College Commitment: Chris Penner (2019 Capital HS)
As his senior season wound down, Chris Penner was reaching a crossroads. The tough 6-foot-1, 195-pound guard from Capital High School was a standout in both football and basketball and there were college opportunities in both. But the more Penner looked over his options it was Seattle Pacific that stood out in all that he wanted to do for the next four years and on Tuesday night, he made his commitment to join the Falcons.
“As the season was winding down and getting to state, I just realized that basketball is where I want to be the next four years,” Penner said. “And as far as academics go, Seattle Pacific was much higher than the schools I was looking at for football. So I decided that basketball is definitely what I wanted to play.”
Penner made a visit to campus and it was during that time he got all the information he really needed about Seattle Pacific the school and the basketball program. “I feel like that it’s going to be perfect,” he continued. “All the guys there are super welcoming and when I went on my visit it just instantly clicked and felt right. I also know all of the recruits coming in having played against them growing up and it’s going to be fun now playing with them. And with it right in the middle of the city, it felt right. It just fit all the needs.”
Penner indicated that the plan is for him to redshirt his first season at Seattle Pacific. It’s something he sees as a real positive for him both on and off the basketball floor. “I’m taking the pre-med track so I’ll have a whole year to get all those classes in and have the time (for basketball) to hone down all of my skills,” Penner said. “I’ve always taken a few months off for football and haven’t been able to train year round, so I’m excited to see where this will take me now.”
This past year, Penner was named The Olympian’s All-Area player of the year after helping lead Capital to the 3A state tournament, averaging 17.9 points per game. He finished his high school career as the school’s second all-time leading scorer and set school records for most three-point field goals and free throws made, as well as career free throw percentage.