Preston High School senior Ella White signed with West Virginia University track and cross country on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in the PHS Media Center in front of her family, peers, teachers, and coaches. According to Cross Country Head Coach Paul Martin, White is a standout athlete with potential for All-America at the collegiate level and is “a star in the making.” Martin told the crowd that from the time White joined the cross-country team her freshman year, he’s had the pleasure of watching her become one of the best all-round athletes in the school’s history. “As a member of the cross-country team she was an integral part of three conference champion teams (2020, 2022, and 2023) and two teams that qualified for the state championship (2020 and 2023). She was first team All-Big 10 her junior and senior seasons and second team all-state her senior year. In track, she was part of two 4 x 800 relay teams (2021 and 2022) that were state runners-up. Over the course of three seasons, she has earned all-state honors in track and field nine times.”
In addition to cross-country and track, White also participated in basketball at PHS where she was the starting point guard for three years. PHS Head Girls Basketball Coach Brian Miller said, “Ella was one of the best leaders we have ever had. She would help the young players in any way she could. She never made excuses if she made a mistake. She kept the team chemistry in good shape. She always deflected the spotlight away from her and put it on her teammates. This year she led our team to the school’s second playoff win and second regional championship appearance in school history.”
White holds records in all her sports and according to Coach Miller, “her name is all over the record boards.” She finished her basketball career in the top ten career rankings in assists, steals, and rebounds and was honorable mention all-state 2024.
White was also equally impressive in academics and extra-curricular activities. She is ranked 25th in her class of nearly 300, is a member of the National Honor Society, and was highly involved in the FFA program at PHS raising livestock for the Buckwheat Festival and the Ham, Bacon, and Egg Show.
Finishing out her high school career White took the state AAA girl’s 400 meter championship and broke yet another school record as well, and finished as the runner up in the state girl’s 800 meter race.
