The Yavapai Connection

They are both senior centers for the Grace College basketball teams; both are averaging more than 11 rebounds per game, and both went to Yavapai Junior College in Arizona; both were named to the Mid-Central Conference first team this week.

Gagnon is from Young, Ariz. and stands a menacing 6-foot-8. Rebecca Wahlstrom hails from Glendale, Ariz. and measures in at an even 6-0.

These two players will lead their teams into the MCC conference tournament this week. Gagnon starts tonight with a first-round matchup against Marian. Wahlstrom starts Wednesday against Indiana Wesleyan.

Just how dominating are these two forces inside? They have combined to grab 582 rebounds on the season. That averages out to 11.6 rebounds per game. No other male-female combination in the conference matches up with those numbers.

Gagnon is first in the conference and third in NCCAA in rebounding. He also sits 12th in NAIA in rebounding.

Wahlstrom's 12.6 rebounds per game puts her in second in the conference, and she is only getting better. In February, she grabbed 14.1 rebounds per game in which Grace won five games during that stretch, one more than it had won the rest of the season.

If you think all these two do is rebound, think again. Gagnon is second in the conference in scoring at 20.3 points per game and he is sixth in free throw shooting at 78 percent. He is also seventh in the league with a 53 percent field goal percentage. Wahlstrom is fourth in scoring at 16.5 points per game and 14th in field goal percentage at a 47 percent clip.

So just how good are these two? Their coaches know.

"Darren is perhaps the most athletic player that has ever played at Grace College," men's basketball coach Jim Kessler said. Kessler has been the head coach at Grace for 20 seasons, so he has seen plenty of players come and go.

"His strength and lower body power give him the ability to do some things that very few players in NAIA can do," Kessler went on to say. "His ability to rebound is phenomenal. He can pursue the basketball. He has a knack for positioning himself in the right place. Sometimes we just stand and watch him rebound. If you asked any coach in the conference, he would be one of those kids that they would pick to start their team with."

"Our offense begins around Rebecca," women's basketball coach Scott Schramm said. "Every game, they hear me yell at them to get the ball inside, to go to Rebecca. Defensively, she's our only real powerful rebounder. She controls the boards for us. We have some really big holes when she is not in our lineup."

If you still don't think that Wahlstrom is a great athlete, consider this. Because of her commitment to volleyball, she joined the basketball team late. Her first games of the year were in the Tri-State tournament, in which she made the all-tournament team. Because many of the starters on the Grace basketball team are freshmen, she had never played or practiced with most of the women she was on the floor with.

Wahlstrom may be more known for her volleyball skill. She was an NAIA All-American her junior year and honorable mention her senior year. She also led the NAIA in kills last season.

"She was the anchor on the team," volleyball coach Candace Moats said. "Everyone based their defense against her. She was an NAIA All-American honorable mention. She really made a mark for Grace. In my two years here, she is the best player I have seen in Christian college volleyball."

So both Gagnon and Wahlstrom are great athletes, but why did they come to Grace?

"Darren literally fell into my lap," coach Kessler said. "I still remember the day I got the phone call. He introduced himself and talked a lot about coming to a college where he could be comfortable to study in the spiritual realm. I get a lot of calls similar to that. Then, I realized the guy was 6-8. I did a little checking and found that he was legit. He was recruited by a number of schools out of junior college. He committed to coming to Grace before even seeing the campus. I have coaches ask me how I got a guy like that. My standard answer is, God recruited him."

"After high school, I went to West Point," Wahlstrom said. "I was looking for a different lifestyle. I wanted to go somewhere prestigious, but when I left West Point, I could only get into Yavapai. After two years there, I kind of lost what I'd learned and everyone felt that I should go to a big school, but I just really decided that I wanted to go to a Christian school. I decided on this one because I wanted to go to a real Christian college, and I felt that I should start to get away from home."

As a matter of fact, Gagnon only heard about Grace College because of Wahlstrom. The only scholarship he got after high school was to Yavapai where, he blossomed as a player.

"I had a lot of scholarship offers after Yavapai," Gagnon said. "But God made it pretty obvious where he wanted me. I love the school and the faculty."

So what do the two players mean to the athletic program at Grace?

"Both of them are super kids," athletic director Roger Haun said. "Not only athletically, but spiritually they are neat kids. Academically, both of them are very strong. Rebecca is almost a 4.0 student, and Darren does very well academically. Those are the type of kids that we hope to attract. If we have any regret, it's that we didn't have them for four years. Rebecca helped to put the volleyball program and basketball program on the map. The men's basketball program has had a strong tradition. Darren has helped to uphold that tradition."

Wahlstrom is an elementary education major and Gagnon is a Biology major with a grade-point average better than 3.0.

There are a few other things that Gagnon and Wahlstrom do in twos. This week both were named MCC player of the week. Gagnon had an impressive 15 points and 19 rebounds against St. Francis, while Wahlstrom averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds in three games last week.

Both players also try to be leaders on their teams.

"I think my role is to be a leader on and off the court," Wahlstrom said. "Especially this year because we have so many freshmen. On the court, I need to be a leader with my attitude and with my play. That means just giving encouragement. Off the court, I also need to be a leader with my attitude and my heart."

Gagnon is a leader in other ways. He has played center most of the season despite being a forward before he came to Grace. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make the team better.

"Sometimes it's frustrating," Gagnon said. "But wins and losses are more important. You learn to deal with it. It's not as bad as it could be."

Gagnon's team begins its MCC run at home tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. Wahlstrom's team starts Wednesday at Indiana Wesleyan. Tip-off time is 7 p.m.