MARQUETTE – Marquette Senior High School basketball player Terese Ledy has had a solid career playing in front of her friends and family.

Now she’ll be able to do that at the next level as Ledy signed her national letter of intent on Wednesday morning to play for Northern Michigan University this fall.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “I’ve always watched them growing up and they’ve always been a big factor in my life considering that my dad (Rich) played there.

“So it’s always kind of been in the cards for me and they have a good program. I’m really excited to start.”

Ledy, a 5-foot-11 guard-forward, was an All-Upper Peninsula Class ABC First Team award recipient along with teammate Amber Huebner.

Ledy also was the Great Northern Conference Player of the Year, made the All-GNC Defensive Team and was named Class A All-State honorable mention by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.

Ledy led the Redettes last season averaging 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

She is known for being a threat from beyond the arc, but perhaps her biggest asset comes at the charity stripe. Ledy shot 77.7 percent from the free throw line during the season and was the co-state champion after making 85 of 95 shots (89.5 percent) during a BCAM contest at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center that included the finals being held during halftime of the Class D state title game in East Lansing.

Ledy said her secret to staying calm at the line: she “tries not to think.”

When the All-U.P. awards were about to be determined, Marquette head coach Ben Smith vouched for Ledy saying that “She used her length defensively and in here offensive skills to affect every game. She is someone who makes everyone around her better.”

Ledy’s bond with her coach is obviously strong as she got Smith to wear a red Mr. Rogers-esque cardigan on the sidelines during a game.

“I wanted to have a throwback game and that’s what he wore for it,” she said with a laugh. “I appreciate that he did that for me.”

With her Redette athletic days coming to an end – Ledy is also participating this spring in track and field – she says that she has some “great memories,” but she’s looking forward to becoming a Wildcat.

“I’m ready to put some hard work in,” she said.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 246. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.