Justin St. Ours | Daily Press Gladstone’s Megan Crow (center) poses after signing her letter-of-intent to play basketball at Grand Valley State University in the Gladstone High School library Wednesday. Joining her is her mother Brenda Crow (left), father Todd Crow (right) and brother Jared Crow (behind).

GLADSTONE — It was with excitement — and a few moments of wrangling an errant basketball — that Gladstone’s Megan Crow signed her letter-of-intent to attend Grand Valley State University and continue playing basketball Wednesday in the Gladstone High School library.

Nearly a year after committing, Crow’s transition to the Allendale centered, Division 2 Lakers was sealed.

The dominant post player for the Braves had a little help finding GVSU, though.

“Nicole (Kamin) was committed first to Grand Valley, and then I just started researching more and more about it; how competitive they are and how dominant they are in the conference they play in,” she said. “It made me strive to want to play there.

“I think it’s awesome (that we’ll be playing together). She’s definitely one of the reasons I committed to Grand Valley because we play so well together in our AAUs. She’s such a fun and outgoing person, and I thought playing college basketball with her would be amazing.”

After some research on her own, she was able to visit thanks to the efforts of her coaches.

“Then, coach (Andy) Cretens and my AAU coach set up a recruiting opportunity for me to go down there and visit with the team and all that stuff,” she said. “I loved it down there. I loved the campus, I loved the girls, I loved the coaches, and it just felt like home for me. I didn’t want to mess up an opportunity to play at a college like that.”

The 2019 All-U.P. Division 1-3 First Team honoree — who averaged 14 points and 8.8 rebounds a game despite nursing an ankle injury for a significant amount of the season — is planning on flexing more than just her on-court skills with the Lakers.

“I think I’ll be majoring in P.T. (physical therapy) or human resources,” she said. “If I go into human resources, I would want to be in a hospital setting. More precisely, I would want to be in a children’s hospital just so I get to deal with kids more and help them through what they’re going through and help their parents and all (the other) stuff.”

Cretens also praised Crow for her work off the court.

“Everybody sees what she does on the court, but what people might not like some of her opponents and other parents and families around them, is the kind of person she is,” he said. “She’s going to be an awesome teammate. She’s going to get along with everybody. She’s going to push everybody, and she’s going to do well in the classroom. She does all the little things. She’s just a special person. Her character is outstanding, and they’re just adding a great overall person.”

Looking toward the immediate future, Crow hopes the others in her recruiting class will rub off on her just as much as she does them.

“I’m looking forward to meeting more of the girls in my recruiting class because we’re already in a group chat together, and they seem like a bunch of great people,” she said. “They seem really fun and outgoing, so I hope their traits rub off on me so I become a better person as well.”

Cretens also offered his congratulations to Crow for reaching one of many goals.

“It’s an awesome day for Megan and her family and our program,” he said. “They’re (Grand Valley) adding someone who’s a special kid that only comes through every once and a while, and I’m just fortunate to be a part of it. I just want to congratulate her and her family and the Grand Valley program because it’s a special day.”