Warren's Barger commits to Youngstown State
A pair of Youngstown State University Penguins flanked Amanda Barger as she signed her national letter of intent at Warren on Wednesday.
The girl in the middle was the real deal.
The Penguins were not.
They stood four feet and were made from pink insulation foam board.
Lynn Barger made the clever, crafty cutouts using a jig saw, a wood-burning tool and red, black, yellow and white paint.
"My mom's very talented with art," said Barger, Lynn and Eric's youngest of three kids.
"(The penguin cutouts) were supposed to be a surprise, but then I walked in when she was making them at home."
Talent runs in the Barger family.
Amanda Barger, a 5-9 senior guard, steps on the basketball court as a four-year varsity starter when Warren hosts Loyola next Wednesday. Her sister, Olivia (track), and brother, Jonny (hockey), were also Warren athletes.
"Amanda is an energy kid," Warren coach John Stanczykiewicz said. "Amanda is just perpetual motion on the floor, from looking for her shot to getting in the passing lanes on defense to getting rebounds. She's just all over the floor. It's hard to miss Amanda when you watch her because she's always near the ball and always in the middle of something."
Barger averaged close to 9 points per game as a junior, earning honorable mention all-conference honors. Her game has shown steady improvement since her freshman year, and she's confident she'll take another step this season.
"My ball-handling and my three-point shot have improved tremendously," Barger said. "My shot has improved a lot since last year because I've been working on it a lot. That's what my college coach likes. He likes three-point shooters."
At Youngstown State, which is located in Youngstown, Ohio, Barger will play for head coach Bob Boldon, who last year took over a program coming off a winless season. The Penguins posted 6 wins last season. They were one of the nation's top mid-majors during the 1990s, qualifying for the NCAA tournament three times.
"I really connected with the coaches," Barger said. "With the new coach coming in, I can get a lot of playing time and opportunities. I don't want to go sit the bench, so I felt this was a good fit for me."
With the return of Barger, 6-3 center Jessica Prince, who will sign with Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Monday, and two-year all-area guard Lexi Leneau, Warren (15-13 last season) should be the favorite in the North Suburban Lake Division.
"I think it's a good thing," Barger said. "We don't want to let people down. They have such high expectations for us, and we want to meet them."
Expectations for Barger are high, too.
"She has a tremendous upside, she plays with a lot of energy, and she's athletic," Stanczykiewicz said. "She's long. She's wide. She's 5-10, but can play a guard. And the college game is going to big guards."