Four Vaqueros sign with 4-year schools from coast to coast

Four student-athletes from the SBCC women's basketball team signed with four-year schools on Thursday to continue playing from coast to coast.

Destinee King, the WSC North MVP in 2016 and a two-time All-State player, is going to Our Lady of the Lake, an NAIA Div. 1 school in San Antonio, Texas. Alyssa Cosio and Stella Dulay will transfer to Eastern Nazarene in Quincy, Mass., and Jocelin Petatan will play for the NCAA Div. 3 Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz.

"Don't ever forget this moment because you worked very hard to be sitting here today and moving on to a four-year school academically and athletically," said SBCC coach Sandrine Krul. "Everyone here is so very proud of you."

Krul has sent 55 student-athletes to four-year schools in her 13-year career. Nine of those players have traveled across the country to play at Eastern Nazarene College, an NCAA Div. 3 school, in the last six years.

 Destinee King, 6-0 Soph. G/F from Center High (Antelope, CA): A two-time All-State athlete and the MVP of the WSC North in 2016. She made All-State South Region this year after averaging 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds (No. 14 in the state).
 King had 16 double-doubles in 26 games in 2016-17 and 32 in 54 career games.
 She led the conference in season scoring for two straight years (18.0 and 19.0). In 2016-17, she was No. 1 in the WSC North in scoring (21.8), rebounds (11.7) and blocked shots (2.1) while ranking 2nd in steals (3.0). Her best game came in the conference opener at Cuesta when she tallied a career-high 31 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks, four assists and three steals.
 She plans to major in Sociology at Our Lady of the Lake.
 "I fell in love with the school right when I got there," said King. "The people are great and the coach seems like a tough coach. That will be exciting to be coached by someone who's really hard on you."
 The Saints' head coach is Christopher Minner and he has an impressive 138-28 record (.831) in six seasons with five straight Red River Athletic Conference regular-season championships.
 "I loved it here at City College," King stated. "I loved all the people I met and the coaches and friends I made. I really grew a lot from when I got here two years ago."

 Jocelin Petatan, 5-7 Soph. G/F from Santa Barbara High: She averaged 8.2 points and was 2nd in the conference in shooting (47.6 percent) in her sophomore year as the Vaqueros went 15-12 and 4-6. She was first-team All-WSC North in 2016, averaging 9.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.6 steals in conference play.
 She's going to major in Sociology and wants to get into Early Childhood Education.
 "I visited Santa Cruz before and I love the energy and the academics there," said Petatan. "It's a good fit for me.
 "It's been a ride here at City College. When I first got here, I was struggling and almost said, 'I'm done,' after one week because it was so stressful. But I got help from everyone, my teammates, my friends and mentors and they helped me get on the right track."

 Alyssa Cosio, 5-10 Soph. G/F from Santa Barbara High: Played for the Vaqueros in 2014-15 and 2016-17 with career averages of 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds.
 She plans to major in Physical Therapy.
 "I'd read a lot of good things about Eastern Nazarene and when I went to visit, the atmosphere was really good," said Cosio, who ranked 2nd in WSC 3-point shooting at 36.4 percent. "It's a tight-knit school, so you get to know people and create a better circle of friends.
 "I've been through a lot in my three years here (she redshirted in 2015-16). It's definitely helped shape me as a person and made me grow. It's been really fun."

 Stella Dulay, 5-10 Soph. G/F from Pioneer Valley High (Santa Maria): Like Cosio, Dulay played on the 2014-15 Vaquero team and returned to play in the 2016-17 campaign. The left-hander who loves the 3's averaged 9.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in her 52-game career. She led the 2016-17 squad with 41 3-pointers.
 She's going to major in Sports Management.
 "I liked the environment and all-around, they seemed like really good people," she said of her visit to Eastern Nazarene. "My first year at SBCC was amazing. Then I redshirted and I got to see things on and off the court and tried to build myself for my second year. I love my teammates. They're really amazing and fun."

Krul wanted to emphasize that it wasn't just the players choosing the college but the college wanting to have these players on their team.

"This is the result of two and sometimes three years of hard work," said Krul. "These schools saw something in you and don't ever forget that. That's something no one can ever take away from you. Enjoy it because not everyone has this opportunity.

"We had a close group this year and it was a fun year, largely due to these four players. We struggled a little but when you have a good foundation, you can get through the struggles."