Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
In Lori Wynn's second season as head coach of the Grace College women's basketball team, things are beginning to take shape.
Wynn now has her first recruiting class, a larger roster of players to draw from and a new scheme on offense and defense. With these changes comes expectations. After last year's 5-23 record, this team may have bigger goals to push the program forward.
Wynn has five players returning from last year's squad. Danielle Mowery, Kari Helmuth, Eleanor Marquis and Jordan Rees have a year of playing experience under coach Wynn. Arica Edwards will be returning to action after missing last year with a knee injury.
"Arica brings age, maturity and stability," Wynn said. "We're not real tall, but she provides good height."
Mowery and Helmuth now have two years of experience at Grace after playing together at Leo High School.
"Kari and Danielle have really matured over the summer," Wynn said. "They are becoming good team leaders and are more controlled on the floor. They understand what is expected and what needs to be done. They will both benefit by not having to be on the floor 40 minutes a game."
Marquis and Rees will probably see most of their minutes off of the bench.
They will both be stable influences that Wynn can go to when the Lady Lancers need a spark.
"Eleanor and Jordan bring maturity as well in playing a year under me," Wynn said. "They know what is expected and help the freshmen understand that as well."
Those players are keys for this team and future teams. Some will start games, some will come off the bench, but all five will be help in the development of a talented group of newcomers.
"All the upperclassmen are committed to being better than last year," Wynn said. "They are setting the standard for what is acceptable and what isn't."
Those six newcomers may be one of the most talented classes to ever come to the Lancer basketball team. Five freshmen and one sophomore transfer will add parts of the game that were missing last year and depth to a team that had just eight players during the 1999-2000 season.
The lone sophomore is Nikki Heaphy. She comes from a strong Baldwine-Wallace squad at the NCAA Division III level. She played valuable minutes as a freshman, but was injured last year. Heaphy has seen the college game and understands what needs to be done on the court to build a winner.
"She is going to help us a ton," Wynn said. "She can play a couple different positions and has a nice outside shot. She has a nose for the ball and works so hard. Nikki is a great addition."
Tracy Mezera comes to Grace with some of the best credentials that any women's player has ever had. As a junior, she ended eighth in the state in scoring and as a senior, she was fourth. She was the top 2A scorer in the state and scored 1,125 points over her final two seasons at River Forest.
"Tracy is a great scorer," Wynn said. "She understands the game and can see the floor. She is a great passer from both guard positions. She will be a consistent scorer, something we didn't have last year."
Sidney Bollier comes from Woodlan High School and will play anywhere from the point guard position to small forward.
"She is probably one of the hardest working players I've seen," Wynn said. "She is a coach's kid and she plays like one. She is thinking ahead of everyone else. She does all the little things well."
Angie Krach is the third Leo High School player to enter the program in the past three years. Following Mowery and Helmuth to Grace, she will play both guard and forward.
"Angie is very athletic," Wynn said. "She is so fast, but she plays under control. If she keeps developing, she will be a great player."
Laurie McClure will provide athleticism at the guard position. She also plays soccer at Grace and will have to play catch-up once the season starts in moving from soccer to basketball.
"She's a good defender," Wynn said. "She's very fast and she'll be a great addition athleticly."
Heidi Zeigler comes to Grace from Simi Vally, Calif. She will come off the bench for the Lady Lancers, but still needs some time to develop to become a complete player.
"She's going to be a great defensive player," Wynn said. "Her offense needs to develop a bit more, but as she gets in the weight room, she will become a good, solid player."
The Lancers will continue to play in the Mid-Central Conference. With teams such as St. Francis, Taylor and Bethel in the MCC, the Lady Lancers have a long road ahead of them if they are to crack the top half of the conference.
"This is one of the strongest conferences in the country," Wynn said. "There are no easy teams. Even though we were only 2-12, we still gave everybody a run in the conference."
GRACE COLLEGE
2000-2001 Women's Basketball Schedule (home games in caps and bolded)
Date Opponent Time
Nov. 3-4 at McKendree College Tournament
Nov. 3 vs. McKendree 8 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. Union 5 p.m.
Nov. 9 vs. JUDSON 7 p.m.
Nov. 11 at Tri-State 1 p.m.
Nov. 14 at Cornerstone 7 p.m.
Nov. 17-18 at Anderson Tip-Off Tournament
Nov. 17 vs. Anderson 8 p.m.
Nov. 18 consolation/championship 1/3 p.m.
Nov. 21 at Purdue-Calumet 7 p.m.
Nov. 28 at Asbury 6 p.m.
Dec. 1-2 at Olivet Nazarene Tournament
Dec. 1 vs. Mt. Mercy 6 p.m.
Dec. 2 consolation/championship 1/3 p.m.
Dec. 5 vs. MANCHESTER 7 p.m.
Dec. 7 vs. IUSB 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 vs. JOHN BROWN 1 p.m.
Dec. 14 at IPFW 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 at St. Francis 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 vs. BETHEL 1 p.m.
Jan. 10 vs. MARIAN 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 at Huntington 1 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Indiana Wesleyan 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 vs. TAYLOR 1 p.m.
Jan. 24 at Goshen 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 vs. ST. FRANCIS 1 p.m.
Feb. 3 at Marian 1 p.m.
Feb. 7 vs. HUNTINGTON 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 vs. INDIANA WESLEYAN 1 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Taylor 7 p.m.
Feb. 17 vs. GOSHEN 1 p.m.
2000-2001 Roster
No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown High School
15 Tracy Mezera G Fr. 5-7 Hobart, IN River Forest
20 Danielle Mowery F Jr. 5-10 Leo, IN Leo
21Heidi Zeigler G Fr. 5-6 Simi Valley, CA Grace Brethren
22 Sidney Bollier G Fr. 5-10 Harlan, IN Woodlan
23 Kari Helmuth G Jr. 5-4 Leo, IN Leo
24 Nikki Heaphy G/F So. 5-9 Lima, OH Elida
30 Eleanor Marquis F Jr. 5-10 Berrien Springs, MI Mich. Lutheran
34 Jordan Rees G Jr. 5-8 Good Hope, CA Homeschool
35 Laurie McClure G Fr. 5-7 New Holland, PA Garden Spot
41 Angie Krach F/G Fr. 5-9 Grabill, IN Leo
42 Arica Edwards C Sr. 6-0 Lapaz, IN Elkhart Baptist
Stats and Facts
Coach - Lori Wynn (5-23 in 1 year at Grace)
Assistant coach -ÊSteve Carlson (1 year as assistant)
Conference -ÊMid-Central
Affiliation -ÊNAIA, NCCAA
Enrollment - 1,000
1999-2000 record - 5-23
1999-2000 MCC record -Ê2-12 (eighth)
Top returners
Mowery - 10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Helmuth -Ê8.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg
Edwards - DNP (knee injury)
Devros -Ê5.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Marquis -Ê3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Top newcomers - Mezera, Bollier, Heaphy, Krach
Outlook -ÊCoach Lori Wynn will combine experience returners with a strong incoming class of players to improve on last season's record. The Lancers had just eight players on the roster last year, but depth does not figure to be a problem this season. This may be onf the strongest teams Grace has put on the court in the last 10 years.
