Signing up STAFF PHOTO BY MURRAY JUDSON Pen in hand, Port Aransas High School senior Whitney Williams signs papers committing to play basketball for Angelo State University this fall. Williams did the signing on Thursday, April 26, at PAHS. Also on hand were, from left, one of her sisters, Abby Kenigsberg; another sister, Lindsey Williams; Whitney's mother, Stephanie Kengisberg; her step-father, Jay Kenigsberg; Coach Randy Henderson; and Whitney's brother, Aaron Kenigsberg. Whitney Williams is heading north.

Williams, a senior at Port Aransas High School, has been awarded a scholarship to become a member of the women's basketball team at Angelo State University in San Angelo.

Williams signed with Angelo State on Thursday, April 26. The scholarship pays for half of her college tuition.

Williams, a star with the Lady Marlins basketball team, said she had a hard time deciding between Angelo State and Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. She said TAMU-CC offered her a scholarship, too.

"It was a really hard decision," Williams said. "But I kind of wanted to get a little ways away from (the Port Aransas area). I've lived here all my life. I'd like to see something a little different."

Sally Brooks, coach of the ASU Belles, said she was excited to land Williams.

"I think she's got great versatility and just unlimited potential," Brooks said. "I think she's going to get so much better in college."

Williams played post for the Lady Marlins, and Brooks said she sees Williams continuing in that role at ASU; but Brooks said it's possible Williams might play on the perimeter.

Randy Henderson, coach of the Lady Marlins, said the signing was "a great deal" for Williams. The Belles, an NCAA Division II team, have a good basketball program, Henderson said.

The Belles were runners up in the Lone Star Conference's South Division in the 2006-07 season. That meant a sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II tournament.

The Belles won 17 games and lost 12 during the season. It was the team's seventh-straight winning season.

Williams is one of the strongest players to come out of PAHS athletics in years.

This spring, Williams was selected to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class A Division I All- State team for the 2006-07 season. It was the third time the organization had named her to the all-state team. She also recently was named all-state by the Texas Girls Coaches Association.

During the 2006-07 season, Williams scored her 3000th career point as a varsity basketball player. She was only the 11th female player to do that since Texas high school girls' teams went to the 5-on-5 full-court style of play in 1978.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times named Williams, a senior, the All South Texas Most Valuable Player in girls basketball for the 2006-07 season.

Williams was part of the Lady Marlins basketball team that made it to the semi-finals of the state basketball tournament in Austin this year.

Williams' mother, Stephanie Kenigsberg, said she is pleased that her daughter will be playing for Angelo State.

"The only thing I regret is, we won't be able to see her as much, playing so far away," she said. "But we liked the coaches a lot, and you want your daughter to be happy, and I think she is going to be happy there."

More than 5,000 students are enrolled at Angelo State, which has a 268-acre campus in a city with about 100,000 residents. San Angelo is about 360 miles north-northwest of Port Aransas.