A recurring theme of Wednesday afternoon's signing day for Marion girls basketball was resiliency. Four 2025 Lady Patriot basketball graduates, Ayanna Hayes, Joniya “Red” Lewis, Jalee Meeks, and Maryah Rucks, will each continue their basketball and academic careers after overcoming some sort of obstacle during their high school careers. “The great thing about basketball is that you learn life lessons, as well as competition,” said Marion girls basketball coach Shunda Johnson. “These young ladies have had to invest their time and effort in sports, but also grades, and then whatever may have come up along the way. So when you look at it that way, it's really impressive that they were able to get to this point.” Hayes signed with Rend Lake College in Jefferson County, Illinois, while Lewis inked with Allen College in Iola, Kansas. Meeks will stay local at Arkansas State University Mid-South in West Memphis, while Rucks landed at Mississippi Delta College in Moorhead, Mississippi. The driven Hayes, who earned all-conference honors this past season, worked on her craft constantly, often adding different moves over the course of her Marion basketball career. “She'd always show up with something new, some dribble something, and she was already good,” said Johnson. “She's athletic, she works hard, and she did a lot for us. She always wanted to know that she could play at that level, and now she'll get her chance.” Lewis earned all-state honors as a senior, a product of recovering from an injury earlier in her career and a renewed interest in the weight room. “Red is a tremendous story because she really learned how to work, got stronger, ate better,” said Johnson. “She was always good about basketball skills because she loved it, but once she got that other stuff, then she turned into the player that she is now. Allen College got a steal with her.” Meeks earned more and more playing time throughout her high school career, carving out a role for herself as a senior. “Jalee's as good a scorer as anyone because she can score at three levels,” said Johnson. “She's good in the paint, and she can knock down a jumper from anywhere. She makes her free throws, too. As far as a bag, she can do things a lot of people can not, and that'll help her at Mid-South, and wherever she winds up after that.” Rucks battled through a pair of torn ACLs, one in her sophomore season, the other prior to her senior year, to give Marion productive minutes and leadership. “RyRy is just so tough physically and tough-minded,” said Johnson. “It's hard to come back from one ACL; she lost both, but she never lost sight of what was important to her and what she needed to do to play ball and to help her team.” Marion averaged more than 19 wins per season over the past three years with Hayes, Lewis, Meeks, and Rucks playing integral roles.