Carmichael’s comeback continues
Clinton multisport standout Lanee Carmichael recently signed to continue her academic and athletic career at Maryville College. Celebrating with her are, from left, Wes Carmichael, Lanee Carmichael, Nikki Carmichael and (back row) Anslee Carmichael. (photo:Tony Cox )
Lady Dragons senior Lanee Carmichael will play basketball at Maryville College. She is a three-sport athlete at CHS, excelling in volleyball, basketball and the newly added sport of flag football.
Carmichael is one of the area’s top high school athletes. She won several postseason awards in both volleyball and basketball. She also is the quarterback for Clinton’s flag football team, which was in the midst of a postseason run at press time after winning a regular-season region title.
Her road to Maryville College wasn’t an easy one. She missed approximately half of her junior basketball season because of a season-ending knee injury. She also missed her entire senior season on the volleyball court.
But Carmichael persevered through a long and grueling rehabilitation process with the help of Lady Dragons Head Coach Alicia Daugherty and former Assistant Coach Lecia Watson.
“The thing that’s special about Lanee is her heart,” Daugherty said at Carmichael’s signing ceremony last week. “When you look at Lanee, Addi Gamble, Josie Moody and the other members of this class, they’re such good role models.
“I would go to the gym with Lanee and my kids, and it wasn’t always fun or easy. There were some tears, and she got mad at me, but my kids would always ask, ‘Are we going to get to go rebound for Lanee today?’”
The injury left Carmichael unsure if she wanted to continue her career after high school.
“When I was still recovering, they [Maryville coaches] had me come for a visit, and they offered me,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play after that, but people told me I should and that I was a good player. When I committed, I texted him, and he was shocked, and he asked me if I wanted to do this.”
Daugherty commended Carmichael for her perseverance.
“After the injury, she didn’t have to come to practice every day, and she didn’t have to sit on the bench,” Daugherty said. “But she did, and she kept whatever crazy stat I asked her to keep and did whatever rotation.
“A lot of kids wouldn’t have done that. A lot would have said, ‘This is my senior year, and I want to go and just have fun.’”
Watson also was impressed with Carmichael’s competitiveness and toughness.
“Lanee is not just a player, she’s a competitor,” Watson said.
“It was that heart that Coach talked about. Lanee would ask me, ‘Coach Watson, why is it so easy for some people to make a recovery and it’s not for me?’
“And I told her that your body doesn’t know what your heart knows about you.”
An emotional Carmichael said she would always remember playing with Gamble, who also plays flag football, and Moody, who plays volleyball, basketball, flag football and tennis.
