CYPRESS, CA – After two successful seasons in the Lady Chargers basketball program, sophomore standout, Gabrielle Carbajal, signed her letter of intent with NCAA Division II Humbolt State University on Tuesday.
"I chose Humbolt because I really enjoyed the coaching staff," said Carbajal. "They have a strong program and pay attention to all of the little details in player development. I felt like it was a perfect fit for me athletically and academically." Humbolt, located in Arcata, CA, and is a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
The back-to-back Orange Empire Conference Champion made a huge leap from her freshman to sophomore season. As a freshman, she came off the bench, averaging 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11 minutes per game. With a year of experience, including a CCCAA Regional Final appearance, the Rancho Alamitos High School alumna had a huge sophomore season for Head Coach Margaret Mohr. Carbajal averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as the starting point guard for Cypress. She was selected to the All-Orange Empire Conference First Team, and led the team to another postseason berth, where the Chargers upset Ventura College before falling to LA Trade Tech in the CCCAA Regional Final.
"I've had the best two years of my life here," added Carbajal. "My family is a huge part of that. They've helped me with school and have been patient with me during my career here at Cypress. The program here has been like no other experience. It's helped me grow into a better player and person."
Carbajal also received recognition from the Orange Empire Conference for her leadership and performance in the classroom. She was selected as the Female Cypress College Character Champion, which is presented to the student athlete who is looked upon as a positive role model, displaying the values of sportsmanship, respect, caring, fairness, civility, honesty and integrity.
"Cypress College and the Kinesiology Department have so many resources out there to help students," said Carbajal. "Also, Coach Mohr was always on us about study hall and keeping our grades up so we can play and move on to four-year schools."
The future Humbolt Lumberjack plans to major in Kinesiology and pursue a career in teaching and coaching upon graduation.
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