Baker Named Region X Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year
DENMARK, SC -- SMC head basketball coach Melissa (MJ) Baker has been named Region X Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year in only her second year at the helm of the Lady Pioneers.
Baker coached the 2011 Lady Pioneers to a 21-10 overall record and an undefeated 11-0 region record.
"It is an honor to be nominated by my peers as Coach of the Year in Region X. This award is a reflection of my team's hard work, dedication and success throughout the season. I am so blessed to be able to coach a team with so much heart and determination. These young ladies would make any coach look good," says Baker.
SMC won the Region X tournament on Saturday, Feb. 26, with a 70-56 victory over Clinton Junior College.
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(above, l-r) SMC Lady Pioneers head basketball coach Melissa Baker; Dr. Michael M. Townsend, president of Denmark Technical College; and Rodrick Woods, Region X director, and Clinton Junior College's athletic director and women's basketball coach |
Two SMC players, Tequila McNeal and Whitley Smith, were named All-Region X players.
The Lady Pioneers will play against Region 17 champion Georgia Perimeter College on Saturday, March 5, for the District J championship. The District J champion will advance to the NJCAA Division I national tournament.
Baker's previous coaching experience includes one year as an assistant women's basketball coach at Spring Hill College, in Mobile, Ala., a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference NAIA member institution; and two years as head coach of the Pensacola Flames AAU team in Pensecola, FL.
Also, Baker serves as a Pro Staff Skill Development Instructor for Ganon Baker Basketball the last two years. She has worked the Michael Jordan Camp, Chris Paul Camp, Nike Girl's regional skills academies and Nike nationals skills academy training the top girls and boys in the nation.
Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The College is in its 100th academic year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.
For more information please contact athletic director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237.
