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Keough Highlights Signings

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By CRISTINA LEDRA and EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 15, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - Land O' Lakes' Kayli Keough spent countless days playing in basketball tournaments at all corners of the country, but it was the Florida State team camp that led to her signing her letter-of-intent with FSU on Tuesday in a ceremony with four other Land O' Lakes signees.

Florida State was almost immediately enamored with her skills, size and potential. She won almost every honor they gave out.

"Ever since I verbally committed I knew I was going there but now with the signing I've been thinking a lot more about how things are going to be when I'm up there and it's definitely really set in," Keough said.

FSU's coaches told Land O' Lakes coach Laurie Pacholke that in 11 years only three others have earned scholarships after going through the Seminoles' camp.

"You figure they sign three or four kids a year," Pacholke said. "The chances of getting noticed are pretty slim."
Keough was Florida State's first verbal commitment of the signing class of 2008, which means she gets perks like first pick of jersey number and rooming options.

Also signing at Land O' Lakes were Alexis AuBuchon, who signed a softball scholarship with West Point, Brittany Knipp, who signed a softball scholarship with Stetson, Jessica Bryant, who signed a volleyball scholarship with Saint Leo, and Danielle Priest, who signed a volleyball scholarship with Hillsborough Community College.
AuBuchon earned her scholarship by writing to West Point's coaches as a freshman because she wanted to follow her dad's footsteps in the military and also wanted to play softball.

"I like the discipline and I don't like the typical college party scene," AuBuchon said. "I wanted to go to a smaller school."

At Zephyrhills, infielder Ashley Anderton signed a softball scholarship with Eastern Illinois.

"I even asked my dad, 'Do you really think I could get a D-I?'" Anderton said. "It just doesn't even seem real."

Considering the yet-to-be-done high school career Tenisha Dixon has experienced and her impending college career, Dexter Dixon thinks of his daughter as an architect.

"The first thing an architect probably has is the vision, then they draw it out; well, she had the vision through coaching and teaching, she did it on the field, which is almost like the blueprint," he said after Tenisha, a senior at Mitchell, signed her letter-of-intent to play softball at the University of Central Florida.

The Mustangs outfielder, who carries a 4.4 GPA, plans to major in zoology and minor in Spanish. Although the official work is done, Tenisha promised that her work on the field and the classroom is far from done.

"From personal experience, watching people, I need to kind of pretend like I don't have it," Dixon said. "So when I get to UCF, it will be better in the long run."

For Regenia Dixon, Wednesday was a culmination of plenty of work, not just from Tenisha, but as a family.

"I don't know that words can express how much hard work and dedication goes into being a parent of an athlete," Regenia said. "It is rejuvenating to see, at this point, all of our hard work and success has come to fruition."

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