The Gustavus women’s basketball team enters the 2006-07 season with high hopes as Coach Mickey Haller returns three starters and seven letterwinners from a team that posted a mark of 19-7 overall and finished third in the MIAC at 15-5. Haller will look to a trio of starters to lead the squad including senior post Bri Monahan, junior guard Jess Vadnais, and senior post Erin Boese. The Gusties were picked to finish fourth by the MIAC Coaches in their pre-season poll.
Senior post Bri Monahan (Hutchinson, Minn.), who scored her 1,000th career point in the team’s final game of the 2005-06 season, is considered one of the premier players in the conference and is a legitimate candidate for MIAC Player of the Year honors. Monahan led the MIAC in scoring last year with an average of 19.6 points per game and she ranked seventh in rebounding with an average of 6.7 per game. Senior post Erin Boese (Rochester, Minn./Mayo) really settled into her starting role last year and was named to the MIAC All-Defensive team by the league coaches. Boese and Monahan give the Gusties one of the strongest post combinations in the league. Junior shooting guard Jess Vadnais (Hudson, Wis.) gives Gustavus a serious outside threat to counter the inside play of Monahan and Boese. Vadnais ranked fifth in the MIAC in scoring with an average of 16.6 points per game and she ranked first in free throw percentage at .866 (71-82) and first in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.89 (68 assists to 36 turnovers).Vadnais needs nine three-point baskets this season to become the fifth player at Gustavus to make 100 triples and she is on pace to break the school career record of 176 set by Angie Peterson in 2004.
Other returners that expect to make significant contributions this season include junior forwards Vicky Peterson (Plymouth, Minn./Armstrong) and Kenzie Consoer (Mankato, Minn./West), and sophomore guards Emily Nelson (Mankato, Minn./Loyola), and Ashley Raymo (Worthinton, Minn.). Peterson and Consoer came off the bench to give the Gusties needed depth in the post. Both individuals play a physical style and use their quickness to establish rebounding position. Peterson played an average of 17 minutes a game, while contributing 3.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Consoer played an average of 16 minutes per game and contributed 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. On the perimeter, Nelson gave Jess Vadnais a break as the shooting guard, while Raymo came in at the point guard position. Nelson really came into her own late in the season and scored 10 points in the Gusties win over Augsburg in February. Ramo played in every game as the backup point guard and she averaged 2.4 points and 1.0 steal per game. Her ability to push the ball up the floor and play pressure defense will likely lead to even more playing time this season.
Coach Haller will also look to a talented group of newcomers to contribute to this year’s team. That group includes point guard Brianna Radtke (Winsted, Minn.), shooting guard Julia Schultz (Marshall, Minn.) and post Katie Layman (Hudson, Wis.). Schultz was an All-State performer for a Marshall team that finished second in Class AAA last year, while Radke was an All-Conference and All-Area performer at Lester Prairie High School, and Layman was an All-Conference performer at Hudson High School.
Player & Team Information
Overall record last year: 19-7
Conference record/finish: 15-5/Third
Letterwinners returning/lost: 7/4
Starters Returning/lost: 3/2
Key Returning Players
Bri Monahan, Post, Senior, 6-0 (Honorable Mention All-America, All-Region, All-Conference, 1,000 point scorer, Led MIAC in scoring at 19.8 ppg)
Jess Vadnais, Guard, Junior, 5-6 (All-Conference, 5th in MIAC in scoring at 16.3 ppg)
Erin Boese, Post, Senior, 5-11 (MIAC All-Defensive Team, Two-year starter, 5.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Vicky Peterson, Forward, Junior, 5-10 (Played in 26 games last year and averaged 4.2 rpg and 3.7 ppg)
Kenzie Consoer, Forward, Junior, 5-9 (Played in 20 games last and averaged 3.1 rpg and 3.7 ppg)
Emily Nelson, Guard, Sophomore, 5-6 (Played in 22 games last year and averaged 5.9 ppg and 2.4 rpg)
Key Losses
Sara Boldt, guard, 5-19, graduated (5,8 ppg, three-year starter)
Michelle Linbo, guard, 5-4, graduated
Marit Sviggum, guard, 5-4, graduated
Top Newcomers
Brianna Radtke, First Year, Point Guard, Winsted, Minn./Lester Prairie High School
Julia Schultz, First Year, Shooting Guard, Marshall, Minn./Marshall High School
Katie Layman, First Year, Post, Hudson, Wis./Hudson High School