Pride women’s basketball picked to repeat in Heart Preseason Coaches’ Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off of their first 30-win season in program history and first ever regular season and tournament combination championship season, the Clarke University women's basketball team was voted in the top spot in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, Heart officials announced on Thursday.

The Pride received 166 voting points to earn the top spot, just six points ahead of Central Methodist University's 160 points. 

Clarke and Central Methodist each earned the top spot in their division last season with the Pride claiming the overall Heart regular season crown and defeating the Eagles in the Heart Tournament Championship on Mar. 1.

The full poll finished as follows:

CU is returning their top-six scorers from last season and their top-eight rotational players from the 2021-22 season led by Heart First Team All-Conference selections in senior center Emma Kelchen and junior guard Nicole McDermott. 

McDermott also earned NAIA All-America Honorable Mention as she finished the season as the team's second-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, second-leading rebounder at 7.3 rebounds per game, and second-leading assister at 2.5 assists per game during her sophomore season. 

Kelchen is returning for her fifth season along with fellow seniors Skylar Culbertson and Tina Ubl as all rostered 2020-21 winter sport student-athletes received that year of eligibility back due to COVID-19 restrictions and scheduling.

The Bellevue, Iowa native had a strong true senior season as the team's leading scorer at 12.9 points per game and leading rebounder at 7.4 rebound per game in her first season as a starter, starting every one of the team's 36 games.

Kelchen, McDermott, and Ubl along with junior forward Taylor Haase and senior guard Giana Michels played in all 36 games last season with sophomore forward Mya Merschman and junior guard Izzie Peterson playing in 35 and 34 games last season as Haase, Merschman, and Peterson were the primary players off the bench for head coach Courtney Boyd with the starting lineup primarily consisting of Kelchen, Ubl, Michels, McDermott, and Culbertson after Culbertson returned from an early season wrist injury in late December.

With those eight returning rotational players that all averaged over 15 minutes per game, the Pride will hope newcomers in transfer junior Madison Lindauer and freshman Shanae Wetering provide some depth to a roster with championship and postseason experience.

The 2022-23 season for Clarke women's basketball will tip off on Saturday, Oct. 29 when the Pride host Briar Cliff University at the Kehl Center for a 4:00 p.m. scheduled start time.