Nov. 16, 2007

Pocatello, ID --- The 2007-08 season is barely underway, but Idaho State's women's basketball program picked up three recruits who signed National Letters of Intent for the 2008-09 season. The three new signees are Sheila Adams of Layton, Utah; Kayla Gromme of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia; and Jeni Guertin of Bozeman, Montana. All three players are currently preparing for their senior seasons.

Jon Newlee, who is in his sixth season with Idaho State and has taken the Bengals to one NCAA Tournament and two WNITs in his first five years, said, "We have address all of our needs with this recruiting class. It's not often you are able to get your number one player at each position, but we were able to do just that."

Adams comes to the Bengals from Layton High School where the 5-5 guard drained 55 three-pointers last year, which was the seventh-most in Utah state history. Last season as a junior Adams averaged 16 points per game along with five assists and four steals.

"I chose ISU because I had a lot of respect for the coaches and I could tell that the coaches have a lot of respect for their players," said Adams. "I am excited to play basketball at ISU. I like the team a lot and am excited to be a Bengal."

Jon Newlee likes what Adams should bring to the ISU offense, which ranked third nationally last year in scoring and put up 93 points on Tuesday. "Sheila is an explosive scorer, and a great three-point shooter who can also take the ball hard to the rim. In addition to her scoring ability, she has great court vision and is an excellent passer and ball handler. I expect her to step in and make a big impact for us next year."

Gromme, 5-10, hails from north of the border, in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. A senior this year at Gulf Islands Senior Secondary, Gromme averaged 22 points per game last year to go with eight assists and five rebounds for Gulf Island's fast-paced high-octane offense.

"ISU really seemed like a perfect fit. I was ready to commit when I was sitting in the airport on my way home from my official visit," said Gromme. "Everything is perfect."

"Kayla is an extremely athletic wing player, with good size for a perimeter player," said Newlee. "She will bring a tough defensive presence to our team, and provide us the rebounding from that spot that we need." Added Newlee, "She will fit in perfectly with what we do because she is so versatile offensively, and she is able to shoot the three, and she can finish around the hoop."

Guertin is a 6-1 forward from Bozeman High School in Montana. Last season she averaged eight points and five rebounds, shooting 64% from the field. "I'm so excited to be a Bengal. After coming home from the official visit, I just knew ISU was the perfect fit for me," said Guertin. "I loved the team...they are so nice and I could see myself fitting in with them. The coaches are great and the way they interact with their players is just what I wanted in a program The University has a lot to offer and it is nice as ISU is not too close to home, but not too far away."

"Jeni is an intense, hard-working player who will be able to step right in and help us immediately at the four-spot," said Newlee. "She is an excellent outside shooter with great range and has good moves around the basket. She will really help our rebounding at both ends and solidify our defense inside."

Overall, Newlee is more than pleased with the class as it shapes up so far, and he credits the signing to his entire staff, including associate head coach Gavin Petersen, and assistants Christa Brossman and Jordan Green. "My staff gets all the credit. They worked tirelessly throughout the recruiting process to get this done," said Newlee. He added, "What I really like about this class is not only are they all great players, but all are great people that come from winning programs and they all have a fantastic work ethic. I can't wait to coach them all."

The three signings mean Newlee has basically filled three of the four available scholarships that the team will have next season. The Bengals lose Natalie Doma, Andrea Lightfoot, Kaylynn Fager, and Joanna Hixon.