The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences (MEAC) leading scorer, Tameka McKelton, had an unusual route to not only the top of the conference, but to the top of Florida A&M women’s basketball as well.
McKelton is a native of West Palm Beach. Being from the state made learning about the Rattlers an easy process.”I knew about FAMU all my life. I’m a Florida native,” Mckelton said.
In 2008, She was the first recruit signed by newly hired Coach LeDawn Gibson.
McKelton and Coach Gibson had previous history in Florida High School basketball.
“Coach Gibson had a great high school team that we got a chance to play against, so I was familiar with her from high school,”McKelton said.
McKelton, a junior guard, scored 21 points on Monday against Coppin State to join the Lady Rattlers’ 1,000-point club.
“I didn’t know when I was going to score 1,000 points I was just happy I did,” McKelton said.
Coach Gibson supports the hard earned achievement of the first person she signed in her college coaching career.
“I am very proud of her. The honors are well deserved. She is very capable of doing a lot for the team because she can score with anybody,” Gibson said.
The life of a student athlete faces many challenges according to McKelton. The most difficult for her is maintaining the student aspect of the job.
“Being on the road then having to jump right into the classroom is a big pain,” McKelton said. “You get behind sometimes because usually the classes went on with chapters that you didn’t know or that you weren’t even there for,” she said.
McKelton also said there is no way around missing classes because you don’t make your own schedule. Contacting professors through email or make office visits is how she manages to stay ahead of the curb.
McKelton, along with senior forward Antonia Bennett, will spearhead the Rattlers’ quest for MEAC supremacy. As long as her team, and conference, leading 17.5 points per game doesn’t drop off, the team will be in prime position to do so.