June 25, 2007
Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball head coach Gary Blair and senior point guard A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin (Tyler, Texas) will be the featured guest speakers of the Tyler/Smith County A&M Club Scholarship Fundraiser on Tuesday, June 26 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center.
Blair and Franklin led the nationally-ranked Aggies to their first-ever Big 12 Championship crown with a program-best 13-3 conference record. A&M made its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and earned a program-best No. 4 seed in the Dallas Regional. Blair was named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year and was one of four finalists for the prestigious Naismith Women?â„¢s College Coach of the Year Award this past season. Meanwhile, Franklin was named an All-America honorable mention selection by The Associated Press.
?It?â„¢s just an honor to have the opportunity to go back to my hometown and speak to the Tyler A&M Club,? Franklin said. ?It?â„¢s a great feeling to be apart of an event which will benefit and help other students who want to attend Texas A&M in the future.?
An All-Big 12 First Team selection, Franklin currently ranks fourth all-time in career assists (454) at A&M and led the league for the third consecutive season with an impressive 1.91 assist-to-turnover radio. She dished out a team-best 149 assists to become the third A&M player in school history to turn in three-straight 100+ assist seasons next to Toccara Williams (2000-04) and All-American Lisa Branch (1992-96).
During the 2006-07 season, the Aggies compiled their first undefeated season at home in the 33-year history of the program with a 16-0 record at Reed Arena under Blair?â„¢s direction. They were ranked in both national polls a school-record 19-straight weeks and received a program-best No. 10 national ranking on Nov. 28, 2006. A&M (25-7) also posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons and went on to finish the year ranked in the final Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Polls.
The social and silent auction will commence at 6 p.m., while the barbecue dinner and program will begin at 7 p.m. Country music artist and songwriter Granger Smith will also be in attendance and singing ?We Bleed Maroon!? which has become the anthem of Aggieland.
TYLER/SMITH COUNTY A&M CLUB SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER
Date: Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Location: Tyler Rose Garden Center
Time:
Social and Silent Action at 6-7 p.m.
BBQ Dinner and Program at 7 p.m.
Cost: $30 per person
Website: www.orgsites.com/tx/tylertamuclub/