Melton Wins Gamer of the Week
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. & The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s Female Gamer of the Week award to Abi Melton of St. Albans High School.
The St. Albans girls’ basketball team has come on strong over the last two weeks of the season. Helping to lead the surge is junior Abi Melton. She averages nearly nine points a game and is always giving 100% on the court. The Lady Dragons broke Bluefield’s four-game winning streak, defeating the Lady Beavers in overtime (67-62). Melton led St. Albans scoring with 16 points to the victory. First year coach and former Marshall and Logan standout, Coach Shayna Gore stated, “Abi’s work ethic is near to none and it has been a great contributor to her success this season.”
Coach Gore is eager to not only help the girls learn the game more, but also help them outside of basketball. “It’s our goal to improve each game and to improve as individuals. When the team communicates and is mentally strong, we can accomplish so much. As the season has progressed you can really see the team chemistry developing. I could not have picked a better school to start my coaching career at. The girls have been working very hard.” stated Gore.
Abi was named to the All-Kanawha All-Rookie team during her freshman year and was an Honorable mention on the All-Cardinal Conference team in 2018. Abi has been playing basketball since she was in middle school. She was inspired to play the game by her dad. “It was quality time for us to spend together and it was fun,” said Melton. Her dad is her inspiration because of how he goes after what he wants, and he works hard to get it. Melton’s favorite part of the game is the intensity and competitiveness. Melton is a player that is always in the gym shooting and just trying to improve her game. Coach Gore stated that, “I love coaching Abi. She is one of the team’s best shooters and is always working hard. She is the first one at practice and typically the last to leave to gain the extra edge on the competition.”
Melton is also a member of her school’s volleyball team and is in the Anchor Club. Abi currently holds an impressive 4.3 GPA. Her post-high school plans involve attending a local college and going on to become a dermatologist.
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named next week’s female Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald.