NEW MEXICO ST. SIGNS MILLHAM

JACKSON -- Christa Millham knows she will be a long way from home when she starts college next year.

But the attraction of playing basketball and earning a degree at New Mexico State far outweighed any thoughts she might have of missing her family and friends.

Millham, a Jackson High senior, Wednesday signed a letter of intent with Division I New Mexico State, which competes in the Big West Conference. Wednesday marked the first day of the early signing period for high school seniors.

"I'm really excited," said Millham after signing in front of her family and Jackson's coaches at the Jackson Multipurpose Building. "When I went out there for my official visit, the atmosphere, the coaches, the players, everything was great. And it's a beautiful area."

A 5-foot-11 point guard, Millham has been a key player on the last two Jackson teams that each went 27-3 and placed second in the Missouri Class 4A state tournament.

Millham averaged 11 points and five assists per game last season to earn second-team all-state honors.

"She's a very good player," said Jackson coach Ron Cook. "She's a good passer, she's strong going left or right, she can shoot the three and she can shoot the jumper in the lane. And at 5-11, she can post up a smaller guard."

Millham said that New Mexico State first saw her play during last summer's AAU Nationals in Chattanooga, Tenn. She had been talking to other schools but fell in love with the school on her official visit.

"After I visited, I pretty much told the other schools that I had decided," she said.

Millham knows it will now be much tougher for her parents -- who have attended virtually all of her games so far -- to watch her play in college. But she said they also like the school.

"They wish they could get the same university a little closer," she said with a laugh. "But it's a really good situation for me and they're happy."

The New Mexico State program appears to be on the rise under veteran coach John Sutherland, a former Arkansas coach who in his first season last year led the squad to an 11-16 overall record and an 8-6 Big West mark.

"He kind of got the program going in his first year and he's really excited for the future," Millham said.

Millham, who wants to major in accounting, said she was especially happy to sign early so she can concentrate on having a big senior season. And two things figure to be much different for Millham regarding the 1997-98 season, which opens in early December.

For one, she will no longer be playing with her sister Michele, a three-time all-stater at Jackson who is attending St. Louis University but not playing basketball there.

"I've played with Michele so long, that's going to be different," she said.

For another, this year expectations won't be all that great for the Lady Indians, who over the past three seasons have gone 82-7 and made the Class 4A Final Four three times.

But Millham said don't count Jackson out just yet.

"I know people are saying that we lost a lot of people and won't be that good," she said. "But we'll be fine."