Toledo Star Kal Schaplow Signs to Play Division-I Basketball, Track

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Toledo two-sport standout Kal Schaplow is taking her jumpshot and javelin to the next level. Schaplow announced her commitment to Eastern Washington University’s women’s basketball and track and field teams on Twitter Wednesday night. 

Schaplow is joining both teams as a preferred walk-on, meaning she has a guaranteed roster spot with a locker and team gear; basically everything but the scholarship funds.Schaplow could have had her pick at junior colleges around the state, but instead opted to push herself.

“I didn’t want to regret not trying it,” Schaplow said. “Why not take my chance and see how it goes. That opportunity doesn’t come around a lot and I thought this was a great school.”

It’s a rare opportunity for a Class 2B athlete to play at a Division-I program, something Eastern Washington University’s women’s basketball coach Wendy Schuller made clear. Schuller told Schaplow it’s difficult to recruit in Class 2B because it can be hard to gauge the level of competition. But Schaplow left no doubt in the coach’s mind.

The 5-foot-10  guard was named the Central 2B MVP and The Chronicle’s All-Area MVP after averaging 17 points, five rebounds, 2.3 assists, two seals and a block per game this past winter. She led the Indians to their first state appearance in a decade while helping Toledo to the C2BL league title and a 23-6 record. The Indians fell one win short of a trophy in March and were the final C2BL team, boys or girls, left standing at state.

Eastern’s basketball program is coming off a rebuilding year where it went 4-26 overall and 3-17 in the Big Sky Conference. Ten of the 14 players on the 2019-20 team were freshman or sophomores. Schuller just completed her 19th season as the head coach and the Eagles have advanced to the Big Sky Tournament in 15 of her 19 seasons, including a stretch of nine straight appearances.

The basketball team is also a powerhouse academically. The Eagles are one of the nations top academic programs in the nation as the they’ve earned a spot on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Academic Top-25 Honor Roll 16 times. The Eagles have been among the top-five academic teams in the nations during eight of those 16 seasons.

Schaplow also earned a preferred walk-on spot for Eastern’s track and field team. Head coach Marcia Mecklenburg actually wanted to offer her a full scholarship, but NCAA rules do not allow a rostered basketball player to receive funds from another athletic program. It’s to prevent basketball teams from using another athletic program’s scholarships to load up on players.

Nevertheless, Schaplow will be joining former teammate and 2018 Toledo graduate Abigail Rowe, who is a sprinter, on Eastern’s track squad next spring.



Schaplow is the defending 2B girls state javelin champion. She threw 124 feet two inches at state, winning by six feet. She was the ninth-ranked girls javelin thrower in Washington state, across all classifications, last year as a junior. And she was the fourth-ranked junior.

“I’m very excited about Kal coming to Eastern,” said 25-year coach Mecklenburg. “She will hopefully develop and help out our track and field program. We’re traditionally very strong in the javelin throw, and my hope and expectation is she would eventually be one of the athletes who does leave a mark at Eastern.”

Multi-sport athletes at Eastern are rare, Mecklenburg said, and even more so are athletes who compete in both basketball and track and field. But it’s a perfect fit for Schaplow being that javelin is an outdoor-only event and she won’t be needed during indoor season, which takes place during basketball season in the winter.

“It is very rare,” Mecklenburg. “In Division I athletics, it’s very rare for an athlete to compete in more than one sport. We’ve done it before and we can make it work. I’m super excited.”

There is currently one Eastern high jumper who also plays volleyball for the Eagles, but Schaplow will be the women’s athlete to compete in basketball and track since Stephanie Ulmer in 2006, who coincidentally also threw the javelin.

Schaplow wants to erase any doubts on her preferred walk-on status. She’s already had to explain it a few times that she doesn’t have to try out for the team like a regular walk-on. Her spots on both the basketball and track teams are guaranteed.

“I don’t want people to think it’s a negative thing to be a preferred walk on,” Schaplow said. “I know some people think I have to go and I have to try out. This is an opportunity for me to be a part of a great program at Eastern, and I want to take it. There’s no scholarship money for me there, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be an amazing experience.”