July 15, 2008
Eagles add freshman guard
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team announced that 5'7" freshman guard Laura "Cootie" Leeberg (Lombard, Illinois) has signed a grand-in-aid to compete for Head Coach Rick Stein's Screaming Eagles in 2008-09.
Leeberg graduated from Montini Catholic High School (Lombard, Illinois) where she earned five varsity letters in basketball, volleyball, and track. Leeberg averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game to help lead MCHS to a third-place finish in the 2008 IHSA Class 3A State Tournament.
During her four-year career at MCHS, Leeberg was a part of four conference, sectional, and regional championship squads. She earned All-Conference honors as a junior and a senior and was MCHS's Athlete of the Year during her senior campaign.
The team captain as a junior and a senior, Leeberg also was named honorable mention All-Area by the Chicago Sun Times during her senior year.
In addition to the All-Conference and All-Area awards, Leeberg earned All-Tournament honors for the Chicagoland Christmas Classic as a junior and a senior as well as the 2006 Niles West Thanksgiving Tournament. She helped the Lady Broncos capture the Chicagoland Christmas Classic championship during her senior season.
Leeberg, who earned Academic All-Conference honors in basketball and track, also guided her AAU squad to state titles in 2006 and 2007 as well as the Mid-America Challenge championship in 2006.
"Laura is a winner who makes things happen on the court," Stein said. "She is in your face defensively and will be the first player on the floor after the ball or to step into the lane to take the charge."
Leeberg joins 5'5" sophomore guard Ellen Young (Salem, Illinois), 5'4" freshman guard Rinesha Soaper (Henderson, Kentucky), 5'7" freshman guard Lauren Luce (Vincennes, Indiana), 5'10 freshman forward Taylor Miller (Pendleton Heights, Indiana), and 6'0" junior guard/forward Abby Williams (St. Joseph, Illinois) on USI's list of incoming players for the 2008-09 season.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
