OUTSTANDING PLAYER: GIRLS BASKETBALL.....
WHY SHE WON:
One of the most highly recruited athletes ever to come from Arkansas, Central Arkansas Christian’s 5-11 junior guard Christyn Williams has tallied eye-popping numbers for years. This season, Williams averaged 26 points per game, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.9 assists per game, helping lead the Lady Mustangs to a 29-5 record and earning her the title of 2017 All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year in Girls Basketball. Not only did Williams put up these amazing numbers; she did so with efficiency, shooting 58.4 percent from the floor and 72.9 percent from the line. While showcasing her talent on the court and getting so much attention from premier universities — since the seventh grade for some recruiters — Williams takes pride in staying humble. Williams uses her ambidexterity to her advantage. She writes with her right hand and shoots with her left. “I utilize that to the max. It’s harder to guard someone who’s equally handed because you can’t push them to an off hand,” she said. Williams’ role model for sports is Tennessee Lady Volunteer senior guard Diamond DeShields. “When I was in seventh grade, when I first started being recruited, I looked up to her. She talks very well, so I would watch her on her interviews and see how to answer questions, and just the way she carries herself: ladylike,” Williams said. “And on the court, she’s a beast. She’s a good role model.” In all, Williams has had 27 scholarship offers from top-tier basketball schools. She said she has narrowed her decision among five schools: Baylor, Notre Dame, UCLA, UConn and Tennessee. Central Arkansas Christian girls basketball coach Steve Quattlebaum said Christyn has improved every year she has been with the team and has worked hard for what she has earned. “[I’m] really proud of her. [2017 All-Arkansas Preps Girls Basketball Player of the Year] is probably the top award you can win in Arkansas, [with some] really impressive past winners,” he said. “It is a great award and one she is very deserving of.” Quattlebaum added that he has never seen a player as driven as Williams to succeed and meet goals. Along with playing for Central Arkansas Christian, Williams has also been a member of the USA Women’s U17 World Championship Team since 2016, which has afforded her the opportunity to play alongside elite athletes as they travel across the nation and overseas for international competition. From being on team USA to being named the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year for 2016 and 2017, Williams has worked her way up to being among the top two recruits in the nation for the 2018 recruiting class.
[Earning this award] is a blessing. It is an honor. Hopefully, I will continue to stay healthy and keep achieving these awards.”