Women's Basketball Adds Three for 2020-21

HARTSVILLE, S.C. - Coker University women's basketball has added Ari'yana Hayes, Abigail Keesling and Haley McClure to its 2020-21 recruiting class, announced today (Wednesday, July 1) by head coach Shannon Johnson.

Hayes comes to Hartsville from Loris High School, where she played basketball for the Lions. On the hardwood, she was an All-Region selection as well as a 2020 SCBCA North-South All-Star. She also played for the Loris All-Stars and Big Shots Elite. Off the court, she was an A Honor Roll student and a member of both the Beta Club and the National Honor Society.

"We are pleased to sign Ariyana to our Coker family," said Johnson. "She's a dynamic player with the ability to be able to play multiple positions for us this season. Her ball handling skills are great for her size and will be able to play with her back to the basket as well." 

The Loris, S.C. native is the daughter of Dirk and Regina Martin, and plans to major in sport management.

Keesling comes from Alleghany High School where she ran track and field, cross country, and played tennis and basketball for the Trojans. On the court, she was a three-time All-Conference selection and also an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection. In her high school career, she totaled 1,355 points. She was named to the All-MVAC Tournament Team, MVAC Player of the Year and the MVAC Tournament MVP. She was also named to the All-District 11 First Team and the All-Northwest Team by the Winston-Salem Journal. On the track, she was an All-Conference selection in the high jump and also an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection. In the classroom, she was named to the Principle's List, the Top 20 and was a junior marshal. She was also a member of the Beta Club.

"We are excited to sign Abigail to our Coker family," said Johnson. "Abigail will be adding depth to our guard position. She's a smart and strong-minded player. She's a treat behind the three-point line and a hard-nosed defensive player."

The Ennice, N.C. native is the daughter of Gary and Kathy Keesling, and plans to major in physical education with a concentration in exercise science.

McClure comes to Coker from Greenbrier East High School where she played basketball and volleyball for the Spartans. On the basketball court, she was a four-time West Virginia AAA All-State selection (2020 First Team, 2019 First Team, 2018 First Team, 2017 Second Team), while also being named a First Team All-State selection by MaxPreps. She was named to the 2020 All-Register Herald First Team, and was also a four-time All-WOAY selection. She led her team to two West Virginia state tournament appearances, being named to the AAA All-Tournament Team in 2019. She was named the WOAY Player of the Week in January 2020, while also being named to the USJN Tournament All-Tournament Team. She was also named to the USA Today High Shool Girls Basketball First Team in 2019, while being named the West Virginia Basketball Friday Night Standout Athlete of the Week in December 2019. She finshed her high school career with 1,758 points. She also played AAU for the Lady Copperheads. Academically, she was a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the Honor Roll. She was also a Greenbrier Scholar and graduated with honors. She was also involved with HOSA, the National Honor Society and Junior ROTC.

"We are thrilled to sign Haley to our Coker family," said Johnson. "Haley is a strong two-way player. Her ability to score on the offensive end and her length on the defensive end will combine well for us. She understands the game and will adjust to anything teams throw at her on the court." 

The Clintonville, W.V. native is the daughter of Dawn and Stacey McClure, and plans to study medical technology.

The trio starts the 2020-21 recruiting class for Coker University women's basketball.