Looking around the packed cafeteria at Westminster, Lauren Snyder could tell that she had made an impact over the years.

As she looked back on her five-year high school career (she started as an eighth-grader), the moment was special because of the younger students in the crowd.

"I'm just excited about all the interest that has grown at Westminster about the girls basketball program," Snyder said. "It's neat to have younger girls asking me what they can do to get better. I enjoy that.

"It's really rewarding to be able to influence their lives and set a good example."

As it turns out, the example Snyder has set is hard to sum up concisely.

This past season, Westminster advanced to the GISA Class AAA quarterfinals as part of a 20-10 campaign.

That was the program's best finish in almost two decades and a far cry from the five wins during her first season.

In addition, Snyder was named The Augusta Chronicle 's Independent Girls Player of the Year for a second time after averaging 17.3 points per game and finishing with 2,312 career points.

Snyder received offers from a handful of schools, but her father, Scott, said Presbyterian continued to come up in discussions.

The strong academic program and the chance to play at the Division I level, made her realize that the Clinton, S.C., college was the right fit for her.

"All I know is what I see on TV. I just know that it's really competitive," Snyder said of the level of play in Division I. "I'm looking forward to strengthening my game, getting better as a player, and just having fun."

Snyder will major in biology and pre-med and hopes to enter the medical field.

Snyder said Thursday's ceremony was a celebration, not only of the transition to Presbyterian but also of the hard work and achievement of the team.

"I've worked hard, but I couldn't have done it without them," Snyder said of her coach Greg Wise and the others in her support system.

Reach Justin Williams at (706) 823-3304 or justin.williams@augustachronicle.com.