Griffins’ court stars Vering, Mitchell sign D2 letters

By ECS Staff
Updated: April 14, 2016

Grossmont College’s Spencer Vering (left) and Kaelen Mitchell sign NLIs to Division II basketball programs on Wednesday.

2016 GROSSMONT COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL

By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-14-16) — Grossmont College Griffins men’s basketball coach DOUG WEBER was happy when he stepped into the press box at Noel Mickelsen Field to watch a little of the Griffins’ baseball loss on the diamond.

Of course you are going to be happy when earlier in the day the mentor had two of his student-athletes sign National Letter of Intent’s (NLIs) to attend two NCAA Division II basketball programs. SPENCER VERING (LL) and KAELAN MITCHELL (Helix) signed with Hawai’i Pacific University (PacWest) and CSU Stanislaus (CCAA) respectfully.

Vering, who was named to the All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference first team as a forward, averaged 9.2 points per game in just under 16 minutes per contest in his sophomore year at Grossmont. Over the course of his two years at Grossmont Vering scored 250 points, 238 during his second season. Hawai’i Pacific went 19-9, 14-6 in the PacWest, which was good for fifth place in the 14 team conference. Athletically, he will be a sophomore after taking a medical redshirt in the 2014-15 season.

Mitchell, a sophomore guard, led the Griffins with 15.9 points per game (third best mark in the PCAC North). A second team All-PCAC member for the 2015-16 season, scored 767 points in his two seasons at Grossmont. Kaelan will be making the transition from being a Griffin to being a Warrior up in Turlock. The Warriors are coming off a season that saw them go 8-17 overall and 7-13 in “The Nation’s most successful Division II conference.” Stan State will only be losing one senior from this year’s team. Mitchell will have two years of eligibility remaining for CSUS.

The Griffins went 14-14 this season and finished tied for fourth in the toughest conference in Southern California. Grossmont was eliminated in the first round of the 2016 CCCAA playoffs.