beloit Memorial Purple Knights she started to get attention for the skills that
she had been honing. Barnes said, “My best year of high school was when we went
to state my sophomore year and I got the school record for assists. It was 127,
I think.”
Barnes was named 1st team, all conference her junior year
where her team lost the game that would have sent them to state again. Senior
year she was named player of the year, team most valuable player, all conference
1st team and honorable mention for the all state team.
Barnes had been recruited heavily by junior colleges and had
seriously considered going to Kirkwood Community College but held out in the
hopes of going to a four-year college.
Barnes said, “I waited too long. They filled my spot by the
time I got back to them. To be honest, I don’t remember why I chose to go to
IVCC but I am glad that I did. I made some great friends here.”
Barnes said, “My greatest fear right now is that this will be
it. I want to get to the next level and play at a Division I school.” Crick
said, “This will definitely draw attention from four-year schools.”
Some information for this article was compiled by Austin
Rosencrans.