Bowling Green State University Athletics
BG Women's Basketball Program Signs Two
November 18, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University women's basketball head coach Curt Miller has announced the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Kate Achter (Oregon, Ohio) and Whitney Taylor (Wooster, Ohio) will join the Falcons for the 2004-05 academic year.
"I am ecstatic about the signing of our two guards in the class of 2004," said Miller. "With the impending graduation of our starting backcourt, Lindsay Austin and Stefanie Wenzel, Kate and Whitney were exactly what we needed in this recruiting class. Both players have the ability to play the point and the 'two' guard."
Achter, a 5-8 guard, is a senior at Oregon Clay High School. The Great Lakes League's Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons, she has helped the Eagles of coach Roger Achter (her father) to back-to-back GLL titles, with a combined 33-9 record during that time. Achter was a Division I All-State honorable-mention selection last year after averaging 19.8 points, six rebounds, seven assists and 3.6 steals per game. Achter earned all-district second-team honors a year ago as well.
Achter also competes in golf for the Eagles, and was a three-time, four-event GLL champion in track. Last season at the state track and field meet, she finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles, seventh in the 100-meter dash and eighth in the long jump. Achter plans to compete on the Falcon women's golf team.
"Kate is an outstanding athlete," said Miller. "She is one of the few athletes I have recruited in my 14 years as a Division-I coach that had the honest ability to sign with a Division-I school in three sports.
"Kate's strengths are her competitiveness, her outstanding athleticism at the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, and -- as the daughter of a high-school coach -- her knowledge of the game."
Taylor, a 5-7 guard, is a senior at Wooster H.S. She was an All-District 4 First-Team selection, and also earned honorable-mention all-state as a junior. Taylor averaged 13.2 points and 6.2 assists for the Generals of coach Mike Gallagher, helping the team to a 17-7 overall record and a second-straight district title. Wooster finished second in the Federal League (the 2003-04 academic year marks the school's first in the Ohio Cardinal Conference).
Taylor also competes in track at WHS, and was the starting goalie on the soccer team. On Sunday (Nov. 16), she was named the Wooster Daily Record Girls Soccer Player of the Year after recording a goals-against average of just 0.80. The team went 5-2-2 in the OCC. As a sophomore, Taylor suffered an injury during soccer season and missed the first 14 games of the basketball season. A perennial member of the Honor Roll, she was inducted into the National Honor Society.
"Whitney broke on to the national scene over the summer, in an AAU tournament in Atlanta, Ga." said Miller. "She willed her team to victory against a talented Minnesota AAU team, scoring nine points in the final minute of play.
"Whitney is very strong as an up-tempo point guard, and she is also a very good three-point shooter who will be given the opportunity for minutes at the 'two' guard spot.
 Kate Achter (photo courtesy Toledo Blade)  |
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"We are very excited about this class. Kate and Whitney both will be listed among the top-10 senior guards in the entire state of Ohio. And, with Kate, we are ecstatic to sign our first of what we hope will be many local players."
The Falcons will open the 2003-04 regular season by playing at Youngstown State on Saturday (Nov. 22). Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. Then, three days later (Nov. 25), BGSU will open the home portion of the regular-season slate with a 5:45 p.m. game vs. Detroit at Anderson Arena. That contest will be the first half of a Falcon basketball doubleheader at Anderson.
BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Kate Achter 5-8 G Oregon, Ohio (Clay) Whitney Taylor 5-7 G Wooster, Ohio (Wooster)
