Thursday, March 16, 2000
Munoz named Ohio's best
Mason junior is Ms. Basketball
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When Michelle Munoz arrived home from basketball practice at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, she knew something was up.
“My brother, Michael, told me congratulations and gave me a hug,” the 17-year-old daughter of NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman Anthony Munoz said. “He then told about the award.
Munoz, a 6-foot center for Mason's No.1-ranked and undefeated girls basketball team, was named Ohio's Ms. Basketball Wednesday by the Associated Press. The award is given annually to Ohio's best female high school player.
“This is exciting and beyond my wildest expectations,” Munoz said. “All at once this week, everything came toward me and it's amazing.
On Monday, Munoz, who averaged 20.4 points and 11 rebounds in the regular season, made the Division I all-state first team and was named the division's player of the year.
“If someone would have told me during the summer that Michelle would win both awards, I would have disagreed,” Mason coach Gerry Lackey said.
“Michelle's amount of improvement is incredible. She stepped up her game in all aspects. By this I mean she was more aggressive, both on offense and defense, and is the type of player who can take control of a game.”
As a freshman, Munoz earned a starting position. During the past two plus seasons with Munoz as a starter, Mason has a 75-2 record, losing only to Chaminade-Julienne in 1998 and Pickerington last year.
“As an underclassman, Michelle didn't want to grab the limelight,” Lackey said. “She did what she could do to help the team, but this season she came back a different player.”
During the summer, Munoz verbally committed to the University of Tennessee, the same school where her brother will play football.
She says her recent awards won't affect her focus.
“I plan to forget about the awards and have some fun this weekend in Columbus,” Munoz said. “I knew about Ms Basketball but it never crossed my mind that I may win it.”
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