WS Chronicle

Photo by Craig T. Greenlee

Prep combo guard Mychala Wolfe averaged 13 points a game during the Class 1-A playoffs that culminated with the Phoenix winning its second straight state basketball championship.

BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE 

FOR THE CHRONICLE

For Winston-Salem Prep’s Mychala Wolfe and Llyric Mack, the vision of reaching the next level is now a joyous reality. The two seniors recently signed scholarship offers and will be headed to college in August.

Wolfe, a fixture in the backcourt on the girls’ basketball team, will continue her hoops career at North Greenville University (S.C.). Mack, a championship-caliber triple jumper and sprinter, will attend the University of Mount Olive.

During her tenure at Winston-Salem Prep, Wolfe, a 5-6 combo guard, emerged as a prime factor for the Phoenix, who won back-to-back Class 1-A state championships. Prep finished up with 52-6 record over the past two seasons.

As a senior, Wolfe, the team’s best most lethal out-side shooter, averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals. In the 1-A final – which just happened to be played on her 18th birthday – Wolfe hit three 3-pointers to lead the team in scoring (13 points) and she was voted Prep’s most outstanding player.

“I’m looking forward to carrying the winning tradition from high school to college,” said Wolfe, who has a 3.9 grade-point average. “I chose North Greenville because they accepted me more like I was a family member rather than me being a teammate. I don’t want to be in a place where I feel alone and uncomfortable. Plus, it’s a small Christian school, so that will help me to keep my focus.”

Wolfe is confident that the lessons she learned while playing at Prep under coach Eugene Love will bode well for her college hoops future. Team unity, she explained, is the key for any team to play to its maximum capabilities.

“It all comes down to team members spending time with each other, getting to know one another,” said Wolfe, who will major in sports management. “At Prep, we discovered that when the team chemistry is strong, there’s nothing the opponent can do about it.”

While Wolfe’s high school basketball career is over, Mack still has some unfinished business to tend to before she’s through. A year ago, Mack was the triple jump runner-up in the Class 1-A state outdoor championships when she attended Atkins.

Over the summer she transferred to Prep and continues to keep her sights set on winning a gold medal in her specialty at this year’s state meet. Currently, she’s No. 2 in the NC Runners state rankings for Class 1-A (35-feet-3 inches). Mack also runs the lead-off leg on the City-County champion 4×100 relay, which is also No. 1 in the state rankings (51.35 seconds).

Coming off a first-place finish in the triple jump at the Brent Invitational two weeks ago, Mack feels good about her chances to bring home the gold from the state meet. A key factor in her reasoning is how she’s been able to accomplish her performance goals for every meet she has competed in.

Right now, 12 ½ inches separate Mack from No. 1-ranked Emma Frye of North Stokes. Frye tops the 1-A state rankings with a 36-3 ½.

“The main focus for me is the state championship meet next month,” said Mack, who has a 3.5 grade-point average. “My goal for this season is 36-6. I’ll do what I need to do to keep my No. 2 ranking. At the state, I’m looking to be at my best, so I can take the title.”

One of the reasons that Mack chose Mount Olive is because of its size (4,200 undergraduates). It’s always been her desire to go to a small college. She’ll major in biology and minor in chemistry to prepare for a career as a radiologist. “The student-teacher ratio is 15:1,” she explained, “which allows for more one-on-one work with my professors if I need it.”