Wayne State College head women's basketball coach Chris Kielsmeier announced today that Blaire Thomas of Waterloo, Iowa will transfer from Iowa State University to attend Wayne State College and play basketball for the Wildcats in the 2015-16 season.  Thomas joins Andrea Larson of Mediapolis, Iowa and Maggie Lowe from Perry, Iowa as members of the 2015 recruiting class.
            Thomas, a 5-11 forward, will have three years of eligibility with the Wildcats.  She appeared in two games during her freshman season at Iowa State University.  Thomas was a standout player in high school at Waterloo West, averaging double figures in three of her four seasons while accumulating 1,138 points during her career. 
            As a senior, Thomas accounted for 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, shooting 56 percent from the field and 62 percent from the foul line while leading Waterloo West to a 22-3 record and the school's first state tournament appearance (Class 5A) in 11 years.  She was a First Team All-State, All-Mississippi Valley Conference and All-Metro selection as a sophomore, junior and senior in high school.  Thomas was also a starter in volleyball (four years), track (four years) and softball (two years) at Waterloo West High School.
            "Blaire is an outstanding individual and teammate and we are very excited she has joined our program," remarked Kielsmeier.  "With her quickness and athleticism, Blaire has the ability to attack the basket from any area on the floor.  In addition to her skill set toward the basket, Blaire is a solid shooter from the perimeter and is also a great defender and rebounder.  She will fit our system really well on both ends of the floor."
            Kielsmeier added, "We are thrilled to have Blaire and believe she will be a big contributor to our program on and off the court."
            Wayne State College is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 16-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  The Wildcats finished the 2014-15 season with a 28-6 record, advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years.  Wayne State won the Northern Sun Conference regular season title for a second straight season and fourth time in the last five years with an 18-4 league mark and finished 18^th in the final USA Today Sports/WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.