Falcons bolster post with Illinois recruit

8/17/2013

BOWLING GREEN — The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team has added Leah Bolton to the roster for the coming season.

Bolton, a 5-foot-11 post player who was a two-time All-Illinois selection at Marist High School, originally signed a national letter of intent with the University of Illinois last November. But Bolton was denied admission to Illinois after failing to meet that school’s academic requirements, and the school released her from her national letter of intent.

Bolton has been approved for admission to Bowling Green and will have four years of eligibility with the Falcons starting with this season.

“We are excited to add another member to the incoming freshman class,” BG women’s coach Jennifer Roos said in a release. “Leah and her family visited recently and there was an immediate connection with everyone on the visit to Bowling Green. She earned numerous accolades and achieved many successes during her career at Marist High School and with her AAU organization, Illinois Xcitement.

“Leah will be able to impact our roster immediate. She has worked very hard throughout her career on the floor and in the classroom and is a very high achieving young person.”

Bolton averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Marist, helping the RedHawks post a 24-10 record. As a junior she averaged 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as Marist finished 32-2.

Bolton, who finished second on the school’s all-time list with 1,735 points, was named second team all-state both seasons.

Bolton is the fourth player in this year’s freshman class, joining Kennedy Kirkpatrick, Rachel Konieczki and Abby Siefker. Transfer Erica Donovan will be eligible this season after sitting out last year following her transfer from North Carolina State.

The Falcons return seven letterwinners, including three starters, from last year’s 24-11 squad that reached the third round of the WNIT before losing to eventual champ Drexel.