Jennifer Smith, a 2000 DeWitt graduate, led the girls varsity basketball team to a school record 25-game winning streak and a heart-breaking loss in the Class B state semi-finals in 1999. Her dominating performance (22 points and 12 rebounds) in that game capped off a sensational career for the Panthers. Smith’s impact on the underclassmen who played on that team helped spark another run to the Class B Final Four the following year and inspired young female basketball players through her leadership and unselfish play. Leading DeWitt in scoring for three straight seasons, her varsity career record was 67-9. As a senior, Smith poured in 17.8 points a game and led the Panthers to their third straight Ingham County League Championship. She also helped the team win a District and Regional crown before falling in the Class B Final Four. Smith captured First Team All-State honors and finished sixth in the voting for Miss Basketball. She graduated with 1,011 career points, placing her fourth place all-time at DeWitt. As a star at the University of Michigan, she would finish her career ranking second in points scored, second in field goal percentage, and third in free throw percentage for the Wolverines. As the team captain her senior year, Smith led the Big Ten in scoring (21.3 points a game) and set the Michigan single-season record for scoring with 659 points. She was chosen First Team All-Big Ten in 2004 and won the University of Michigan’s “M-Zone Award” for leadership and character. Chosen in the third round of the WNBA draft, Smith became the first DeWitt graduate to play professionally in basketball in both the WNBA and Slovakia
