Although he still had another year of eligibility on a nationally ranked basketball team that has made six consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, Jamaal Foster decided to hang up his hoops career.

According to the Daily Egyptian, the 2003 Hickman graduate decided to forgo his senior season at Southern Illinois-Carbondale to become a graduate assistant in the career of academic success.

Foster, a 6-foot-10 forward who redshirted his freshman year and graduated in August with a degree in recreation, could have continued to play basketball on a Salukis team that is currently ranked 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN poll but decided instead to get a jump on his real-world job prospects.

"It’ll look good on a résumé," Foster told the Southern Illinois newspaper. "Hopefully, I’ll get a better job whenever I get done."

According to the story that ran in September, Foster is working as a mentor for freshman students. SIU Coach Chris Lowery helped him get the position, and Foster still keeps in touch with his former teammates.

"I would have really liked to be around these guys for one final year," Foster told the Egyptian, "but I felt like it was time for me to move on and just further my education."

Foster played in 85 games in a reserve role the past three seasons for the Salukis, totaling 110 points, 137 rebounds and 28 blocks.

● MORE COLLEGE UPDATES: It’s getting out of control already. Here’s this week’s installment of how area athletes are doing in college.

● Playing Division I volleyball at Northern Colorado, Lindsey McDaniel (Rock Bridge ’07) made an impact in her freshman season. Starting nine of the 24 matches she played in, McDanial led the Bears in assists per game with an 8.54 average.

● For the second straight year, Scottie Guthrie (Hickman ’04) was a second-team All-University Athletic Association selection at H-back for the Washington University football team. Guthrie scored a rushing touchdown and caught 12 passes for 79 yards in his senior season. The three-year starter finished his career with 42 receptions.

● The Heart of America Athletic Conference announced its all-conference football team last week and a handful of area athletes made the cut.

Central Methodist senior defensive lineman Justin Wisdom (Centralia ’03) was the only area player to make the first team. His eight sacks tied for the conference lead and he also had 51 tackles, with 13½ coming behind the line of scrimmage.

Second-team selections included Central Methodist senior defensive lineman Marvin Williams (Hickman ’02) and William Jewell sophomore defensive back Ryan Florence (Hickman ’06). Williams made 37 tackles for the Eagles and Florence led the HAAC with six interceptions and was second in passes defended (14).

Culver-Stockton had two honorable mention players from the area - offensive lineman Chris Lueckenhoff (Jefferson City ’04) and defensive lineman Chris Haverstick (Centralia ’04). Lueckenhoff allowed only two hits on the quarterback in 712 plays. Haverstick was second on Wildcats with 80 tackles, including a team-high 13 for loss.

● Staying in the HAAC, Missouri Valley College has two area players on its football team that advanced to the NAIA semifinals for the second straight year. David Allen (Moberly ’05) was an honorable mention all-conference pick at running back and Adam Mares (Moberly ’04) is the Vikings’ backup quarterback. Entering yesterday’s semifinal at No. 1 Sioux Falls, S.D., Allen was second in the team with 790 rushing yards and 10 TDs. Mares had completed 31 of 86 passes for 401 yards and six touchdowns.

● Starting the soccer roundup, Scott Miller (Helias ’07) scored two goals as a starting midfielder in his freshman season at Marquette.

● Ashley Turner (Hickman ’04) wrapped up her soccer career at Missouri Southern with her third second-team selection to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association women’s soccer team. Turner, a four-year starter in the defensive backfield, totaled two goals and two assists in her senior campaign.

● Other area MIAA players included Brittany Sharp (Hickman ’06) and Caitlin Keith (Hickman ’07), who both played on Central Missouri’s conference championship squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Central Region. Sharp, a defender, started all 21 games for the Jennies and scored one goal. Keith, a forward, scored three goals on only five shots in 16 games off the bench.

● Starring in goal for Drury University, freshman Jessie Sanderson (Jefferson City ’07) led the Panthers to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division II women’s soccer tournament. Sanderson was named the freshman of the year and defensive player of the year in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and was the only player on her team named to all-region. She compiled a 17-4-3 mark with 14 shutouts and 0.64 goals-against average. Karissa Nedoma, who attended Rock Bridge before graduating from Kickapoo, also played for Drury.

● The Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletics Conference women’s soccer team was sprinkled with a few area athletes, led by the first-team selection of Webster University forward Kelsey McClure (Hickman ’06). McClure’s 24 goals set Webster’s single-season record and her 59 points ranked ninth in the nation among Division III programs.

Joining McClure on the SLIAC first team was Webster defender Rashonda Stanley (Jefferson City ’07). Making the second team: Webster midfielder Jenna Steiner (Jefferson City ’06) and Maryville defender Megan McCabe (Hickman ’05). Steiner was the MVP of the SLIAC Tournament and McCabe, who is entering her third year on Maryville’s basketball team, played her first season of college soccer and finished second on her team with 12 assists.

● At the NAIA level, Melinda Rickard (Jefferson City ’06) started for a Hannibal LaGrange squad that reached the NAIA Region V Tournament after upsetting top-seeded William Woods.

● ONE’S TO WATCH: Here are a few former area standouts to keep an eye on during the college basketball season.

● After helping Wyoming to a WNIT championship last year, Jodi Bolerjack (Hickman ’04) has visions of playing in the NCAA Tournament this season. Ranked 24th in the USA Today/ESPN poll and 25th by The Associated Press, Wyoming entered the national rankings this week for the first time in school history.

Starting all five games for the undefeated Cowgirls entering yesterday’s game against Denver, Bolerjack is averaging 6.6 points and leads the team in free throw percentage (.895). Twin sister Amy Bolerjack no longer plays on the team because of rheumatoid arthritis but is still on scholarship.

● In a related note, Brianna Culberson (Jefferson City ’06) is redshirting her second season at Denver after undergoing surgery in the offseason. Culberson started 10 games as a freshman last year and averaged 4.4 points.

● In his second season as a center for the Albany Great Danes, Brett Gifford (Rock Bridge ’06) is hoping for another appearance in the big dance. Albany has made two straight NCAA appearances as the champion of the America East Conference Tournament, and, with a 4-1 record entering last night’s game against Siena, the Great Danes are off to their best start since the 1996-97 season.

Averaging 14 minutes a game, Gifford is averaging 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds and has a team-high four blocks.

Arkansas State has two area players on its roster in Lyndsey Schlup (Helias ’06) and Rachel Baker (Mexico ’07). Schlup has started two games for the Indians this year and is averaging 2.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. Baker has scored 15 points in six games.

● Other area kids who have left Mid-Missouri and are starting or playing significant minutes for their college teams include Lindenwood sophomore Taylor Florence (Hickman ’06), William Jewell sophomore Kyle Fisher (Harrisburg ’06), Central Missouri sophomore Melia Pence (Southern Boone ’06), Missouri Western freshman Lauren Nolke (Hickman ’07) and McKendree freshman Ashley Agee (Moberly ’07). Agee, who is a college teammate of Ashley Dressler (Rock Bridge ’07) has started eight of 10 games and leads her team with a 13.8 scoring average.

● CENTRALIA HOOPS: While Columbians wait for the next home basketball game to be played by Rock Bridge, Hickman or Douglass - Friday the Douglass and Rock Bridge boys will finally play their home openers - allow me to suggest heading north for the Centralia Invitational.

Girls action begins tomorrow and boys on Tuesday in the eight-team tournament. The first of four games will tip off at 4:30 p.m. on the first four nights.

Led by top-seeded North Callaway, four area squads hold the top seeds in the girls tournament. Hallsville is second, followed by Southern Boone and Centralia. Paris was awarded the top seed for the boys, followed by No. 2 Southern Boone, No. 3 Hallsville and No. 4 Centralia.

The girls title game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and the boys at 8 on Saturday.

● STATE FOOTBALL TRIFECTA: How many people do you know that have played in a state-championship football game, coached in a state-championship football game and also officiated a state-championship football game?

Off the top of my head, I now know one.

Terry Whitney, a former coach at Rock Bridge, completed the rare trifecta last Friday at the Edward Jones Dome as the line judge in the Class 4 title game won by Lee’s Summit West.

Whitney also played on two state-championship teams at Rock Bridge in 1975 and ’77 and was an assistant coach for the Bruins under Coach John Henage during title game appearances in 1992 and ’93.

● COMING SOON: The all-state football teams and final polls selected by media members will be released this week. The Tribune All-Area team will also be revealed in next Sunday’s newspaper.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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