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Here are highlights from an Argus story previewing the upcoming season:
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Mondayfeature.shtml
SDSU women taking big step
Chris Solari
Argus Leader
published: 11/15/2004
Team faces true Division I schedule
Shannon Schlagel knows nothing but success in her career as a South Dakota State Jackrabbit.
Three straight Elite Eight appearances. One Division II national title. Plenty of all-conference accolades.
That's all about to change.
"I think our girls over the last few years, and even the women ahead of us, have really set the standard of how we, at SDSU, want to play basketball," the senior from Raymond said. "Being the first group as Division I, we want to play and work as hard as we can."
Two years removed from that national championship, Coach Aaron Johnston and his Jackrabbits will bid adieu to some old Division II foes before embarking on their biggest challenge ever. They open their season tonight against Concordia-St. Paul at 7 p.m. in Frost Arena.
The Jackrabbits also travel to a tournament at Cal State-Stanislaus against Division II schools, then get acclimated to Division I competition over Thanksgiving weekend at the three-game Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands. SDSU will face No. 17 Rutgers, Kentucky and Oregon State in the top-level event. . . .
Schlagel, a 6-foot forward who averaged 17.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game last year, will be looked to continue the leadership she displayed in last year's postseason. The Jackrabbits have an 86-19 record in her term as a three-year starter.
She'll have plenty of help in the post, which the Jackrabbits will need against the taller, more athletic Division I competition. Sarita DeBoer, a 6-2 senior who is an excellent passer with a soft scoring touch, will slide into the starting center spot. She averaged nine points and 5.4 rebounds off the bench last year.
Junior Christina Gilbert, a 6-2 junior, returns from a torn ACL she suffered midway through last season and will be a top reserve. Also expect freshmen forwards Sarah Meckley (6-0) and Courtney Grimsrud (6-2) to provide valuable minutes in the paint.
"I think one of the things I like so much about our roster is that we have key people, impact people coming back," said Johnston, whose team went 26-7 and earned another Elite Eight berth last year.
"We have a good group of incoming freshmen that the returners will teach and help them understand what it takes to be successful at this level."
Much of that direction comes from Sieler, back for her third season as starting point guard. The 5-7 ball of energy is expected to add more scoring to her duties as defensive sparkplug.
She will be joined in the backcourt by slick 5-11 sophomore Megan Vogel, whose electric ability to drive to the bucket helped her average 13.3 points and 8.2 rebounds a contest last year.
Senior Brooke Dickmeyer, a Washington High grad, contributed as a reserve last year and will be looked to fill the hole caused by the graduation of Brenda Davis. The 5-9 guard/forward scored 7.1 points a game in 2003-04 and was aggressive on the glass.
Senior Stephanie Bolden (5-7) and freshmen Isha Vanterpool (5-9) and Andrea Verdegan (5- 8 ) will also get minutes in the backcourt. Their energy will be needed if Johnston uses a full-court, trapping defense like he did in Saturday's exhibition win over Minnesota State-Mankato.
"That's what the nice part is," Vogel said. "Yeah, we have our starting five. But if you look six, seven, eight, nine into our bench, it doesn't drop off."
The Jackrabbits didn't shy away from Division I teams the past two years in exhibition losses, impressing coaches and players at Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado. They'll now face competition like that on a weekly basis.
"We don't want to have the big ups and the big downs," Vogel said. "We want to stay steady, so that our big-time wins aren't too high, but if we drop one, we don't get too low."
Go State! ;D
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Mondayfeature.shtml
SDSU women taking big step
Chris Solari
Argus Leader
published: 11/15/2004
Team faces true Division I schedule
Shannon Schlagel knows nothing but success in her career as a South Dakota State Jackrabbit.
Three straight Elite Eight appearances. One Division II national title. Plenty of all-conference accolades.
That's all about to change.
"I think our girls over the last few years, and even the women ahead of us, have really set the standard of how we, at SDSU, want to play basketball," the senior from Raymond said. "Being the first group as Division I, we want to play and work as hard as we can."
Two years removed from that national championship, Coach Aaron Johnston and his Jackrabbits will bid adieu to some old Division II foes before embarking on their biggest challenge ever. They open their season tonight against Concordia-St. Paul at 7 p.m. in Frost Arena.
The Jackrabbits also travel to a tournament at Cal State-Stanislaus against Division II schools, then get acclimated to Division I competition over Thanksgiving weekend at the three-game Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands. SDSU will face No. 17 Rutgers, Kentucky and Oregon State in the top-level event. . . .
Schlagel, a 6-foot forward who averaged 17.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game last year, will be looked to continue the leadership she displayed in last year's postseason. The Jackrabbits have an 86-19 record in her term as a three-year starter.
She'll have plenty of help in the post, which the Jackrabbits will need against the taller, more athletic Division I competition. Sarita DeBoer, a 6-2 senior who is an excellent passer with a soft scoring touch, will slide into the starting center spot. She averaged nine points and 5.4 rebounds off the bench last year.
Junior Christina Gilbert, a 6-2 junior, returns from a torn ACL she suffered midway through last season and will be a top reserve. Also expect freshmen forwards Sarah Meckley (6-0) and Courtney Grimsrud (6-2) to provide valuable minutes in the paint.
"I think one of the things I like so much about our roster is that we have key people, impact people coming back," said Johnston, whose team went 26-7 and earned another Elite Eight berth last year.
"We have a good group of incoming freshmen that the returners will teach and help them understand what it takes to be successful at this level."
Much of that direction comes from Sieler, back for her third season as starting point guard. The 5-7 ball of energy is expected to add more scoring to her duties as defensive sparkplug.
She will be joined in the backcourt by slick 5-11 sophomore Megan Vogel, whose electric ability to drive to the bucket helped her average 13.3 points and 8.2 rebounds a contest last year.
Senior Brooke Dickmeyer, a Washington High grad, contributed as a reserve last year and will be looked to fill the hole caused by the graduation of Brenda Davis. The 5-9 guard/forward scored 7.1 points a game in 2003-04 and was aggressive on the glass.
Senior Stephanie Bolden (5-7) and freshmen Isha Vanterpool (5-9) and Andrea Verdegan (5- 8 ) will also get minutes in the backcourt. Their energy will be needed if Johnston uses a full-court, trapping defense like he did in Saturday's exhibition win over Minnesota State-Mankato.
"That's what the nice part is," Vogel said. "Yeah, we have our starting five. But if you look six, seven, eight, nine into our bench, it doesn't drop off."
The Jackrabbits didn't shy away from Division I teams the past two years in exhibition losses, impressing coaches and players at Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado. They'll now face competition like that on a weekly basis.
"We don't want to have the big ups and the big downs," Vogel said. "We want to stay steady, so that our big-time wins aren't too high, but if we drop one, we don't get too low."
Go State! ;D