BELLMEAD, Texas — During La Vega Independent School District's parade to celebrate its first ever boys track and field state championship, the high school retired former basketball superstar Juicy Landrum's jersey.
Landrum led the Pirates to a state title on the hardwood in 2015. When she advanced to the next level, she stayed close to home. She played a crucial role for the Baylor Women's Basketball team, who just won the 2018-19 national championship.
"Just blessed to be able to be here," Landrum said. "For people to do this for me, I never thought about this, but I worked and I trained for this moment."
She also said she's happy she was able to stay close to home.
"I have to give coach Mulkey a huge shoutout for giving me this opportunity to play in Waco and play in front of my family and my friends," Landrum said.
Bill Brock, the Lady Bears' associate head coach, said Landrum's growth as a player and person is impressive.
"i told Juicy how proud I am of her," he said. "Just to watch this young lady, how much she's improved from her freshman year until her junior year is just tremendous."
Landrum said now when she wanders the halls where she grew up and eventually wants to coach, she can show her players the endless possibilities.
"State championship my sophomore year and winning MVP," she said. "That was just the biggest moment of my basketball career in high school."
Jeff Jefferson, the girls basketball coach at La Vega, said Landrum can keep blossoming.
"Just keep working hard," he said. "If she really wanted to, I really think she could make a WNBA team."
Terance Hogan, Timothy Carr, Demarrquese Hayes, Sol'Dreveon Degrate, Daylon Williams, Quintaveon Mason, Deoveyea Jackson, Jesse Majors Sterling and Jeffrey Nickerson were recognized as state qualifiers.
The team went to Austin and swept all three relay races, bringing home the program's first team state championship.
It was the school's second state title of the academic year. In December, the school also won the state football championship.
The parade kicked off at 6 p.m. with community members lining Bellmead Dr.
After the parade, there was a pep rally in celebration of the team at Willie Williams Athletic Complex.
The school also retired the jersey of Juicy Landrum, a former La Vega basketball standout and current sharpshooter for the National Champion Lady Bears.
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