Kerra Baxter signs to play for UAA Seawolves

If anything can bring Southeast and “up north” closer together, then it must be athletics. And if athletics, then it must be basketball…and if basketball, well, today it is six-foot-three Kerra Baxter.

Baxter, a multi-dimensional player who started three years for the now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School Falcons and will play her senior season for the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears, signed a letter of intent on Nov. 14 to attend and play for the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.

“I definitely always thought about playing at college,” Baxter said. “My Grandpa Sperl and my mom played at college, but last year when I was a junior was when I started telling myself, ‘I can ACTUALLY do this.’”

Baxter’s grandfather, Dennis Sperl (9/3/1943 – 4/13/2023) graduated from JDHS in 1961 (two-time Region V and state champions) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1966. Her mother Summer (Sperl) Baxter is a 1998 Petersburg High School grad (two-time region champs) and played at Southern Oregon Community College, graduating in 2001. Father Dan Baxter Jr. is JDHS class of ’98, a team that defeated East in the state championships. Dan Baxter Sr. played for JDHS (’74-’77) and lost to East his senior season in the state final, just as grandson Thomas, Kerra’s brother and a four-year TMHS starter, did last year.

Along with genetics and through her own hard work, Baxter has evolved into a top-rated college recruit.

“We first saw Kerra when she was a freshman or sophomore at the state tournament and followed her as closely as we could ever since then,” UAA head women’s coach Ryan McCarthy said. “Kerra is a special athlete, she has great length and a mix of inside/perimeter skill that can make her a match-up problem. I think she will be a great addition to our program because of her versatility and her potential because she has a lot of room to grow as well. I think her best basketball is ahead of her and her natural gifts really make her an exciting player to think about.”

Baxter is versatile. She is able to play inside-out, outside-in, handle the ball, work the post, provide full-court defensive pressure and be physical.

According to McCarthy, the biggest adjustment to college will be the speed, physicality and pressure.

“Everyone in college, from players to coaches, do this full-time,” McCarthy said. “So the commitment level is all year-round and everyone was the best player wherever they came from. The best players I’ve ever coached have always been the hardest workers. College is almost like starting your whole career over again and doing the hardest things you’ve ever done in your life. Experiencing that growth is really hard, but I think those are the biggest adjustments from high school to college.”

According to former TMHS coach Andy Lee, an Ohio high school player once recruited by UAA, Baxter averaged 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game last season.

“She is the consummate teammate,” Lee said. “She has a commitment to getting better every day. I’ll miss the joy she brings to others…on the court her commitment and versatility. She’s a guard who can play every play and guard every position.”

Last season, Baxter was an All-State Tournament Team selection and twice a Player of the Game selection.

TMHS went into the 2024 state tournament as the fourth seed and defeated fifth-seed Dimond 58-47 to open state play. Baxter scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against the Lynx.

The Falcons fell in the semifinals to top-ranked Colony 69-35 and lost the 3RD/5TH place game to third-seeded Mountain City Christian Academy 52-37. Baxter scored a team-high 11 points and five rebounds against the Knights and a team-high 16 points and three steals against the Lions.

In the 2023 state tournament, Baxter scored a game-high 21 points and had six rebounds and four steals in an opening round 54-50 loss to West Anchorage, had 13 points and eight rebounds in a consolation win over Dimond and a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds in a 53-48 loss to JDHS in the 4TH/6TH place game. Twin sister Cailynn was selected All-State in that tourney. Both sisters were POG selections.

JDHS coach Tanya Nizich (a JDHS 2000 grad who wore No. 11 for UAA from 2000-2005 on a full athletic scholarship) coached Baxter as an eighth grader on a club team during the COVID pandemic. Among their many games were tournaments in Anchorage.

“Her speed has always impressed me,” Nizich said. “I look forward to coaching Kerra for her senior year at Juneau-Douglas. I hope she continues to grow as a student and a player this year to be as prepared as possible for next year at UAA. I wish her the best of luck. It’s exciting to have a member in our community that makes it to the next level and staying in Alaska playing for UAA she will have a lot of fans and support throughout her career.”

Ketchikan high school’s eight-year run (2019-2022) of winning region titles (2020 was COVID year) and advancing to state was largely responsible to TMHS with Baxter on the court.

“This is great news,” Kayhi head coach Kelly Smith said. “She is a good basketball player and a better young lady. What I always appreciated about playing against her is how even-keeled she would stay. Whether up or down she was always just working as hard as she could to help her team. Watching her from freshman year until now has been a lot of fun. I am a Southeast Alaska basketball fan, watching her skills and athleticism mature you could tell she would work herself into a college basketball player. She will fit in great with the UAA team and the style of basketball they play. I’m excited to coach against her this year and follow her college career. She brings out the best in my kids because of the standard of work she brings each game. Congrats to her and the Ketchikan Lady Kings basketball community wishes her the best.”

UAA is a member of the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), which includes Central Washington, Saint Martin’s, Montana State Billings, Simon Fraser, Alaska Fairbanks, Western Oregon, Northwest Nazarene, Western Washington and Seattle Pacific.

The GNAC tournament champion earns an automatic bid into the NCAA DII West Region Championships.

“UAA basketball is known for tough, relentless pressure on the defense and offense ends,” McCarthy said. “We feel we play a unique style where everyone plays meaningful minutes and takes pride in the way we compete. Since the program has had a lot of success, I think it’s fair to say there is pressure every year to compete for championships, but I think that’s what separates us from a lot of other programs. Fans can expect to see a team that emulates those above characteristics and takes great pride in representing our great state of Alaska.”

A baker’s dozen of Baxter questions

1. What attracted you to UAA?

“First was Coach McCarthy and the team of girls playing there at the time, my junior year. I saw a practice of theirs in the Alaska Airlines Center. They are all so nice, the facility was amazing and something clicked in my brain. I was like, ‘I love it here!’ I just knew I loved it there and when we made it to state my sophomore and junior year, that court just felt like home. Kind of full circle that Coach Tanya (Nizich) is a UAA alum.

2. What, if you have decided, will be your major or what interests you at this time?

“I’m actually leaning towards a major in communications. It’s something that has always interested me and you can take many career paths with it. Some girls on my future team are majoring now and talked to me about it. On trips they shadow employees in their various fields at big companies like Hershey’s and Nike. Kind of cool!”

3. What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses?

“My strengths and weaknesses basketball-wise, hmm..Strength-wise, I’d say driving towards the basket is something I do very well. I shoot anywhere. Of course, everyone has stuff to keep working on. I’d say that thing for me is dribbling lower, sometimes I forget I’m so much taller than everyone else and it could easily get stripped away.

4. What are you excited about at UAA?

“Probably making deep relationships with my coaches and teammates, winning and even losing with them. I’m just so excited to represent Alaska in a Seawolves jersey!”

5. What has watching your brother Thomas (TMHS 2024 Grad, 4-year starter, All-State accolades) – play, your family upbringing, your friends and the community of Juneau brought to your life and how has that enriched your work ethic and love of the game?

“Watching my brother has always been something I adored. Learning new things from him, playing one-on-one and being able to tell people, ‘That’s my older brother.’ I honestly think the community of Juneau has come together so much since my sophomore year. After losing almost every game my freshman year to winning regions and going to state my sophomore year. I think a lot of locals wanted to see us succeed and see how far we’d go. I’m going to miss our home games in the Thunderdome for sure. Having close friends who were my teammates, was and is such a wonderful thing. I have definitely not always loved the game, as I mentioned earlier. There were coaches who basically made me hate basketball and I don’t use that word lightly. Then Coach Lee came to coach the high school girls around the beginning of my eighth-grade year. After so many workouts, mostly outside because of COVID. He slowly helped me fall in love with the sport.”

6. When was the first time you picked up a basketball?

“First time I fully remember picking up a basketball was in sixth grade with coach Sue (Beckerman). It was my first season with hoop time and let me tell you I had no idea what was going on lol.”

7. First organized game?

“That same year, sixth grade we played in the Michael Jackson Tournament.”

8. What middle school did you play at and for what coach?

“I played as a homeschool student at Floyd Dryden in seventh grade and was coached by Robert Casperson. He was one of my favorite coaches because he was tough on us.”

9. What did TMHS coach Lee do for you and what will you treasure about that time?

“I could honestly fill page after page talking about Coach Lee. He helped me in so many ways, not just being a basketball player, but helped me become a better person in the process. He taught me skills about how to be a good mentor, and was and still is a father figure of mine. I text him almost every day and he always finds stuff to help me with. I am forever grateful for him.”

10. What do you look forward to in this transition over to JDHS?

“I’m really looking forward to playing with this team. Most of us have played together in middle school and have been coached by Tanya before, so I really think it’s going to be a great season.”

11. Any unfinished business in high school, what do you look forward to this season?

“Our goal is to take state. Of course we know we’ll make it there this season, but state finals specifically is what I mean.”

12. Would you like to play with your sister (senior twin Cailynn) in college, have you had that discussion?

“My sister and I definitely wanted to play in college together at some point, but she’s decided not to go that path. It’s going to be an emotional last season together for sure.”

13. What do people not know about Kerra Baxter?

“Before I picked up a basketball, I used to beat all the boys in wrestling, lol.”

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.