English girls hoop star Woumn commits to Franklin Pierce

LYNN – English High girls basketball star Diondra Woumn has committed to Franklin Pierce College next fall.Woumn, one of a nucleus of players that have made the Bulldogs one of the elite teams in Eastern Mass., signed her letter of intent Friday in principal Tom Strangie’s office. With her were coach Fred Hogan, athletic director Gary Molea, and her parents, Dave and Vanessa.Woumn said that Franklin Pierce coach Jennifer Leedham demonstrated a keen interest in her early in the process.”They were the school that scouted me most,” she said. “(Leedham) talked to me right away, and brought me on campus.”Theirs was the first offer I received,” she said. “I went on an overnight visit and once I did, I knew that was the school where I wanted to go.”She says she’ll be playing an off-guard position at Franklin Pierce.Woumn said she and Leedham hit it off right away.”She’s very dedicated to what she does,” Woumn said. “She’s been at 99 percent of my AAU games, and every one of my tournament games. Also, I liked the fact that when I made my visit, the players welcomed me as if I were a member of the team. That made me feel comfortable. They did well last year, and I’m hoping to step in and help them be even more successful.”Now that the college decision is out of the way, she can focus on this season.”Our main goal has always been to win a state championship,” said Woumn, who, with Catherine Stinson and Deidra Newson will anchor the Bulldogs in their senior season. “But we can’t win a state title without winning our games along the way. We have to only look at the team in front of us. We can’t be successful if we look too far into the future.”Last year, English was the top seed in Division 1 and won its tournament opener before falling in the second round.”That was definitely disappointing,” she said.Woumn’s brother, Ryan, was a star basketball player at English and is now attending Merrimack College. Her other brother, Darius, is at George Mason, “and doing well academically,” she says.Woumn, an honor roll student, hopes to major in the health field.