The Lady Lancer’s 5’9 point guard Kelly Campbell is a hard worker on and off the court. This year she was recognized for all her hard work and made it into the Top Five to Watch List in the Shore.

“I have spent countless hours in the gym and for all my hard work finally starting to pay off and be recognized is without a doubt one of the best feelings in the world,” Campbell said.

Campbell is half way through her junior year and has already committed to DePaul University to play college basketball.“I don’t think I was picked because of my commitment to DePaul, but because it is based mostly off of your current talent. I was hoping to get this year’s preseason award.”

The Saint John Vianney High School  athletic teams have always been a high competitor in the Shore Conference.The Shore Conference is an athletic conference made up of public and private high schools in Northern Jersey.  “I would assume I was picked to be in the top five because of how well I played last season and some of it was probably based off the team’s great success last year,” said Campbell. Being a leader takes confidence and commitment and that is something Campbell always shows, which could be another reason why she was on the top five to watch list.

Campbell’s parents have helped her on and off the court since she was a little girl and continue to do so each and every day. “My mom is always driving me from gym to gym and helps me find the best training possible to help me strengthen my skills. My dad has sacrificed so many weekends to drive me to my travel practices in Philadelphia and always makes time to rebound for me, which I am so incredibly thankful for. Without my parents I would definitely not be the player I am today.”

Last year, in the final seconds of overtime the Lady Lancers lost against Immaculate Heart Academy.This will be a redemption season for the Lady Lancers after losing all their seniors last year. This would be a problem for most teams but not this team. The Lancers this year will rely on the strength of their captain Kelly Campbell and their sophomores and juniors that got varsity experience last season.

“A bigger goal I have for myself this year would be to make the First Team All Shore Team at the end of the season. To me this would mean that I lived up to the hype of being a part of the top five to watch preseason players.”

Campbell said that after being named one of the top five girls to watch that it has given her more confidence on the court. “As a player I am always doubting myself so it was really nice to be recognized for the way I play.” Campbell is a humble and terrific player and the Lancer should be lucky and proud to have her on their team.