Multi-sport Palmer High standout opts to play basketball at college level

April 24, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - Stephanie Houser found herself with quite a few choices when making plans for life after Palmer High School.

Houser, a standout in multiple sports at PHS, could realistically pursue a college career in either basketball or volleyball. The Palmer senior had a list of potential basketball programs, and another list of possible opportunities in volleyball. Three schools wanted her to play both sports.

But ultimately, Houser decided to continue shooting the ball, rather than spiking it.

The Palmer senior recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at Mesa State College in Mesa, Colo.

Houser said academics played as big of a role as athletics in the decision to stay on the basketball court. The National Honor Society member with a 3.8 cumulative grade point average at Palmer High said she plans to study biology and forensics in college, and Mesa State has exactly the type of academic programs she is looking for. Plus there are opportunities for academic internships, she said.

Before seeing what Mesa State had to offer academically, Houser was basically deadlocked in the decision of basketball versus volleyball.

During a trip to the Lower 48 earlier this year, Houser visited both Eastern Oregon University - meeting with the EOU volleyball coaching staff - and Mesa State.

Dorena Bingham, the East Anchorage head coach and the coach of a youth select team Houser plays on, set up what virtually became a tryout for Houser at Mesa State.

During the tryout, Houser said she worked through different post moves, and finishing around the basket.

“The kind of stuff I would be doing for their program,” Houser said.

After seeing what Mesa State had to offer both academically and athletically, Houser said she was confident in her choice.

Another factor is Houser's still untapped potential in the sport.

“I definitely think basketball is more challenging for me,” Houser said. “There is definitely more room for improvement.”

Playing at the Division II level, Palmer head coach Paul Reid said, certainly provides Houser with the opportunity to really take her basketball talents to the next level.

“She has the right athletisicm and the right type of body for it,” Reid said of the 6-foot-1 post player. ‘There's no question about being able to compete at that level.”

Reid said Houser was thrust into a varsity position very early in her career. The three-year varsity starter enjoyed a great amount of success during her time in the Moose program, but still has room to grow as a player.

Because of that Houser said she feels she has more to offer to a basketball program.

Among the other basketball programs interested in Houser was UAF, Reid said.

“(UAF head coach Lynn Andrews) has always been impressed with her size and ability to run the floor,” Reid said.

Houser said three Division III schools - Lewis and Clark, Whitman College and Pudget Sound - recruited her in both basketball and volleyball. She said she was interested in the prospect of competing in both sports, but the cost of the small liberal arts schools proved to be too much.

During her senior year at PHS, Houser helped lead both her basketball and volleyball team to top-four finishes in the state tournament.

Houser and the Moose spikers finished third in the state volleyball tournament, and the Palmer girls' basketball squad placed fourth in the state hoops championships.

She was also named the Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year in volleyball, and was a second-team All-NLC selection in basketball.

Houser has also had success on the Palmer track and field squad.

When Houser takes the court for Mesa State next fall, she will be one of two former Palmer girls basketball players at the Division II level.

Emily Bolling recently completed her junior year at the New York Institute of Technology.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.