Recruit to add to UM tradition Wheeler 3rd generation of Black Bear athletes

Samantha Wheeler has many reasons she wants to attend the University of Maine.

When she made a verbal commitment recently to play basketball for the Black Bears beginning in 2008, Wheeler assured a family tradition will continue on the Orono campus.

The 6-foot-1 forward from Derry, N.H., will represent the third generation of the Wheeler family to play sports at UMaine and will become the fourth generation to attend the school.

“I’ve really wanted to go there for a while now,” said Wheeler, who is a junior at Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow, N.H.

“I liked their atmosphere up there. It was a good place, the community and everything,” she added. “And it’s not like it’s that far away.”

Wheeler will have plenty of support at UMaine.

Her grandfather Manch Wheeler, who played football for the Bears from 1959-61, lives in Brewer with his wife Sandy (VanAken). Their younger son, Jeff, was a basketball standout at UMaine from 1981-85.

Samantha Wheeler’s dad is Jay Wheeler, Manch and Sandy Wheeler’s older son.

“There’s a lot of people that she’s going to know coming to Maine. It’s going to work out good,” Manch Wheeler said.

Samantha Wheeler also will have the backing of her great-grandmother, Margaret Van-Aken of Veazie.

“She can’t wait to go up to Maine and watch Sammy play ball,” Sandy Wheeler said.

Wheeler, who has attended basketball camps at UMaine, is looking forward to playing for head coach Ann McInerney.

“I really liked the coaching style of McInerney,” she explained. “She’s a very personable coach on and off the court. I liked her style of play, very intense.”

Wheeler will be surrounded with familiar faces on the team.

Timberlane teammate Magdala Johnson signed a National Letter of Intent in November to attend UMaine. She’ll also be reunited with four of her teammates from the New England Crusaders AAU team, including Kelsey Hogan of Nashua, N.H., who also recently made a verbal commitment to UMaine for 2008-09.

Crusaders Tanna Ross of Hampden Academy, Emily Rousseau of Biddeford, and Tonya Young of New Hampshire have signed NLIs and will attend UMaine in September.

“That also helped with my decision because it’s really going to be familiar knowing all these people,” Wheeler said. “Playing with Dala [Johnson] and the girls from the Crusaders, that will benefit the team in the future.”

Samantha Wheeler plays a forward spot but can contribute in several areas.

“She is extremely athletic, can play inside-outside,” said Timberlane coach Bruce Johnson, Magdala’s father. “She’s more of a slashing-type player who can attack the rim very quickly off the dribble or out of the jab-[step] series.”