Senior Aleah Goodman can be seen in the hallways or on the basketball court, and next year she’ll be seen playing PAC-12 basketball for Oregon State University. On July 4th, 2016, Aleah verbally committed to play basketball on a full-ride scholarship to OSU.

Aleah has been named the Oregonian 5A player of the year two years in a row, both in her sophomore and junior years. She won the state championship in her sophomore season, which she said is one of her biggest accomplishments.

Along with being recognized as one of the top players in the 5A class, Aleah has also been recognized as one of the top players in the nation. She is ranked #63 overall and is ranked #11 among point guards based on the ESPN 2017 rankings.

Since Aleah was little, she has had a dream to play college basketball. Due to hard-work and countless hours in the gym, Aleah is now about to make that dream come true.

As a freshman, Aleah earned the starting point guard spot on varsity and has secured that spot for each year since. After committing to play basketball at a Division 1 school, there’s no doubt Aleah has earned that spot again for her senior season, which will begin in early November.

Along with winning state, Aleah says that one of the most memorable events from high school basketball is that the team from the 2015-2016 season now holds the record for the most three pointers in a state playoff game (17 three pointers), with Aleah contributing five three-pointers to the record.

Aleah didn’t become this superstar overnight. She has put in countless hours of work over the years that have made her the player she is now. Aleah works out six days a week and has weights three days a week as well. Five out of those six days she has individual workouts with her trainer and on the other day she plays in fall basketball games with La Salle. She tries to have some sort of workout every day of the week.

Starting in November, Aleah will continue to practice six days a week with the La Salle varsity basketball team. Aleah will also train individually throughout the season to perfect all of her skills.

Aleah says that she really enjoyed the process of getting recruited. With the help of family, friends, and coaches, she was able to narrow her options down to her top three schools. She went on official visits to Oregon State University, University of Washington, and the University of Arizona. While the other schools seemed great and the coaches were nice, as soon as she visited Oregon State, she knew it was the place for her.

“I had a great relationship with the coaches and players,” said Aleah, on why she chose OSU. “It was the perfect distance from home, it was far enough I had my space but close enough that my family and friends can come to my games. My relationship with the head coach (Scott Rueck) was a huge part in my decision. I’ve known him since he coached at George Fox and I would always go to camps when he coached there. I felt super comfortable with the person he is and the program he runs, and I felt it would be the best fit for me.”

Aleah says that she is ecstatic to attend OSU on a full-ride scholarship to play basketball. She is most excited to play at a high level and to try something new and something she’s never done before. She’s also excited to start a new adventure and achieve some of her goals in basketball.

“I have a lot of goals regarding basketball and this is kind of the first step to all of them,” Aleah explained. “I know that after college I want to play basketball as long as I can, whether that’s overseas or the WNBA, and then after that I know it will be really hard for me to not be around basketball anymore so I’d like to coach college basketball.”

She’s extremely excited to start a new adventure at OSU, but not before she ends her journey at La Salle. Aleah is determined to bring another state championship to La Salle before she has to move on to the next chapter of her basketball career.

“I have had the opportunity to play for the State Championship two times in my basketball career. I know what it feels like to both win and lose. I also was blessed to see my sister Tori end her high school career as a State Champion. I want the same thing,” Aleah explains.

“This season I do not have any individual goals. My only goal for this season is for our team to win a State Championship. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal and to leave my legacy at La Salle.”