Nine Freshmen Join Sophomore Veterans On Northeast’s Women’s Basketball Team

Members+of+the+Northeast+Community+College+2014-15+women%E2%80%99s+basketball+team+include+%28front+row%2C+from+left%29+Brooke+Bauer%2C+O%E2%80%99Neill%3B+Cameron+Eddie%2C+Belden%3B+Octavia+McGraw%2C+Omaha%3B+Megan+Trinder%2C+Hollywell%2C+Qld%2C+Australia%3B+Jayla+Mayes-Jackson%2C+Minneapolis%2C+MN%3B+and+Kara+Valasek%2C+Palmer.+Back+row+%28from+left%29+Jordyn+Berglund%2C+student+manager%2C+Ena+Viso%2C+Copenhagen%2C+Denmark%3B+Hannah+Riley%2C+Richmond+Hill%2C+GA%3B+Sydney+Koel%2C+Sioux+Falls%2C+SD%3B+Janea+Bunn%2C+Springfield%2C+MA%3B+Yasmin+Miller%2C+Mountain+Creek%2C+Qld%2C+Australia%3B+Annie+Szczepaniak%2C+Bellevue%3B+Allie+Millard%2C+Valentine%3B+and+Matt+Svehla%2C+head+coach.+Not+pictured%2C+Dr.+Michael+Cooper%2C+assistant+coach.+%28Courtesy+Northeast+Community+College%29

Members of the Northeast Community College 2014-15 women’s basketball team include (front row, from left) Brooke Bauer, O’Neill; Cameron Eddie, Belden; Octavia McGraw, Omaha; Megan Trinder, Hollywell, Qld, Australia; Jayla Mayes-Jackson, Minneapolis, MN; and Kara Valasek, Palmer. Back row (from left) Jordyn Berglund, student manager, Ena Viso, Copenhagen, Denmark; Hannah Riley, Richmond Hill, GA; Sydney Koel, Sioux Falls, SD; Janea Bunn, Springfield, MA; Yasmin Miller, Mountain Creek, Qld, Australia; Annie Szczepaniak, Bellevue; Allie Millard, Valentine; and Matt Svehla, head coach. Not pictured, Dr. Michael Cooper, assistant coach. (Courtesy Northeast Community College)

NORFOLK – Several new faces join this year’s women’s basketball team at Northeast Community College – a team that is coming off a strong season last year. Hawks Coach Matt Svehla welcomes nine freshmen this season along with four returning sophomores.

Northeast ended the 2013-14 campaign 26-4 following an appearance in the Region XI Championship game. The Hawks were also ranked several times in the National Junior College Athletic Association Top 25 Division I poll during the season.

“We lost some really good players from last year’s team, but we return some really good players too,” Svehla said. “Three of our returners averaged around ten points per game last season, so they will provide some scoring and experience with this year’s team.  Like always, we will need for our freshmen group to contribute and some will need to contribute right away. I have been pretty pleased with their development and I expect that they will continue to improve as the season goes along.  The freshmen class has a good balance of perimeter players and inside players.  Our freshmen inside players bring nice size to our roster, which makes us bigger than we were a year ago.”

The Hawks will be led by returning sophomores Yasmin Miller, Mountain Creek, Qld, Australia, Annie Szczepaniak, Bellevue, Megan Trinder, Hollywell, Qld, Australia, and Ena Viso, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Freshman players this season include Brooke Bauer, O’Neill, Janea Bunn, Springfield, MA, Cameron Eddie, Belden, Sydney Koel, Sioux Falls, SD, Jayla Mayes-Jackson, Minneapolis, MN, Octavia McGraw, Omaha, Allie Millard, Valentine, Hannah Riley, Richmond Hill, GA, and Kara Valasek, Palmer.

Svehla said his players are excited to begin the season. “Preseason can get long and it is time to shift gears.  Opening up on the road is always difficult, but hopefully we’ll be ready to go.  We won’t have much of a scouting report on our opponents, so we’ll try to worry about our own business.  Playing solid defense, rebounding, and minimizing turnovers will be our focus.”

The Northeast Community College women’s and men’s basketball teams open this season on Saturday and Sunday, November 1 and 2, at the North Dakota State College of Science Classic at Wahpeton, ND.