Natalie Barton officially signed her letter of intent to play women’s basketball for the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Friday, Nov. 13.
The signing ceremony marked the culmination of a six-year varsity career at Saint James, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
During the event, Barton’s mother and coach, Katie Barton, spoke emotionally about the sacrifices her daughter made to reach this milestone, including missing time with friends and meeting the high expectations set for her as a coach’s daughter.
Reflecting on her journey, Barton expressed gratitude for her teammates and the support she received throughout her career.
“It’s fun, I’ve enjoyed every moment of it all,” Barton said.
Barton has established herself as a key player at Saint James, holding multiple school records such as career 3-pointers made and total varsity games started.
She also earned three selections to the Alabama Sports Writer Association’s all-state team, according to recent reporting.
Her most notable achievement came last season when she helped lead the program to its first state championship in school history, a game in which she also scored her 2,000th career point.
Looking ahead, Barton said she chose UAH because of the coaching staff’s relationship with her and the proximity to her home.
“The coaches made a relationship with me, and I love it up there,” Barton noted.
She joins a Chargers program that recently finished a 32-6 season and reached the NCAA Division II Tournament semifinals in Pittsburgh.
As Barton prepares for her final season in a Trojan jersey, she aims to remain focused on the present.
“I’m really excited for my senior year with this group of girls, and it can’t get any better,” the athlete stated.
Saint James returns most of the roster from last year’s championship team and remains in a strong position to contend for another title this season.