Seniors were faced with a big decision, to stay at school or to leave.
With the NCAA giving winter sport athletes the option to have an extra year of eligibility the seniors had to sit down and make a choice.
The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) women’s basketball team had eight seniors on their roster this year. Only senior guards Kylyn Rigsby, Morgan Myers-Pack and Valentine Desreumaux all made the decision to move on from the program. While senior guards David Rico and Jaret Schmelling made the choice on the men’s side.
Kylyn Rigsby – Guard
Rigsby has been around the Mavericks women’s basketball program ever since she started coming to camps when she was 10 years old. So getting to throw on the white and maroon jersey for four years has meant a lot to her.
“I’ve been around the program ever since I was little, coming to summer camps. So actually getting to be a part of it for four years was something I’d dreamt about since I was little,” Rigsby said.
The DeBeque, Colo. native has brought a positive energy to the program the last four years and that is something that Head Coach Taylor Wagner has always seen in her.
“One of the things that she does is that she always has a positive attitude and in four years I can honestly say that she probably had one bad day where she wasn’t excited and she just brings extra energy for everybody and I think that the girls feed off of her,” Wagner said.
She has always been dominant on the court weather that is in a defensive or an offensive role. Throughout her career as a Maverick, she has 266 rebounds, 347 points and 220 assists. She also has played for 2,585 minutes throughout 105 games.
According to her teammate freshman guard Noelle Lavery, Rigsby has been a leader through her actions and as well as in her words.
“She also led off the court with little things that turned into big things. like even telling us freshmen to go to class! The way she led inspired me everyday and I am going to miss seeing it,” Lavery said.
Rigsby has always put her heart and soul onto the basketball court.
She explained how she knows that she will be remembered as the loud one and that she always has her teammates backs. She also hopes that her teammates and Wagner believe that she put her heart into every game because that is something she wanted to do.
Morgan Myers-Pack – Guard
Myers-Pack transferred to CMU after her sophomore year from Dixie State University.
“Defensively we were looking for someone to come in and help guard and when she was at Dixie she did a phenomenal job and when we played against her she was really reactive. I think she was second in the RMAC in steals her sophomore year and that is what kind of drew me to her,” Wagner said.
Basketball for Myers-Pack has been about creating the friendships and relationships that continue off of the court as well as on.
“There are some teams that only hang out on the court and not usually off but we do both. So just building relationships with each other and getting to know each other better has been really fun and getting to know them as a person instead of the basketball player girl or whatever that stereotype is,” Myers-Pack said.
Myers-Pack is described as being the spark of the team. She is always there for her teammates and is always encouraging and hyping up her team.
“I think I will remember Mo and the spark she brought to the team and to me. it was really special what she brought and will be hard to replace. I will also remember her amazing steals and her threes,” Lavery said.
After being a Maverick for the past two years, Myers-Pack explained how the program taught her that the harder that you work for something the better the outcome will be. Even though you might not see the outcome right away that you will see that outcome later in life.
Valentine Desreumaux – Guard
Desreumuax has grown ever since the first time she stepped onto the court in Brownson Arena.
She started playing basketball when she was younger just for fun but then it turned into something more for the France native. She realized that the game of basketball was just more then herself and that she was a part of something bigger.
“It kind of grew into me and it has been super fun playing and meeting new people and getting to be a part of a team. It feels like it is sometimes bigger than you and you are a part of something bigger,” Desreumaux said.
She has been able to come into crucial moments this season for the team and helps out every way that she can.
“She has come in and played big minutes for us and done a great job defensively. She’s been able to guard some of the bigger players that are more mobile and even some of the smaller guards that have been giving us fits,” Wagner said.
David Rico – Guard
Rico came to CMU from Fresno CC after his sophomore season of basketball and found that the transition was not too bad because he had some familiar faces alongs for the ride.
“I’ve had the pleasure to play with Rico for four years now going back to junior college in California and he just gets better and better each year. It’s all due to the work he puts in,” senior Georgie Dancer said.
He has put in the hard work and dedication over the past two years by always being ready to work.
“I think the number one thing is that it is hard to walk through the gym and see him not shooting and getting up extra shots, he is in there basically everyday for an extended period of time working on his game trying to get better,” Head Coach Mike DeGeorge said.
Even though Rico puts a lot of work in on the court he puts just as much work into his work in the classroom as well.
DeGeorge describes Rico as a great example of what it means to be a student athlete. He has been on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference all-academic team for the past two years.
Rico discussed how his favorite moments at CMU were either winning the RMAC tournament last year or the second time they played Adams State University this season.
“Probably against Adams State, the second time we played them, where I came in in overtime and hit two threes to win the game,” Rico said.
Jeret Schmelling – Guard
Schmelling is the only player on the Mavericks roster this season that predates the coaching staff and has really seen the shift in culture.
“I knew how we had approached weights and practice in the past and I took it upon myself to lead by example and come in everyday trying to get better,” Schmelling said.
Schmelling has been the heart of this team.
“It’s going to be tough losing Jeret because he is truly the heart of this team. He’s a guy you want to be around and there’s really nobody on our team like him. He has a special personality that energizes and motivates the team to come together and give it our all,” Dancer said.
He is somebody who has a constant voice on the team and when that energy is not there everyone can notice.
Whether it is in practice or in a game, he is giving the maximum effort and has been someone who is very engaged in what this team has been able to do.
“Rather it is leading that scout team at practice running the other teams stuff, rather it is timeouts just encouraging guys.He is encouraging guys who have done something right. He is calling guys out who make mistakes and it is such an important part,” DeGeorge said.
Schmelling said that his favorite part of this season was getting able to cut down the nets for a second year in a row. After not knowing if they were going to be able to play or not, it has made winning back-to-back RMACs that much better.
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