November 20, 2002

MOUNT VERNON, IOWA . . . The 2002-03 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) women’s basketball season begins Friday, November 22, with eight schools in action including seven at tournaments. All ten schools are in action on Saturday. The Conference portion of teams’ schedules begins on Tuesday, December 3.

2002-03 Team-by-Team Season Openers

In a preseason poll conducted of the Iowa Conference women’s basketball coaches, co-defending Champion Wartburg is picked to win its third straight title, edging Simpson by nine points. Wartburg received seven first-place votes and Simpson received one. The complete Coaches Poll, in which eight coaches participated, is below.

The composite Conference schedule, results and statistics are available on the women’s basketball home page of the Conference web site. For the most up-to-date team rosters, visit the women’s basketball page of each schools’ athletic web site.

A complete team-by-team preview follows.

Buena Vista University Beavers
(9-17, 5-13 IIAC – 8th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2

About the Team: Last season’s young team returns having gained a lot of experience in 2001-02. Guard Jessica Jensen is the lone senior on the roster that includes five juniors and six sophomores that saw playing time last season. Jensen, junior forward Amy Meggers and junior guard Kelli Taylor return to the starting line-up.

Meggers, a Second Team All-Conference selection last season, returns as the team’s leading scorer (12.7 ppg) and rebounder (7.2 rpg). She also had 57 assists, a team-high 12 blocks and 47 steals. Taylor was third in team scoring with 10.3 points per game and led the team with 80 assists. Jensen averaged 6.5 points per game last season and was second on the team with 64 assists.

Junior forward Audrey Montag (26 games, 2.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg), sophomore guard Megan Holtorf (26 games, 2.6 ppg, 44 assists) and sophomore center Kristina Kapler (20 games, 2.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg) all saw considerable action off the bench last season.

Juniors Ashli Launderville (11 games) and Lindsay Stoolman (9 games) and sophomores Jess Griggs (11 games), Nicole Norgelas (4 games), Amy Doty (3 games) and Crystal Richardson (1 game) will look for an expanded roll this season.

Junior forward Gelene Bousum heads the list of newcomers that includes seven freshmen – Amber Connolly (forward), Jennifer Dewald (guard), Crystal Kruger (guard), Katie Maguire (guard), Holly McDonough (forward), Ashley Scott (guard) and Kelli Staley (guard).

About the Coach: Janet Berry enters her 11th season as head coach at Buena Vista. The Beavers have posted a 134-95 overall record in Berry’s first 10 seasons with the program. She has been named IIAC Coach of the Year three times (1995, 1996, 1997).

Coach Berry on her team: “We will be very athletic. I think from top to bottom we have the most athletic team we have had for awhile.”

Coach Berry on the IIAC: “I was happy to say good-bye to many great players who graduated this past year. I think because of graduations, the League will have a different look. I feel that Wartburg and Simpson will once again be tough but Loras really came on last year and has everyone back except their coach.”

Central College Dutch
(14-12, 9-9 IIAC – 6th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 5/5

About the Team: Beyond two-time All-Conference forward Amy Steenhoek, Central is young and inexperienced. Steenhoek averaged 15.1 points per game last season (second on team) and led the team with 8.0 rebounds per game. Junior centers Jenny Randeris and Christy Nichting and sophomore forward Leah Henschen saw action off the bench last season. In 26 games, Randeris averaged 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Nichting averaged 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 22 contests. Henschen appeared in 10 games.

Beyond that quartet of returning players, eight of the other 10 newcomers on the Dutch roster are either freshmen or sophomores. Those expected to contribute in the backcourt include junior transfer Amanda Hamm, sophomores Rachel Lenox and Danielle Dowling and freshman Jenna Daale. Freshmen Julie Rietema and Ashley Nekola are expected to provide depth in the frontcourt.

About the Coach: Mick Angel enters his second season as head coach at Central. He led the Dutch to a 14-12 record last season, his first as a collegiate coach after a successful 21-year career at the high school level in which he won 341 games.

Coach Angel on his team: “We expect early season challenges as a young and inexperienced team grows. With one returning starter and at least two-thirds of our squad made up of freshmen and sophomores, we’re hoping to make consistent and noticeable improvement as the season progresses.”

Coach Angel on the IIAC: “Iowa Conference competition will be, as always, characterized by parity. Several teams will bring a rich tradition of success, some will be dealing with transitions and challenges associated with a new coaching staff, and still others will be searching for newcomers to fill shoes of several lost veteran players. All things considered, it will be an interesting season, to say the least.”

Coe College Kohawks
(5-18, 2-16 IIAC – 10th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/4

About the Team: Coe looks for a fresh start under new head coach Melissa Bruner. Senior guard Liz Estes is the Kohawks’ top returning scorer from last season, finishing third in scoring with 7.3 points per contest. Sophomore guard Beth Rohlena, one of just two returnees to appear in all 23 games, started 16 contests and finished the season averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Sophomore guard Holly Zimmerman appeared in 21 games with 13 starts and was second on the team with 43 assists. She also contributed 2.7 points per game. Junior forward Natalie Hibler is the only other returnee that appeared in all 23 contests for the Kohawks last season.

Junior forward Kathleen Hudson (14 games, 1.6 ppg) and junior guard Sarah Ernst (5 games) will look to make a larger contribution this season. Freshmen Chris Engle, Ann Gramkow, Kate Hoben, Tanya Ott, Emily Randolph, Mary Rosebrough and Tricia Tillman hope to contribute to the Coe line-up.

About the Coach: Melissa Bruner begins her first season as head coach at Coe. She joins the Kohawk staff after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for the University of Wisconsin-Madison for seven years.

Coach Bruner on her team: “We have a great group of student-athletes who are working extremely hard every day to improve both individually and as a team. We will be returning three starters from last year’s team and have added a talented group of freshmen to the mix. Our expectations for the upcoming season are high and we hope that our hard work will be rewarded with a strong finish in the Iowa Conference.”

Coach Bruner on the IIAC: “I believe that the Iowa Conference competition will again be one of the strongest in Division III. We look forward to the tough competition on a nightly basis. I believe that the League will be strong from top to bottom with several teams having the opportunity to compete for the top spot in the Conference.”

Cornell College Rams
(13-13, 8-10 IIAC – 7th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/4

About the Team: Cornell must replace the trio of Bindy Comito, Lisa Fry and Marni Chandlee that combined to score nearly 3,200 career points and grab nearly 1,200 career rebounds. Sophomore forward Erika Pepmeyer and senior guard Lindsey Pfalmer return to the Rams starting line-up. Pepmeyer averaged 8.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 26 games last season. She connected on a team-high 38 3-pointers and was second on the team with 41 assists. Pfalmer, the two-time IIAC tennis MVP, averaged 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 22 contests (17 starts). She also contributed 30 assists and 38 steals.

Sophomore center Cara Hegner finished third in team scoring with 9.0 points per game, was second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game and led the team with 57 blocked shots. Sophomore guard Danielle Tancredi averaged 2.3 points per game in 23 contests last season and also had 21 assists. Seniors Lindsey Stoll and Carolyn Lee appeared in 25 games and 21 games, respectively off the bench. Stoll had 29 assists and 15 steals, and Lee had 28 assists and 24 steals.

Cornell’s top newcomers include freshman guard Nichole Troe and freshman forward-center Katie Morris.

About the Coach: Nicole Kotrba enters her first season as head coach at Cornell. She previously served as an assistant for the Rams and at her alma mater, Buena Vista University.

University of Dubuque Spartans
(7-18, 4-14 IIAC – 9th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/2

About the Team: Dubuque returns five of its top-six scorers from 2001-02 but must replace All-Conference forward Greta Pemsl, the team’s top scorer. Junior guard Dana Kester and sophomore guard Jessica Cox both averaged double-figures last season. Kester finished second in team scoring with 15.4 points per game and led the team with 119 assists and 53 steals. Cox was third in team scoring (13.1 ppg) and second in assists (59) and steals (33). Both players appeared in all 25 games, starting 24.

Junior guard Nichol Haase and sophomore guard Cassy Bliss both played in 25 games with 22 starts last season. Bliss averaged 7.5 points per game (fourth on team) and 5.5 rebounds per game (second on team). Haase averaged 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. She also had 38 assists.

Junior forward Kelly Thompson was the team’s top reserve last season, averaging 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 25 contests with two starts. Sophomore forward Jennifer Bowman also brings experience to the Spartans line-up. She saw limited time in 12 games.

About the Coach: Todd Huffman enters his first season as head coach at Dubuque. He has an 82-48 career coaching record that includes three seasons at Ohio State University-Newark and two seasons at Eastern University.

Coach Huffman on his team: “We are a young basketball team with tremendous potential. We look to be very competitive within the IIAC, even during this period of transition, and to learn as we go through the season. We will play hard for 40 minutes, learn, grow and really come together as a team.”

Coach Huffman on the IIAC: “This is one of the premier conferences in NCAA Division III basketball. You can expect a real battle every night, regardless of who you play. Every one of the coaches does an outstanding job with his or her programs. All of the IIAC colleges and universities truly are models of integrity and embody everything that defines a commitment to strong development of the student-athlete.”

Loras College Duhawks
(13-13, 10-8 IIAC – 5th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/4

About the Team: First Team All-Conference center Alicia Davis led the nation in field goal percentage (.725) last season and leads an experienced group of Duhawks for first-year coach, Larry Lawler. The 6-3 center averaged 19.4 points and 12.2 rebounds in 26 games. Junior guard Erin Boxleiter led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.495). She finished second in team scoring last season with 9.0 points per game, mostly coming off the bench (25 games, 8 starts).

Senior guard Nicki Mueller was fourth in team scoring (8.4 ppg), second in rebounding (5.1 rpg), and led the team with 155 assists and 62 steals. Senior guard Amy Jones finished second in team scoring (13.2 ppg) and assists (105).

Also returning to the Loras line-up this season are sophomore forward Michele Kearney, sophomore guard Cortney Kettman and senior guard Katie Rasmusson. Kearney average 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 26 games including 17 starts. Primarily coming off the bench, Kettman averaged 4.3 points per game and handed out 27 assists in 25 games (just one start). In 15 games, with 13 starts, Rasmusson averaged 6.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Junior transfers Amber Jones and Erin Weber along with freshmen Jessi Briggs and Marissa Pollmann will look to add depth to the Duhawks’ line-up.

About the Coach: Larry Lawler enters his first season as head coach at Loras. Prior to joining the Duhawks’ staff, he served seven seasons as an assistant coach at Rutgers University helping lead the Scarlet Knights to a 133-84 record, an NCAA Final Four and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance. He has also served two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa.

Luther College Norse
(18-8, 14-4 IIAC – T-1st)

Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 4/6

About the Team: Luther graduated its top-three scorers from last season’s co-Conference Championship team but with three starters and one key reserve returning, Luther has the experience to continue to compete at the top of the Conference. Luther’s four returning letterwinners include two seniors and two sophomores all of whom saw action in at least 21 contests last season.

Seniors Kelly Have and Heidi Montgomery return to the starting frontcourt having been the team’s fourth and fifth leading scorers last season. Have averaged 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season. She ranked second on the team in rebounding and had a team-high 41 blocks. Montgomery averaged 8.6 points per game and led the team with 6.6 rebounds. She ranked second on the team with 16 blocks.

Sophomore guard Sarah Laposky appeared in 21 games last season with 17 starts. She averaged 6.5 points per game. Sophomore guard Anne Bautch was a key reserve on last season’s team, appearing in 24 games and contributing 27 assists and 19 steals while playing 13.0 minutes per contest.

About the Coach: Jane Hildebrand enters her 19th season as head coach at Luther. She has led her alma mater to a 310-154 record and earned IIAC Coach of the Year honors four times (1988, 1989, 1991, 2000). Her 310 career victories rank among the top-25 of active Division III coaches.

Coach Hildebrand on her team: “I believe our team will be competitive in the Conference race. We lost some great players, however, I feel we have a strong nucleus of returning players to challenge for the title. We will need to have some underclassmen step up to help with the depth.”

Coach Hildebrand on the IIAC: “As always, the League should be competitive from top to bottom. There are a lot of unknowns considering the number of new coaches in the League. Most of the teams lost some key players, so it will be interesting to see which teams emerge on top.”

Simpson College Storm
(19-9, 11-7 IIAC – 4th)

Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/6

About the Team: Second Team All-Conference forward Krista Van Hauen leads a veteran group of retuning players to the Simpson line-up. Of the 10 returning letterwinners, nine are seniors. Last season, Van Hauen ranked third in scoring (10.6 ppg), rebounds (4.3 rpg) and assists (tied, 59) in 28 games. Guard Tiffany Whitsell was fourth in team scoring (8.6) and tied with Van Hauen for third on the team with 59 assists.

Forward Christy Pierick came off the bench in all 28 games to lead the Storm with 89 assists. She was second on the team with 10 blocks and averaged 6.9 points per game. Guard Amy Van Pelt was second on the team with 82 assists and averaged 6.4 points per game in 27 contests. Forward Sara Sonderman (5.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 43 assists) and center Katie Egli (5.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg) both played in 28 games with 12 starts.

Center Annika Gustafson (26 games, 1 start) led the team with 23 blocks and also contributed 4.2 points per game. Forward/center Sandy Beattie appeared in 25 games with seven starts and contributed 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Forward Amanda Pilcher (12 games) contributed 4.1 points per game and sophomore guard Jessica Schultz (16 games) contributed 18 assists in limited action.

About the Coach: Brian Niemuth enters his 15th season as head coach at Simpson. He has posted a 233-122 record in 14 seasons and has earned IIAC Coach of the Year honors twice (1998, 1999).

Coach Niemuth on his team: “We will have a very balanced team this year having graduated two very good all-conference players. We’ll have to fill their scoring and rebounding to be successful this year. Depth will be a plus as well as experience.”

Coach Niemuth on the IIAC: “With four new head coaches it is a little hard to say much about the competition. It will be a learning experience for everyone this year with the new coaches learning the League and the returning coaches learning about the new systems brought into the Conference.”

Upper Iowa University Peacocks
(19-7, 13-5 IIAC – 3rd)

Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 5/8

About the Team: Junior guard/forward Alisa Malaki is the lone returning starter for Upper Iowa, a team that surprised many people last season en route to a third place finish. Malaki started 23 games and averaged 5.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Junior forward Angie Baldrige appeared in 26 games off the bench last season to average 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Senior guards Meskerem Birru (15 games), Brenda Ortiz (17 games) and Lois Riordan (25 games) hope to expand their roles with the team.

Freshmen Kristen Peterson, Krystal Sherman, Nicky Bormann, Jennifer Cochran and LaCena Jones along with sophomore transfer Deborah Diaz will add depth to the Upper Iowa line-up.

About the Coach: Bill Wilson enters his seventh season as head coach at Upper Iowa. The Peacocks have posted a 79-72 record under Wilson, including a 19-7 record in 2001-02 earning Wilson IIAC Coach of the Year honors.

Coach Wilson on his team: “We will have a lot of new faces on the floor this year so it will take some time to see where the pieces of the puzzle fit. We lost 76 percent of our scoring to graduation, but we have some returnees that have worked extremely hard in the off-season for a chance to show that they can fill that void. I am excited about our incoming players. They have proven at this point to be hard working and capable of producing early in their careers.”

Coach Wilson on the IIAC: “A number of the teams in the IIAC lost high impact seniors, so I think the Conference standings will be very unpredictable throughout the season. I do feel that there will be a little more separation from top to bottom.”

Wartburg College Knights
(21-7, 14-4 IIAC – T-1st)

Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/3

About the Team: Wartburg, led by two-time Conference MVP Holly Mohs is ranked in two preseason polls. The Knights are #17 in the DIII News poll and #21 in the d3hoops.com poll. Mohs led Wartburg with 17.5 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, 34 blocks and 51 steals last season. She was second on the team with 75 assists. She enters the 2002-03 season fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,367 points. First Team All-Conference forward Jessica Mennen also returns to the line-up averaging 14.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last season.

Senior guard Katie Fox, the team’s top 3-point shooter last season averaged 7.9 points per game and handed out 65 assists in 28 contests, 18 starts. Junior guard Lisa Rasmussen had 61 assists, 42 steals and averaged 7.0 points per game last season in 28 contests, 27 starts. Junior forward Kelly Foley served as the team’s sixth-man last season, coming off the bench in all 28 games and contributing 5.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Freshmen Jenny Van Bibber, Ami Franzen and Erin Greeley will look to add depth as Wartburg looks to win its third straight IIAC title.

About the Coach: Monica Severson enters her 16th season as head coach at Wartburg. Under her guidance, the Knights have posted a 275-93 record. Severson has twice been named IIAC Coach of the Year (1992, 2001).

Coach Severson on her team: “I expect us to contend for the Iowa Conference Championship again this season. We return four starters as well as back-up players at every position so our returning experience is good. We must be more consistent on defense and improve our defensive scoring average if we are going to defend our IIAC Championship.”

Coach Severson on the IIAC: “I feel that Simpson and Loras both return a number of quality players and will be in the hunt for the IIAC Championship. We also have a number of teams who graduated a large class and their success will depend on their recruiting class. Another factor in Conference competition is the addition of four new coaches to the League. As always, it will be a competitive race from start to finish.”

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