National Signing Day: A look at the recruits
BY Staff Reports
Thursday, February 07, 2013
2/07/13 at 6:13 AM
View slideshows from area signing day ceremonies,
including Booker T. Washington, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso and Union.
• Watch video Q&As with eight of the top football players in the Tulsa area.
• Get full bios of all OU, OSU and TU signees.Original Print Headline: Around the area
James Caligone, B.T. Washington
Sport: Football
School: UAB
UAB may not have a fan base in Tulsa, but one is getting started.
There were cheers for two new Blazers in the Nathan Harris Fieldhouse Wednesday as Booker T. Washington football players James Caligone and Tajh Lowe signed to play for the Conference USA program.
"We made sure we bought them out," Caligone said. "If you don't know about UAB now, you are going to know about them next year."
Caligone, a cornerback, and Lowe, a safety, will continue what has been a lengthy ride as teammates.
"It will be an experience because we've been playing together since sixth grade at Carver Middle School," Lowe said.
- MIKE MOGUIN, World Correspondent
Trey'Vonne Barr'e, Jenks
Sport: Football
School: Iowa Western
Barr'e was all smiles Wednesday about signing to play football at Iowa Western, the reigning national junior college champion.
"A bunch of people have been telling me it's an honor to play college football," the Tulsa World's high school player of the year said.
Barr'e was the first to admit, however, that things could have been better. Academic issues probably cost him a shot at playing major college football straight out of high school.
He said he plans to apply himself at Western Iowa. "My goal is to maintain my grades and hopefully get a Division I scholarship (in two years)."
- MIKE BROWN, World Sports Writer
Elizabeth Keester, Jenks
Sport: Soccer
School: Texas A&M
The 2011 Gatorade/ESPN state player of the year, Keester could have signed to play for any Division I program in the country.
She considered several schools, but everything became clear when she visited Texas A&M.
"I wanted to stay close to home and Texas A&M is the perfect distance, but once I stepped on campus, it didn't matter," she said. "The campus is beautiful and it's fun. Everyone there is like part of a family, which is what I wanted. Everything about Texas A&M is perfect in my eyes."
Keester scored 10 goals as a junior and totals 45 goals over her first three seasons. She was a second-team ESPN All-American in 2011 and was Tulsa World All-Metro player of the year.
- MIKE BROWN, World Sports Writer
Brandon Waggoner, Jenks
Sport: Football
School: Central Oklahoma
Waggoner said he's grateful the Trojans decided to use a 6-foot-1, 275-pound lineman as a part-time blocking back and tight end.
"It was a lot of fun and I still don't know how (offensive coordinator Dub Maddox) chose me to be that person. He said I had good feet and he liked how I could get outside and block like the smaller guys," Waggoner said.
His big receiving year was 2011 when he caught three TD passes. He spent most of 2012 helping spring running back Trey'Vonne Barr'e.
Waggoner joined teammate Braden Calip in signing Wednesday with the University of Oklahoma in Edmond.
- MIKE BROWN, World Sports Writer
Devanta Johnson, East Central
Sport: Football
School: Northeastern A&M
A year ago, Devanta Johnson was widely regarded as one of the state's top defensive prospects, but eligibility issues led him to being sidelined the entire 2012 season after his transfer from Central.
Johnson, however, is eager to resume his football career after signing with Northeastern A&M.
"I'm pretty excited," Johnson said. "I'm looking at the whole situation last year as kind of a road block or a pit stop. It was a minor setback and I'm trying to come back next year at NEO and do good and then hopefully be at Oklahoma University."
Johnson committed to NEO after originally choosing Lindenwood, which is located in a St. Louis suburb.
- BARRY LEWIS, World Sports Writer
Laura Kunz, Lincoln Christian
Sport: Track
School: Sioux Falls
Some high school seniors leave the Tulsa area to go to college to move away from home.
For Lincoln Christian's Laura Kunz, going out of state to the University of Sioux Falls will be somewhat of a homecoming for her.
"I'm actually from South Dakota - Rapid City, and I moved here when I was 6," Kunz said. "My dad lives in Sioux Falls so I go there every summer."
Kunz selected Sioux Falls over Oklahoma Baptist and Augustana, also located in Sioux Falls.
Kunz was the Class 4A state cross-country runner-up last fall. She also has been a member of two state champion relay teams at Lincoln.
— BARRY LEWIS, World Sports Writer
Nadia Majidi, Union
Sport: Golf
School: University of Tulsa
TU has won two NCAA titles in women's golf, and Nadia Majidi wants to be a part of the next one.
"I'm pretty sure the national championship is in Tulsa next year, so I would love for us to get there and win it," said Majidi, who signed Wednesday with the Hurricane.
It was announced in November that the 2014 women's NCAA championships will be played at Tulsa Country Club.
Majidi won regional and Frontier Conference titles last spring and finished fifth at the Class 6A state tournament. She was seventh at state as a freshman.
Her favorite local course is Golf Club of Oklahoma, and two years ago, she got to play two rounds at California's world-famous Pebble Beach.
- MIKE BROWN, World Sports Writer
Associated Images:
James Caligone, a defensive back at Booker T. Washington, gives a ride to his sister Aleeyah Caligone, 5, after James signed with UAB. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World
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