MOULTRIE — Colquitt County golfer Anna Leigh Keith made recruiting visits to Georgia, Auburn, Tulane, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
She also had offers from a number of other top college women’s golf programs around the country, including Texas and Ohio State.
In the end, Keith chose to go to Nashville, where she can hear the best in country music when she is not striking and putting a golf ball for the Vanderbilt Lady Commodores.
Keith signed a letter of intent to attend Vanderbilt next year and put behind her an outstanding high school and junior golf career.
She is currently ranked No. 61 in the American Junior Golf Association’s Polo rankings and will be one of 78 girls from around the country to compete in the AJGA’s Polo Junior Golf Classic, which will begin Saturday and run through Nov. 28, at the Ginn Reunion Resort near Orlando.
Keith also has been named a member of the AJGA’s 2008 HP Scholastic Junior All-American Team.
That award is based not only on her performances on the fairways and greens, but also on her 97.83 grade point average and the No. 13 ranking in her Colquitt County High class of 472.
Also among her junior golf achievements is being named the Southern Junior Golf Tour’s Player of the Year in 2007.
She also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship held last August in Eugene, Ore.
“She’s just what every coach wants,” Colquitt County High golf coach Donald Dale said. “She competes every time she plays. She’s the most dedicated girl I’ve ever coached and is as dedicated as any boy I’ve ever had.”
Dale calls her “a great ball-striker. She’s as good from tee to green as anyone I’ve had.
“If she improves on her putting — and she’s working on it — she has a chance to be a great player.”
Keith has been coached primarily by Bill Connally at Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville and by Chan Reeves in Atlanta.
Dale said Keith’s outstanding performance this summer, which also included leading the Georgia team to a win in the Georgia/South Carolina team matches at Sea Island in July, impressed college coaches.
“She really had a great summer,” Dale said. “Coaches were all over her.”
It was Vanderbilt coach Greg Allen who finally was able to get Keith to leave Georgia.
Allen is in his second season as the coach at Vanderbilt after coaching the University of Arizona for seven years, winning the Pac-10 twice.
Vanderbilt made the NCAA Regional last spring. The 2008-2009 team has three seniors, giving Keith a chance to compete for spot as a freshman.
“I really liked the team and the coaches,” Keith said of her visit to the Vanderbilt campus. “And I love Nashville.”
She also said she wants play well enough to travel with the team as a freshman.
Vanderbilt also has signed Gabrielle Balit, originally from Montreal, Quebec, who currently attends Out of Door Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and Lauren Stratton of Spring Hill, Tenn., who won two high school championships in three years at Independence High.
Keith would like to win a state high school championship of her own next spring. She has finished second in the state Class AAAAA girls tournament twice.
Last May, she shot a 74 to finish just one shot back of Mill Creek’s Emily Berger.
She was this year’s Region 1-AAAAA girls tournament’s low medalist.
“She’s a great student, a great player and a wonderful Christian,” Dale said. “That says it all for me.”
Local Sports
Lady Packers' Keith signs with Vanderbilt
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Conference champions
The Colquitt County seventh-grade girls basketball team celebrates its South Georgia Athletic Conference championship. The team includes, front, from left, coach Sheila Williams, Za'Nautica Downs, Akia Sutton, Ty'Asia McNeal, Shy Seay; and back, Sydnee Dalton, Shay Stanfill, Kiarra Lovett, Abiyah Spencer, Coach Jon Scroggins, Angel Kinchen, Chyna Calhoun, Michaela Bennefield, Istajhe Johnson, Ashuntee Stewart and Ja'nysia Brown. Not shown, Coach Tamika Seay and Emily Dozier.
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Lady Pack clinches top seed for region tournament
Makeba Ponder’s free throw with 6 seconds remaining gave the Colquitt County girls a 55-48 victory over Lowndes on Tuesday on the William Bryant Court at the Gladys Espy Gymnasium and ensured the Lady Packers would have the top seed in next week’s Region 1-AAAAA tournament at Tift County.
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Rifle team defeats Worth County
The Colquitt County High rifle team remains unbeaten after taking a 1,098-1,082 victory over Worth County on Tuesday in Sylvester.
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Prine shines at Snowflake Invitational
Kenyadah Prine is progressing just fine in her comeback from two frustrating seasons that were marred by injuries. The Lowndes High senior is making the most of her opportunities to return to top form, no matter how big or small the stage.
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Prine shines at Snowflake Invitational
Kenyadah Prine is progressing just fine in her comeback from two frustrating seasons that were marred by injuries. The Lowndes High senior is making the most of her opportunities to return to top form, no matter how big or small the stage.
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Level 3 gymnasts first, Level 4 team second in Thomasville
The Moultrie YMCA MGs headed to Thomasville on January 28 to continue their meet season in the Rose City gymnastics invitational and the Level 3’s took first place and the Level 4’s placed second.
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Register wins region wrestling championship
Travis Register will take an unbeaten record into next weekend’s state sectional after going 2-0 and winning the 220-pound weight class at Saturday’s Region 1-AAAAA wrestling tournament at Lowndes.
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Lady Packers hold off Tift County
The Colquitt County girls basketball team held off a determined Tift County second-half rally on Saturday on the William Bryant Court at the Espy Gymnasium to get a 59-48 Region 1-AAAAA victory.
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Talking it over
The defending Region 1-AAAAA champion Colquitt County High baseball team held an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday at Ike Aultman Field at Packer Park. The Packers are gearing up for their Feb. 21 season-opener against Lawton Chiles of Tallahassee at Packer Park. Packers assistant coach Jake Mobley talks with sophomore pitcher, and little brother, Gabe Mobley during Saturday’s scrimmage.
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Seventh-grade girls win conference championship
The Colquitt County seventh-grade girls’ basketball team claimed the conference championship Saturday, upsetting previously undefeated Coffee, 20-19.
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