Colorado has produced some top-notch high school hoops talent in recent years, especially Ann Strother, now at Connecticut, and Katy Flecky, a freshman at Notre Dame. And this year, UConn-bound Liz Sherwood was named the state's Miss Basketball.

One thing all those players have in common is that they attended Highlands Ranch High School, Colorado's perennial power and three-time defending state champs. But this year, Highlands Ranch lost twice to their cross-town rival ThunderRidge, which was led by senior guard Emily Waner.

"They have always been the team that you compared yourself to in attempting to be the best," says Waner of Highlands Ranch. "This year we were the ones who wanted to raise the bar for the level of play. It was awesome to beat them twice, especially on our home court in front of such a huge crowd. It was even sweeter beating Ranch knowing how nationally recognized and what a good player Liz Sherwood is. And it was always an honor to play against Ann, I really look up to her."

After falling short in the Colorado Class 5A state semifinals in 2002, ThunderRidge was determined to produce a better ending to this season. They certainly achieved that goal--after downing Highlands Ranch in the semis, they topped Heritage High School 70-60 in the title game.

"I really think that the state championship came down to the fact that we wanted it more," Waner says. "We knew what it felt like to lose the year before in the state semifinals and that drive and desire propelled us to win. Also, our team was very unselfish from the bench to the starters and we played really well together."

Like many players, Waner had pregame rituals throughout the year. "I listened to the same CD before every game that I made at the beginning of the season, especially the Eminem song, 'Lose Yourself,' and I also ate the same pregame meal (salmon) for the second half of the season," she says. "The funny part of it was that I became pretty superstitious throughout the season, but before the championship game I threw out all those things and told myself that this game didn't come down to superstition. I told myself that I was ready to play and our team was well prepared."

She was right--the 5-8 Waner scored 24 points in the title game, including five three-pointers, to put the cap on an outstanding high school career. After her junior season, she was named First Team All-State by the Rocky Mountain News, Honorable Mention All-State by the Denver Post, First Team All-Continental League and a 2002 Street & Smith's Honorable Mention All-American. More honors are sure to follow this year.

Waner's talent has long drawn notice from college coaches. Beginning in her sophomore year, she received letters from all over the country. "The recruiting process was definitely both stressful and exciting," she says. "It became more and more stressful the closer it came to actually having to make a decision. It was fun, though, especially receiving my first letter, which came from UCLA."

Waner's final two choices were Kansas State and Colorado, but she decided to stay in state and head to nearby Boulder to play for Head Coach Ceal Barry. "What really made the final decision for me was when I did an unofficial visit to Colorado and I felt like I had established a sort of connection with Coach Barry," she says. "It was a belief that we were really going to make things happen at CU and there was a sense of commitment to it. I told her that I wanted to take CU to a Final Four or better.

"I like the way Coach Barry runs her program," she continues. "I like that she puts no individual above the team, because that is honestly what it takes to win a championship. I also like her discipline and the demands she has for her players."

Upon receiving Waner's Letter of Intent last fall, Barry said, "Emily is a great leader. We are really excited that she has decided to stay in-state and is coming to Colorado to go to school. We will really benefit from her ballhandling. She's a great kid; she's smart, has great leadership skills. I really think she is a steal on the recruiting trails."

Staying close to home was also a factor in Waner's choice of Colorado. "Playing basketball will not be just a part of college for me, but more my entire college life, and it will be nice to have my parents continued support firsthand as I continue my career," she says. "I want to still be able to watch my brother and sister grow up."

Waner's sister Abby is also an outstanding player--the 5-10 sophomore was a key contributor to ThunderRidge's title run, scoring 23 points in the title game. "It is the best feeling in the whole world to play with my sister and to see what we can accomplish together," Emily says. "We are both extremely competitive, especially in practice when we play against each other or on separate teams. Our games are somewhat similar, but also different. She is more of a slasher and can score at will. I handle the ball more and am more of a finesse player compared to her."

Waner, whose favorite subjects in high school are calculus and history (she's a 4.1 student), is looking forward to continuing her studies at Colorado. "I plan to go into the College of Business and someday end up with a MBA," she says. "Although I may try to double major with another sort of degree, too."

Last summer, Waner was invited to participate in the USA Basketball Development Festival along with most of the country's top high school players. "It was one of my greatest basketball experiences," she says. "For one, it was a great feeling to be at the Olympic Training Center and to put on USA Basketball clothes. I felt like I was in a sense representing my country. I loved being around all of the top players because that is really how you test how good you are at basketball and how far you need to go."

Article written by Gball Associate Editor Jim Catalano.

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