It’s often a unique tale that brings together school and student-athlete.

Lawrence High senior Josie Polk has a good one to tell involving a girls basketball player from Kansas, a tournament in Nebraska and a school in New Jersey.

Somehow, all three weave together, and Wednesday Polk signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J.

“I played in a tournament in Kearney, Nebraska, where lots of college scouts go to watch,” Polk said after the signing ceremony at the LHS library. “They saw me play and started sending me stuff. I started communicating with them from there.”

Polk made a visit to Fairleigh Dickinson a couple of weeks ago after several letters and phone calls. While there, she was offered a scholarship, and committed a few days later.

“It’s a great opportunity for her,” LHS coach Kristin Mallory said. “I think it’s a perfect fit. She really wanted to go someplace where she could get some minutes as a freshman. I think this will be a good place.”

Polk was Lawrence’s leading scorer as a junior last year, averaging 17 points per game. She shot 37 percent from three-point range, and led the Lions to a 15-6 record.

Polk, who also was receiving interest from Iona and Missouri-Rolla, became Mallory’s first-ever Division One signee. Mallory will start her third season at LHS when preseason practices start next week.

Lawrence High senior Josie Polk signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Division One college in Teaneck, N.J. Polk signed Wednesday at LHS.

“Josie did a great job of getting herself recruited,” Mallory said. “She sent out a lot of letters, and did all the background work. I commend her for that.”

Fairleigh Dickinson is a Division One school about 20 minutes from New York. The Knights play in the 12-team Northeast Conference, which includes Monmouth, Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut State, among others.

This season, the Knights’ non-conference women’s basketball schedule has matchups with Ivy League schools Brown and Yale, as well as the Pepperdine Tournament in Malibu, Calif., just before Christmas.

Last season, FDU was 7-20, playing a tough nonconference schedule that included Seton Hall, St. John’s and Army.

Polk said she was relieved she now could focus on LHS basketball instead of dealing with the question of where to go to college.

¢ 6Sports video: LHS standout Polk chooses school in New Jersey

As soon as she signed her name Wednesday, that question was answered.

“It’s nice to get it out of the way and have no worries,” Polk said. “I’ll still have worries, of course, but not about college stuff.”