Your future, our focus
The recent shutdown of Gillette and Sheridan College’s athletic departments continues to have an impact on the Northwest College athletic program.
On Tuesday, the Trappers’ women’s basketball team added a signee from the shuttered Sheridan program: Shelby Tarter. A sophomore wing, Tarter started 28 games for the Generals last season, averaging 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
She is also a natural-born leader, according to NWC head coach Camden Levett. When Tarter visited, Levett knew she could fit perfectly in the NWC program.
“We liked her as a basketball player, but even more so as a person,” Levett said. “She came on the visit, and we had to get her. She has a great personality and will be a great leader.”
As a former Sheridan player and NJCAA Region IX competitor, Tarter is very familiar with Northwest College. In a game in Sheridan on Nov. 30, Tarter dropped 17 points, shooting 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. Tarter scored eight points later in the season when the teams met in Powell.
From the two meetings against Sheridan in the 2019-20 season, Levett saw a snapshot of Tarter’s capabilities on the court.
“She’s great at driving to the basket,” Levett said. “She was getting to the basket constantly and giving us trouble. She definitely made the scouting report for those games.”
Levett also thinks the familiarity could help Tarter bond with the team early on in her time at Northwest College.
“I think the girls will have respect for her from playing in Region IX,” Levett said. “There were some really talented teams last year in the region, and I think they’ll have a lot of respect for her with the situation she’s in.”
With Tarter’s addition, Northwest College has now added five athletes from Sheridan since the athletic program shut down. For some of these athletes, their careers seemed in limbo when the school announced they were canceling sports. But NWC has provided a new chance for these athletes to showcase their skills.
Former Sheridan women’s basketball coach Ryan Davis assisted Levett in the process of landing Tarter.
“Their coach was very helpful,” Levett said. “I wouldn’t wish what happened to their program on anybody. It’s been good that their coaches have reached out and helped some of their kids find new homes.”