Waiata Jennings, a second-year player for Collin College, and Coach Jeff Allen, the Lady Cougars' longtime head coach, each picked up honors in road games last week. Jennings became the all-time leading scorer for the Lady Cougars and Allen notched his 500th win as a head coach.
Jennings closed out the Lady Cougars' 109-59 win over the Weatherford College Lady Coyotes with 18 points, giving her a Collin College career point total of 1,025. That was enough to top the 1,024-point record set by Shomari Harris in 2015. Harris is now an assistant coach at Kilgore College, one of Collin's regular opponents.
"This achievement speaks volumes about Waiata's dedication, hard work, and exceptional talent on the court," said Dr. Albert Tezeno, Collin College athletic director. "Her relentless pursuit of excellence has truly paid off, and we couldn't be prouder of her accomplishment.
"Waiata, your determination and skill not only inspire your teammates but also everyone around you. Your name will forever be etched in the history of Collin College Women's Basketball, showcasing your remarkable contributions to the team."
In 2023, Jennings was named a Second Team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American, the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) Player of the Year, the World Exposure Report Junior College Division I Freshman of the Year, and was added to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Two-Year College Coaches' All-America Team.
Allen recorded his 500th win earlier in the week in a game against Southwestern Christian College. Allen has been the Women's head coach for 20 seasons. His Lady Cougars teams have been conference champions six times and made it to the National NJCAA Tournament in 2023. He is a six-time conference coach of the year, a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year, and a WBCA Two-year College National Coach of the Year.
When asked about the milestone, Allen said he was "just grateful to have great support from the Collin College administration and to have been blessed to have coached so many wonderful players and teams, alongside my assistant coaches."