Tennessee newcomer Addie Wadley quickly found out that Sevier County is a great go-to-place in the state.
The recently hired Lee University women's lacrosse coach followed up the program's first recruit, Abby Fortner of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, with three others from the county: Katie Burkett from Sevier County High, Jaynie Renfro from G-P and Rachel Duda from Pigeon Forge High.
"All three of these players are incredible midfielders who bring a lot of talent to our team," Wadley said in a Lee release. "They are excellent on both offense and defense, and they bring with them a familiarity and comfort level in playing together. That helps bring unity to our midfield, and with them all being standout players on their own, I'm excited to see what they can do together on the same team."
Burkett was on the Team Tennessee All-Star team and the U.S. Lacrosse National Tournament Iroquois Division championship team in 2015. She welcomes helping start Lee's program as she did at Sevier County. And Lee "is too perfect for words," she said. "It is everything I'm looking for in a university."
Renfro said the campus is "amazing, and Coach Wadley is awesome" and admitted that accompanying Fortner is a great bonus. "I've known Abby since preschool, so she's my lifelong friend. And knowing that I get four more years with her in college and playing a sport we both love is even more exciting."
Duda said her three-year lacrosse career has built her self-confidence and leadership ability, and as she did with the sport, she "instantly fell in love" with Lee.