FORT MYERS, Fla. - Head coach
Karl Smesko and the FGCU women's basketball program has announced the signing of three student-athletes for the 2020-21 recruiting class.
Maddie Antenucci
5-10 Guard
Cincinnati, Ohio / Indian Hills HS
Antenucci was a First Team All-Ohio selection last year at Indian Hill, where she averaged 19.6 points per game and was named the Cincinnati Hills League Athlete of the Year. In fact, she enters her senior year as a three-time First Team All-Cincinnati Hills League selection. As a junior, she led the league in scoring and finishing among the top five in field goal percentage (.461), blocks (1.5/game) and steals (3.3/game) while leading her team to its first CHC title since 2011-12. As a sophomore, she poured in a career-high 31 points in a 52-43 win over Deer Park, and she has totaled 63 games with at least 10 points in her career.
"Maddie is a versatile guard with good size," Smesko said. "She is an excellent shooter and a really good all-around player."
Antenucci, who intends to pursue a career as a dermatologist, holds a 4.18 GPA, is a three-time scholar-athlete and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was drawn to FGCU because of its strong science program, which will help her with an intended biology major.
"I chose FGCU because of the highly successful program, but moreover the staff is second to none," Antenucci said of her decision. "From the beginning, I felt a sense of trust with them. I know that the players and coaches will challenge me not only as a person but also as a player."
Seneca Hackley
5-9 Guard
Colorado Springs, Colo. / Saint Mary's HS
Hackley, a two-time Colorado 3A state champion, was named First Team All-Colorado as a junior. She was selected to play in the Tri-Peaks and "The Show" 1A-3A all-star games and broke the Saint Mary's High School record for highest free throw percentage in a season (.820) while averaging 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, four steals and three assists per game as a team captain.
"Seneca is a lock-down defender who can shoot the three and take the ball to the basket," Smesko said. "She makes good decisions with the ball."
Furthermore, Hackley helped lead Saint Mary's to its first-ever state championship as a sophomore, where she was named Honorable Mention All-Colorado. She had a game-high 18 points in the title game as a junior while helping her team go back-to-back.
Hackley, who aspires to become a nurse in a third world country to help children and families who don't have access to healthcare, has a 3.6 GPA. She is a four-time academic honor roll student, has mentored new and transfer students and completed over 100 hours of community service in her time at Saint Mary's.
"I loved the championship level that the team competes at, the fast style of play, beautiful campus and awesome community feel," Hackley said of her decision. "Plus, they have a great group of coaches who really know the game well."
Tomia Johnson
5-6 Point Guard
Colorado Springs, Colo. / Grandview HS
Johnson helped lead Grandview to its second-straight Class 5A state championship as a sophomore before recording a runner-up finish last year. As a junior, she averaged 7.5 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game, which helped her earn a roster spot in the A-Town All-Star Game. She earned First Team All-Colorado recognition and was also ranked as the 30th-best point guard in the nation by espnW.
"Tomia is a lightning fast point guard who can really push the pace in conversion," Smesko said. "She makes a lot of defensive plays."
Johnson, who resides in Aurora and won a national championship in tumbling, is considering a career in accounting and plans to pursue that as a major with a civil engineering minor.
"I love the staff, the team and the opportunity to play for a winning program that will compete in the postseason," Johnson said of her decision.
Notes
The FGCU women's basketball team is currently 3-0 to begin the 2019-20 campaign.
Davion Wingate (Atlanta, Ga./Stephenson HS) is averaging a team-best 22 points per contest, and the Eagles will travel to Princeton on Sunday for a battle between two of the top mid-majors in the country.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and mini-plan packages for the 2019-20 FGCU women's basketball team are now on sale. More information can be accessed by visiting FGCUTickets.com. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 AM-5 PM.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.
SUPPORT THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Do you enjoy watching or following the FGCU women's basketball program? Would you like to play a role in the growth of the program and help take it to heights never before experienced? If so, you can reach out to Director of Advancement, Matt Ring, about opportunities to make an impact on the experiences of our student-athletes. He can be reached by email at mring@fgcu.edu or by office phone at 239-745-4434.
COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2018-19 Eagles to the program's fifth undefeated conference regular season since 2011-12, as well as the ninth consecutive season with at least 25 victories. The Green and Blue finished 28-5 overall and 16-0 in ASUN play, capturing the team's ninth ASUN regular season championship and sixth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season receiving votes in the final AP Poll and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in eight seasons before falling to host No. 19 Miami in the first round. It was the team's 12th-straight postseason appearance in 12 years of Division-I existence - the only program to ever do such.
Over the past five seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30-plus win seasons while recording a 149-28 (.841) record overall. That win total ranks eighth-best in the nation over that stretch - the most among all mid-majors and ahead of programs such as Oregon State and Stanford.
Including 2018-19, Smesko has also guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons. He maintains a record of 527-119 (.816) overall in his career (third highest winning percentage among active D1 coaches behind only UConn's Geno Auriemma and Baylor's Kim Mulkey), including a 186-16 (.921) mark in ASUN play. Over the past eight seasons (including 2018-19), he has guided FGCU to a 124-4 (.969) record in conference play with five undefeated seasons. The now nine-time ASUN Coach of the Year earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than Auriemma.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
