Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman is on the smaller side of her peers on the basketball court, but don’t let that fool you. The Berkeley point guard dashes up and down the court, slices through the lane for layups, kicks out laser passes, and doesn’t back down from any challenges. For all of her efforts, she is Prep2Prep's North Coast Section Junior of the Year.

Welch-Coleman began playing in recreation leagues in elementary school. Her mom’s side of the family is athletic, and her mother and grandfather helped shape her into a player. At 5-foot-5 today, the youngster “always played with bigger people and boys most of the time” so the size factor became a moot point.

“I figure out ways to finish,” she said.

She uses that fearlessness — as well as a host of intangibles — to succeed.

“Hustle, leadership, enthusiasm, competitiveness, playing as a team, doing whatever it takes to get a win,” says the Yellowjackets’ point guard when asked to sum up those intangibles. She tends to show her emotions on the court.

Welch-Coleman was one of two upperclassmen on the squad in 2013-14, along with co-captain and star forward Desire Finnie. The duo was often 1-2 in scoring, and Welch-Coleman piled on assists and steals.

If Finnie got into foul trouble or was having an off night, it would be up to Welch-Coleman to excel offensively. It was just the scenario that played out in the team’s playoff game with McClatchy, which she calls her proudest moment of the year.

“(Desire) fouled out, so I had to take control of the game," Welch-Coleman said.

She finished with 27 points and went 9-for-10 from the free throw line in the overtime.

Welch-Coleman realized that, along with Finnie, she “had to be a leader, had to be confident, and make sure to have a positive attitude - the others would follow our lead.”

And despite having 10 first-year and eight freshman players, Berkeley battled its way to an NCS championship appearance, losing to Deer Valley in the title game.

The Yellowjackets responded by beating Deer Valley in the CIF state playoffs, and Welch-Coleman was a big factor in each (18 in the NCS match, 24 and an assist on the winning play in the state game). Next year, Welch-Coleman hopes the youngsters “remember what it takes to get that far.”

Her personal goal is to improve her catch-and-shoot ability, but the ball will often be in her hands. She’s a true point guard and she’ll be the only senior.

Coach Cheryl Draper noted Welch-Coleman’s improvement over the years, especially when it comes to shooting and ballhandling skills. She calls the playoff game against Santa Rosa as her finest.

“She scored 14 points, had 11 assists and really played as a true leader," Draper said.

Also considered: Christina Chenault, F, Carondelet; Asha Thomas, G, Bishop O'Dowd; Ma'Ane Mosley, F, St. Mary's.

NOTE: We would like to thank our readers for all of the nominations you sent in for the season-ending NCS basketball awards. It is a daunting task to narrow down our selections to just the top few as we recognize there are lots of great players who make contributions on the court that are not necessarily well-documented but mean a great deal to the success of their teams. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of NCS basketball.