Taylor Rooks commits to Stanford

Taylor Rooks is joined by her family while signing an official National Letter of Intent with Stanford University.


gsbschool.org, November 21, 2013

Taylor Rooks ’14, the third Division I girls’ basketball recruit produced by GSB in just five years, signed an official National Letter of Intent with Stanford University on November 13.

Rooks considered several Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Princeton before verbally committing to Stanford on October 14. In her opinion, it was the best fit for a real student-athlete. “Stanford offers the best of both worlds,” said Rooks. “I feel that going there will give me the greatest opportunity to maximize my potential as a student and as an athlete.”

Since she arrived at Gill in 2011, both teachers and coaches have recognized Rooks for her strong work ethic and willingness to learn. “Taylor is the quintessential student-athlete,” said Director of Athletics David Pasquale. “She is incredibly talented on the court and equally as impressive off the court. We are very proud of the way she’s represented our school.”

Rooks’ many athletic achievements include the 2013 Gatorade® New Jersey Girls’ Basketball Player-of-the-Year award. In addition, has been named Somerset County Player-of-the-Year and has earned All-State recognition.

Also with a 4.2 GPA in the classroom, Rooks shared plans to maintain her hard-working mentality next year. “Whether by putting in extra hours of studying, or working after and before practice on my own, I will continue to make myself the best I can be,” she said.

As the 6-foot-1 senior graduates from the Knights, she remains confident that the team she has helped to build will continue growing. “Even without us, Gill still has a great team with great players, and I have no doubt in my mind that they are going to do well next year,” said Rooks.

Similarly, she has high hopes for herself and has already found her place among the Cardinal. “I’ve met all of my teammates," she said. "They’re very welcoming and I think I will fit in well.”