Greg Hollis | ghollis@www.newberryobserver.com

Greg Hollis | ghollis@www.newberryobserver.com

<p>Greg Hollis | ghollis@www.newberryobserver.com</p>

Greg Hollis | ghollis@www.newberryobserver.com

WHITMIRE —Haleigh Deputy makes her college plans official by signing on the dotted lines to attend Erskine College. The Flying Feet are apart of the NCAA Division II’s South Atlantic Conference and are located in Greenwood, S.C.

The Whitmire tennis star was accompanied by her mother Charistie Swain, father Chris Deputy, grandmother Gloria Gilliam, aunt April Gilliam, sisters Alexis Swain and Brianna Marzzarella, athletic director Donald Addis, head coach Bethany Crumpton and members of the Whitmire community on Thursday, Nov. 9th in the school’s media center as she signed her letter of intent. Afterwards, she stuck around and gave the Observer an exclusive interview about her college decision.

“I liked how small the school it was but it wasn’t too small. I don’t want something with huge a difference jumping from Whitmire to school like Clemson or South Carolina,” said Deputy. “And, it was just beautiful. The campus was beautiful, the head coach was super nice and even gave me flowers out of his garden when I came to visit. Erskine just seem like the right place for me.”

She took other visits, but said no school came even close to what she experienced while on her official visit to the place she will now call home for the next four years.

Her head coach will certainly miss Deputy’s leadership and on court play. The Wolverines’ captain had an overall record of 13-2 through the playoffs this year. She also achieved this amazing accomplishment playing against bigger schools and much harder competition.

“As her coach, seeing how much she has grown from her junior year to senior has been incredible. She was the number one player as well for us at Whitmire in her junior year, but her progression from last year to this year was insane,” said Crumpton. “She never stops working and it is clear that this her passion and not just a hobby she does. She spends extra hours on the weekends playing in tournaments and doing anything she cans to get better. She is the type of kid that when she sets her mind to it, then she is going to do it!”

Crumpton also added that Deputy’s leadership is unmatched. She always remind the younger players that she was once in their position, but their hard work will eventually pay off.

“We don’t have a JV team so it’s all one team here from seventh graders to twelfth graders. She would take the seventh graders under wing and teach them the skills they need to know and it is really like having an extra coach. She is just an incredible leader,” said Crumpton. “She also does a good job of just reminding them ‘look you got to start somewhere but you can be in position where you are one of the starters if you put in the work that is needed.’”

Now that the tennis star have decided on where she will attend college, she can focus on the rest of her senior.

Tennis is life for her, but she is just an overall sports girl. Deputy is apart of the Wolverines’ cheerleading squad during basketball season. She says that sometimes she tends to ‘zone out’ as basketball games are in progress because she gets so focused on the game.

Outside of sports, Deputy mentioned that she loves to draw, read and enjoy just being a teenager.

Reach Greg Hollis @ 803-768-3117 or on X @TheNBOnews