Speedy point guard moving on to the junior college ranks

WASILLA — Believe it or not, basketball wasn’t Shelby Fulton’s first love. But when it comes to sports, it’s now her true love.

“Everyone thought my sport was going to be soccer,” said Fulton, who recently graduated from Wasilla High School. “My mom had to force me to play basketball my third-grade year.

“She made me do it, and I fell in love.”

Now Fulton’s love for basketball is taking her to the college level.

Earlier this year, Fulton signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at Yakima Valley Community College in Yakima, Wash.

Fulton’s basketball career started as a third-grader, but the former Wasilla High School standout who helped the Warriors claim the 2007 4A state title, has been around the sport all her life. Fulton’s father is a referee and her mother is active in the sport.

“It runs in the family,” Fulton said.

Fulton, a 5-foot-5 point guard, played three seasons on the varsity level for WHS, helping the Warriors achieve a number of milestones.

In addition to the state title, Fulton helped her squad win Northern Lights Conference championships in 2006 and 2007. She was also part of one of the most notable streaks in the history of Alaska high school sports.

During her three years on the varsity squad, Fulton helped her team extend Wasilla’s winning streak against NLC opponents to 100 games.

“It’s been great. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Fulton said of her run with the Warrior basketball program.

Fulton earned all-tournament honors after her team’s third-place finish in the 2008 4A state tourney and was named first-team All-NLC as a senior.

During the recruiting process, Fulton said she leaned toward attending a smaller school and considered a handful of junior college programs before ultimately choosing Yakima Valley, a team that competes in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

Fulton also considered a few other NWACC programs — such as South Pudget Sound Community College and Peninsula College — but said there were a number of factors that set Yakima Valley

apart.

Yakima Valley won conference titles in 2006 and 2007, and finished fourth last season.

“They’re a pretty strong school,” Fulton said. “They’ve got a great win-loss record.”

Yakima Valley also plays an up-tempo game, something that suits Fulton, who is known for her speed and ability to handle the ball at the point guard position.

“I like the way they play,” she said. “It fits my style. It’s more fast-paced. They run a lot and don’t slow down.”

Fulton said she is one of four Alaska players in Yakima Valley’s 2008 recruiting class. Also slated to play for Yakima Valley, Fulton said, is Ashley Swetzof, who recently graduated from Palmer High School.

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