The University of Washington charmed Kristi Kingma at an early age.
“I’ve grown up being a Husky fan ever since I was in first grade,” said Kingma, a Jackson High School junior who started attending UW basketball camps when she was a young girl.
“That’s been my dream school ever since I was little,” she said, “to someday be able to suit up for my hometown team.”
Kingma took a big step towards realizing her dream. The 5-foot-10 junior guard verbally committed on Thursday night to play for Washington.
Kingma, a gifted three-sport athlete, was averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 assists and 2.6 steals before Jackson played host to Kamiak on Friday.
Several other Pacific-10 Conference schools and Gonzaga pursued Kingma, but she said the UW’s successful program and nearby location made the difference.
“It’s really exciting. It’s a lot of pressure off of me right now,” said Kingma, who wanted her family to be able to watch her play in college. She also looks forward to being able to see her four younger siblings play sports.
“I think it was a good decision for her,” Jackson coach Jeannie Thompson said. “The UW has a very strong program. They’ve been (competitive in) the Pac-10 the last few years. … They see (Kingma making) an immediate impact and that’s a very good opportunity for her.”
Washington is 12-4 this season and won its ninth straight game Thursday.
The UW continues to have success attracting local talent. Oak Harbor graduate Heidi McNeill and Sara Mosiman, a King’s grad, are already on the roster and Monroe senior Sarah Morton signed with Washington in November.
Recruiters also targeted Kingma for her soccer prowess. She scored 32 goals for Jackson over the past two seasons. But Kingma decided her future was in basketball.
“I kind of always knew I was going to be a basketball player. Not many soccer players are 5-10,” she said.
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