Current Events

Current Events

2000, 2001, 2002
Can the Lady T’s Three-peat?

Dakota State University’s women’s basketball program has won back-to-back conference championships to start the new millennium. They have also advanced to the NAIA National Tournament and finished in the “Elite Eight” and “Sweet Sixteen” rounds. The question being asked by Lady T fans is, “Can they three-peat”? “Can they reach the elite level of the NAIA and obtain a berth in the Final Four?” “Is this team good enough to go all the way?”

The 2001-02 begins with a new set of challenges and loftier expectations. With three starters returning from last years 23-9 squad, it would appear that DSU could again compete for a Dakota-10 Conference Championship. But the road to a championship will not be easy. Head Coach Jeff Dittman begins the year with a squad that has better depth and more speed than any of the past five nationally-ranked teams. With this speed, Dittman hopes to be able to use a more aggressive defense that will lend itself to an up-tempo offensive game.

The Lady T’s return an experienced and talented front line that can run the floor, defend, and rebound. Jennie Sonne, a 6-1 All-Conference player from Mt. Vernon, S.D., anchors the center spot for the Lady Ts. Jennie led the country in field goal percentage last year, hitting 67.2% of her shots while averaging 13.7 points a night. 6-0 junior Jessica Honermann and 5-11 junior Erin Nielsen return at the forward positions. Jessica, from Adrian, MN., is an athletic forward that runs the court well, can hit the 18’ jumper and is currently number three in career blocked shots. Jessica shot 55% from the field and scored 9.9 points an outing last year. Pierre, S.D. native, Erin Nielsen is the defensive specialist of the team. Erin has the ability to guard anyone from the point guard to a power forward and gets the job of defending the oppositions toughest perimeter player each night. Offensively, Erin averaged almost six points a night and has been improving her shooting range in the off-season. She is looking forward to showcasing her range and quickness from the wing this season.

Bolstering the front line is junior Teresa Hildebrand and sophomore Hali McClelland. Teresa, from Morden, Manitoba, will return to the Lady T’s after a medical redshirt season. A 6-1 forward, she developed mono early in the 2000-01 season and was forced to sit out the year after transferring to Dakota State from the University of Winnipeg. Hali had an outstanding freshman year and looks to improve on last years success. A 5-11 forward/center from Gaylord, MN., Hali averaged 6.7 points an outing and had a career high 11 rebounds in the national tournament game against #5 seed St. Francis of Indiana.

In the backcourt, the Lady T’s will feature new faces. Graduation hit the Lady T’s at both the point guard and shooting guard positions where 5-11 All-American Kathy Shypulski and 5-7 Academic All-American Heidi Honermann put fear in opponents hearts. Kathy had a tremendous career and you will find her name throughout the DSU Record Book in points, assists, and shooting accuracy. The high-scoring Shypulski averaged 16.8 points a night while hitting 42.4% of her three-point attempts. As if one long-range shooter wasn’t enough, Heidi finished her career with the best three-point field goal percentage in school history (40.1%). At the other end, Heidi anchored the stingiest defense in the Dakota-10 Conference and finished seventh in DSU history for career steals.

Returning to the backcourt is 5-6 junior guard Jill Amick, and sophomores Amy Balk and Trisha Grablander. A Letcher, S.D. native, Jill has excellent strength and can hit the outside jumper. Jill played extensive minutes on the junior varsity squad last year, averaging 5 points a game. Amy is a 5-3 point guard from Mora, MN., who had an outstanding freshman year. Amy averaged 4-.5 points a game, dished out 62 assists and had a career high 17 points against S.D. Tech last year. Amy is an excellent ballhandler with lightning quickness who can single-handedly break opponent’s presses. Trisha is a 5-7 sophomore guard from Custer, S.D., who has excellent quickness and driving skills. Trisha gained valuable experience last year on the freshman squad and will be counted on to help the Lady T’s defense and transition game this season.

Four junior college guards signed with DSU this spring and will relied on immediately for leadership in the backcourt. From Northwest College in Wyoming comes 5-4 point guard Molly Hathaway and 5-8 shooting guard Mandy Kruger. Sacha Santimano, a 5-7 shooting guard, arrives in Madison from Neosho Community College in Kansas and 5-4 Rachel Goehner comes from Cottey College in Missouri. The four athletes bring speed and quickness to the DSU backcourt and will called upon to fill the shooting void left by Kathy and Heidi at the perimeter spots.

The freshman class is another promising group of athletes that has Coach Dittman excited about the future of the Lady T’s basketball program. At the forward positions, 6-0 Leah Bakke (Volga, S.D.), 5-10 Andrea Gullickson (Flandreau, S.D.), 5-9 forward Amanda Zephier (Flandreau, S.D.) and 5-9 forward Robin Grinager (Lead, S.D.) will add speed and athleticism to an already outstanding DSU frontline. In the backcourt, the additions of Renae Bottum (Tulare, S.D.), Kayla Hewitt (Langford, S.D.) Amber Malvin (Alexandria, MN.), and Dana Van Zanten (Chester, S.D.) add excellent quickness and penetrating skills to the Lady T’s. The freshman class has garnered three All-State selections (Bakke, Grinager, and Bottum), five Academic All-Staters (Hewitt, Van Zanten, Gullickson, Bottum, and Grinager) and three members have participated in State Tournaments (Bakke, Malvin, and Bottum). Each had an outstanding high school career and will be looking to continue that success with the Lady T’s for the next four years.

After a look at the 2001-02 roster, Lady T fans can enter the year with the feeling that the Lady T’s will continue their tradition of excellence both on and off the court. Is this DSU squad talented enough to win a third conference championship – Yes. Can they advance to the elite levels of the NAIA – Yes. There are a number of questions to be answered with this squad but Coach Dittman feels this group of athletes has better overall speed and depth than any of the two previous National Tournament qualifiers. He also believes this could be one of the best rebounding and defensive teams in the country. If the offense can come together and develop a strong half-court game, this 2001-02 squad has the potential to go a long ways and Lady T’s fans will have a lot to cheer about in the post-season.


		created by: Dawn Dittman on August 21, 2000 Last updated: 09/05/2006