Prospect Spotlight: Sara McCullough (2019)

<span style="font-weight: 400">A top-10 prospect in Iowa’s Class of 2019, current Ankeny senior and future North Iowa Panther <strong>Sara McCullough</strong> could have a monster season ahead of her. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">As a junior with Ankeny she averaged 16.2 points per game, and also led the team in blocks and rebounding. At 6-foot-1, she’s big enough to be dominant in the paint at the high school level, but is just so happens she’s one of the state’s best shooters, too. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“Definitely shooting is a strength, I love to be behind the 3-point line and shooting,” said McCullough. “I’ve worked a lot on my inside game and some post work since we don’t have a lot of height on our team.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">She’ll continue to hone her skill-set in the paint as the winter wears on with Ankeny. But once she gets to Cedar Falls, she says it’ll be her fluid and precise outside shooting that will be emphasized. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“I’d say they’re going to develop me as more of an outside player, they know that shooting is my main skill-set. Since 6’1 is basically short for that level, I see myself playing more on the outside at the college level," said McCullough.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">A product of the nation’s best 17U grassroots team, All Iowa Attack, McCullough had plenty of praise for the organization and coaches. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">She started with AIA in eighth-grade and made huge strides from then to now.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“It was the most amazing experience I’ve had in my whole life. Dickson (Jensen) is the best coach I’ve ever had, hands down. He cares about you, he cares about the players and he pushes you so hard to be the best player you can be,” said McCullough. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“It was hard, because they wanted to prepare us for college level practices and games. And that’s the main things we worked on was pushing the ball and stamina and conditioning.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">But before she heads to Northern Iowa, she’s got a big senior season in front of her. Last season, Ankeny made huge strides in what’s been a long process back to relevance after the Jags/Hawks split in 2013.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">This season, with McCullough at the helm, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding Ankeny. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“I’m going to take on more of that leader role this year and I’m trying to get the other seniors and juniors to step us as well and help the younger girls,” said McCullough. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400">The Hawks will get some run while scrimmaging Valley and Dowling this weekend, before the season starts next Tuesday</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">“That'll be a big test for us,” said McCullough “But I definitely think we can take some good teams this year.”</span>