KINGSVILLE, Texas - Texas A&M-Kingsville Head Women's Basketball Coach Michael Madrid finalized his first signing class this week to bring the total number of newcomers for the upcoming season to nine following his first year at the helm of the program.

"We are thrilled with the group of young ladies who have chosen to become a part of our university and basketball program," said Madrid. Each one brings a unique skill set that will help us lay a solid foundation as we continue to help this program grow."

Four of the newcomers for the 2020-21 season signed in the early signing period, while five more joined the ranks following the start of the spring signing period.

The four from the early signing period include Devon Williams, Janessa Payne, Annelise Dominguez, and Veyda Lake, while the five who signed on in the spring include Jayde Tschritter, Mia Rivers, Rebekah Hailey, Brianna Pena, and Mia Cherry.

"More importantly," added Madrid, "these young women are strong academically and will leave a lasting impression within our campus and community."

Devon Williams - F, 6-2, Fr., Gonzales, Texas (Gonzales HS)
A two-sport athlete from Gonzales High School, Williams comes to Kingsville after an illustrious career for the Apaches' girls' basketball and track and field teams.

Named Newcomer of the Year the first season with the squad, Williams was twice named Defensive MVP on the court and made the area playoffs in addition to her prowess on the track. As a member of the track and field team, she went to state twice, made the regionals on three separate occasions and qualified for the Texas Relays on another.

Her senior season at Gonzales included a District 27-4A MVP award as she led the team to the area round of the playoffs and was named TABC All-Region.

The daughter of Robert and Danielle Williams, she is currently undecided on her major as she attends TAMUK.

Janessa Payne - F, 5-10, Fr., Aledo, Texas (All Saints Episcopal School / Aledo HS)

A highly decorated two-sport athlete from All Saints Episcopal School by way of Aledo High School, Payne comes to the Steinke Physical Education Center after leading her teams to the 20-win plateau as a sophomore for the Lady Cats and junior for the Saints in addition to crossing the 1,200-point threshold in her career.

Payne was twice named Second Team All-District 6-5A for Aledo in addition to guiding the team to the 2017 and 2018 Bi-District Championships. As a member of the softball team, she was named 2019 District 1-6A Newcomer of the Year for the Saints, earned a spot on the Second Team All-State, and ended up with a First Team All-District accolade.

Her senior season at All Saints Episcopal featured a 30-1 team record as they reached the playoffs yet again as she was named 6A TAPPS All-District, All-State, and Academic All-State to complete the trio of awards.

The daughter of Jessica Greenough, she will pursue a degree in pre-medicine as she makes her way to Kingsville.

Annelise Dominguez - G, 5-9, Fr., El Paso, Texas (Chapin HS)

A two-time Bi-District Champion from Chapin High School, Dominguez joins the Javelinas after surpassing the 1,700-point career scoring mark as a four-year letterwinner for the Huskies.

Dominguez was Co-Newcomer of the Year for her first season with the girls' basketball team before being named Co-Offensive MVP as well as gathering a First Team All-District honor. She scored her 1,700th career point for the Huskies midway through the 2019-20 season to wrap up her career.

Her senior season also featured a 5A District MVP honor, was named to the All-District and El Paso All-City teams, and guided her squad to the area round of the playoffs.

The daughter of Daniel Dominguez and Jody Avitia, she will pursue a degree in accounting as she attends TAMUK.

Veyda Lake - F, 6-1, Fr., Houston, Texas (Clear Brook HS)

A three-time All-Academic honoree for Clear Brook High School, Lake comes to Kingsville after a distinguished career both on and off the court for the Wolverines.

In addition to her awards in the classroom, Lake was named All-District in three seasons for the girls' basketball team, twice as a Second Team and once as a First Team award winner, and helped lead her team to clinch the bronze bracket in the district tournament.

Lake tacked on another All-District selection her senior season at Clear Brook in addition to a Academic All-District accolade.

The daughter of Michael and Kelly, she will pursue a degree in architectural engineering when she comes to Kingsville.

Jayde Tschritter - G, 5-6, Fr., Corpus Christi, Texas (DME Academy / Flour Bluff HS)

An All-South Texas selection while attending Flour Bluff High School, Tschritter joins the Javelinas after spending her final prep year as team captain for DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla., where she was named First Team All-Conference following the 2019-20 season.

While at Flour Bluff, Tschritter was a three-time All-Tournament selection for the Hornet in addition to landing on the All-Region team in 2019. She was named 2019 Defensive MVP for the squad and was a 2018 Second Team All-District selection before heading to Florida for her senior year. While at DME Academy, she helped guide the team to a 30-9 record her final year while averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

The daughter of Gordon and Ellen, she is undecided on her major while she attends TAMUK.

Mia Rivers - G, 5-6, Fr., College Station, Texas (College Station HS)

A 2020 state semifinalist for College Station High School, Rivers comes to Kingsville after gathering nearly every honor possible for the Cougars.

Rivers helped lead the team to three District, Bi-District and Area Championships in her four years as the team twice claimed the Aggieland Invitational Championship in 2019 and 2020. The 2020 season proved to be the most successful in her four years as the team claimed the regional championship and ended the postseason run as a state semifinalist.

The 2017 season saw Rivers named District Newcomer of the year, while she was named All-Brazos Valley and First Team All-District in 2018. 2019 featured another First Team All-District selection before the 2020 season saw her gather seven different honors. She was named All-Brazos Valley once again, was named the District Defensive Player of the Year, named TGCA All-Region and All-State as well as TABC All-State, made the TGCA Legacy All-Star team, a nominee for the McDonald's All-American team and concluded her playing career as a CSISD Hall of Fame honoree. Her accomplishments proved equally plentiful off the court as she was also a four-time Academic All-District selection for the Cougars.

The daughter of Rodney and Sandra, she will pursue a degree in biology when she comes to Kingsville.

Rebekah Hailey - G, 5-10, Fr., College Station, Texas (College Station HS)

Another highly decorated student-athlete from College Station High School, Hailey joins her teammate Rivers in Kingsville with countless accolades gathered during her time with the Cougars.

A four-year letterwinner and four-year District All-Academic honoree, Hailey was named All-District honorable mention as a freshman before spending her junior and senior seasons breaking team records and landing more honors. She was twice named First Team All-District, was named All-Region both years, was twice a State All-Academic selection, named All-Brazos Valley her final two years, and capped her senior season with an All-State selection and McDonald's All-American nomination.

Following her junior year, Hailey set four separate school records, including most steals in a season (166), most three-pointers made in a game (6), most three-pointers made in a season (76), and most three-pointers made in a career (87). In addition to her prowess on the court, she also shined for the girls' soccer team as she led the team to the 2016-17 regional tournament before pushing the team to the state quarterfinals in 2018-19.

The daughter of David and Camille, she will pursue a degree in finance as she attends TAMUK.

Brianna Pena - G, 5-8, Jr., Weslaco, Texas (Hill College / Weslaco HS)

One of two junior college transfers joining the squad, Pena will spend her last two years with the Javelinas after spending the first two at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas.

While playing for the Rebels, Pena finished her career with 576 points, sixth-most all-time in program history, added 230 field goals made for a new program record, and 91 steals for the 10th-most all-time in program history. She was an All-NTJCAC selection following the 2019-20 season, was named to the NJCAA Academic All-America team, and was an NTJCAC All-Academic selection in each of her two years.

Hill College ended up with a 41-20 record with Pena on the roster, reached the Region V Tournament both years to extend the program's consecutive streak to six, and was part of the 2019 NTJCAC Conference Championship team that finished the season ranked No. 25 in the nation.

Prior to her time at Hill College, Pena prepped at Weslaco High School for four years. The daughter of Joe Pena and Sarah Castillo, she will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering when she comes to Kingsville.

Mia Cherry - G, 5-8, Jr., Brock, Texas (Blinn College / Brock HS)

The second junior college transfer to join the ranks, Cherry comes to Kingsville after spending the last two years as a member of the Blinn College women's basketball program.

While at Blinn, Cherry was a Region XIV All-Conference honorable mention for the No. 24-ranked team in the nation as she averaged 9.7 points per game. She helped lead the team to the regional tournament as the Buccaneers ended the season in the Region XIV Semifinals.

Prior to her time at Blinn, Cherry was a six-sport athlete at Brock High School as she spent time on the girls' basketball, track and field, softball, cross country, volleyball, and cheerleading teams. As a member of the basketball team, she was named First Team All-District in 2017, was named TABC All-Region and TGCA All-State in 2018, was named the District Defensive MVP in 2018 and was also selected to play in the Chicken Express and TABC All-Star games.

Her senior season for the Eagles saw her lead the team to an undefeated regular season and a postseason run to the state semifinals in 2018. In addition to her prowess on the court, she was also named the District Newcomer of the Year and two-time First Team All-District as a member of the softball team, was a state qualifier and four-time regional qualifier in the long jump as a member of the track and field team, and was a regional qualifier as a member of the cross country team.

The daughter of Chris and Damien, she will pursue a degree in biology as she attends TAMUK.

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