ROME TOWNSHIP, Ohio Ƶ Kamryn BarnitzƵs answer to whoƵs the best athlete in her family came with a giggle but was emphatic.
ƵMe,Ƶ the Fairland High School senior basketball player said last week before signing with West Florida University, an NCAA Division II program in Pensacola, Florida.
Her brother Teran and sister Reese Barnitz can make legitimate claims to the title. Teran played football at Army. Reese runs track and field and cross country at Wright State.
ƵBest female athlete, maybe,Ƶ Teran said, with a chuckle.
Reese, who also started for the DragonsƵ girls basketball team, didnƵt argue much with KamrynƵs declaration.
ƵMaybe not the fastest runner, but she probably is the best athlete,Ƶ Reese said, with a laugh. ƵSheƵs definitely the best teammate.Ƶ
Fairland coach Jon Buchanan agreed with Reese about the teammate part but declined to delve into the family-friendly squabble about who is the premier athlete.
ƵSheƵs just an amazingly delightful kid,Ƶ Buchanan said. ƵSheƵs a super leader on and off the floor. Her teammates absolutely love her. There are so many stories I could tell you of things she does for her teammates, for our coaches and our program.Ƶ
Kamryn Barnitz counters Teran and Reese with her versatility. She ran track and played golf and soccer. She started as a cheerleader and dancer in elementary school but found the urge to compete one-on-one alluring.
That two older siblings went through the recruiting process was a boon to Kamryn, who tapped into their knowledge.
ƵMy mom (Tracy) helped me a lot from going with my brother,Ƶ Kamryn Barnitz said. ƵHeƵs 10 years older than me, so when he was going with football, she didnƵt know all the recruiting stuff, about getting offers and such. Over time, especially with social media, sheƵs helped me a lot with that.Ƶ
Teran, who played at Army from 2015 through 2018, said he encouraged Kamryn to go where God led her.
ƵI told her to follow her heart,Ƶ he said. ƵIt doesnƵt necessarily have to be a big school or a really popular school. Wherever she felt like God was leading her and sheƵd have the best opportunity to have fun and better her future is where I told her to go.Ƶ
Reese Barnitz, a sophomore at Wright State, said she offered advice as a big sister. Reese also has talked with Kamryn about academics and how to prepare for college classes.
ƵSheƵs pretty independent,Ƶ Reese said of Kamryn. ƵI offered my opinions, but she was pretty set on what she wanted to do.Ƶ
Kamryn said she longed for the Sunshine State since she was little.
ƵFlorida has always been a dream of mine since middle school,Ƶ Kamryn Barnitz said. ƵI never really thought it would happen. ItƵs hard because schools that far away arenƵt watching me. I was really close to committing somewhere else in Ohio and my mom said to wait a little bit. I waited a week or two and was praying about it.Ƶ
Barnitz owned offers from several colleges and was mulling over Malone and Transylvania when she received a phone call from Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, the coach at West Florida and a former coach at West Virginia Tech. Lawrence Yelton had recruited Fairland players while at Tech and knew their reputations.
ƵOh my gosh, this was my dream,Ƶ Barnitz said. ƵI had to go.Ƶ
The fit was solid for more reasons than basketball. Barnitz plans to major in exercise science with the goal of being a physical therapist. The physical therapy program at West Florida along the Emerald Coast is well respected and services many professional athletes from the Tampa area.
Barnitz hasnƵt had to be a primary scorer in recent seasons, the last two of which Fairland made the state Final Four. Bree Allen and Tomi Hinkle, both now at Tiffin University, and Kylie Bruce, now at Malone, shouldered much of that burden.
The 5-foot-6 senior guard, though, has joined junior Bailey Russell in putting points on the board more this season. She averages 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game. She scored 16 points in a 66-49 loss to a powerful Portsmouth team last week and made nine 3-pointers in a 73-23 triumph over Coal Grove on Dec. 3.
Ƶ a junior, Barnitz averaged 9.6 points, 3.5 rebounds. 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals.
ƵThis year, I feel a lot more relaxed and thatƵs made me play a lot better,Ƶ Barnitz said. ƵLast year in a big game, I could focus on defense and handling the ball without worrying about scoring as much. This year, I have a bigger role.Ƶ
