Yes, she plays basketball.
But Meka White, daughter of former Kansas University basketball standout Jo Jo White, will be running track at KU, not playing guard like her father did for the Jayhawks.
Meka White
“I’m not bad in basketball. I probably could have played and done well. But I’ve run track naturally … all my life,” said Meka White, a 5-foot-7 sprinter-jumper from Masconomet High in Topsfield, Mass.
She has signed a KU track letter-of-intent.
“I like the competition in track,” White said. “I like team sports, but the pressure is greater in track when you are out there by yourself. I really like that pressure.”
White, who met new KU coach Stanley Redwine while in town last week for summer orientation, advanced to the Massachusetts regionals in both the long jump (17-2) and 200 (25.5). White also ran on a 4 x 400 relay team that placed at regionals.
In addition, White has a personal best clocking of 59.2 in the 400 and has high-jumped and run the 800.
“I’m probably more built for the 400,” White said. “But there are a lot of options in college. I probably could compete in a lot of different events.”
White chose her father’s alma mater over Boston College, Brown, UConn, North Carolina and Georgetown.
“When I told him I had chosen KU, he was overjoyed,” Meka said of her dad, who works in marketing and public relations for his former pro team, the Boston Celtics. “He never, ever geared or steered any of us to go to KU, but I think always in his heart, he wanted one of us to follow in his footsteps.”
White’s father was an All-American at KU and played on the 1968 U.S. Olympic basketball team.
“He only has great things to say about the school, staff and community Lawrence in general,” she added. “It was a big decision for me to move away, but I think the best one for me, too.”
Older brother Brian attended Dartmouth. Twin sisters Ashley and Erin went to Northeastern. Meka also has two younger sisters.
“I like Lawrence a lot. When I visited KU in May, everybody was so pleasant. It was a big change from Boston,” White said. “I think it’s a place I’ll get better and improve. Coach Redwine is really excited about the program.”
Meka White, by the way, averaged about 14 points a game for her high school hoops team last year.
“I have followed KU basketball, obviously, who doesn’t? both women’s and men’s basketball,” White said. “I never heard about KU track or anything, but the team has been decent and is moving up. They will try to get better. I wanted to be involved with a rising program, instead of one already on top. Hopefully, I’ll improve with the program.”
