Fifth Year Feature: Emma 1K - Kelchen’s atypical journey to 1,000 points
College Hall of Fame basketball careers at the NAIA level are usually fairly predictable, the four-year starter that was a highly touted prospect out of high school or the two-year transfer from a larger program that are able to produce at a high level game-in and game-out.
On January 16th, 2023, Emma Kelchen cemented a Hall of Fame career that started as neither of the previous two examples and proved that patience and hard work can produce top-tier results.
In the Pride's 18th game of the 2022-23 season against William Penn University, Kelchen scored 19 points to reach 1,000 points in her career, joining a list of 14 previous Clarke women's basketball players, including three former teammates in Makenna Haase, Morgan Pitz, and Natasha Adames as well as current teammate Tina Ubl.
The rest of the 1,000-point club includes Tina Kuhle (1,773, 1990-94), Kelli Miller (1,577, 1991-95), Breland Prochaska (1,527, 2012-16), Kelsey Ernst (1,500, 2013-17), Deann (Trapp) Petitgout (1,456, 1995-99), Kea Whittington (1,400, 2014-18), Jennifer Brotzman (1,361, 1990-94), Suzy Eich (1,230, 1983-87), Doreen Jacobs (1,055, 1986-87, 1988-89), and Lauri White (1,045, 1992-96).
"If you would have told me freshman year that I would have scored 1,000 points, I would have awkwardly laughed at you and said you were crazy," Kelchen said. "I was thankful to do it at home, I didn't know the fans were handing out signs, I got a little emotional at the end, but it was super, super cool."
Kelchen will boast a five-year career due to receiving an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But don't let that fool you, she earned those 1,000 points mainly over the last two seasons since becoming the Pride's starter at center following appearing in no games as a freshman and averaging 19.9 minutes over 58 games played between her sophomore and junior seasons.
This fifth season has also added a rare twist to the student-athlete experience for Kelchen, who graduated in May 2022 with her bachelor's degree in Nursing, had a tough decision to make about whether to join the workforce or pursue a master's and stick around for that fifth year of eligibility.
Her decision ended up being, "why not both?" as she began her employment as a home care nurse with children throughout the school year while pursuing her MBA and playing in every game so far this season. Some days start at 8:00 a.m. and go all the way until 6:00 p.m. from nursing to film study to practice.
"It's a little more challenging," Kelchen said. "I have two patients in the area, and I really like it knowing I always wanted to work with kids and the home care is flexible enough to allow me to play basketball still too so I'm glad I decided to come back."
Her 2021-22 Heart First Team All-Conference season saw Kelchen finish with a career-high 464 total points in that season, more than doubling any previous season's total as she currently has 195 points for the 22-23 season, just 22 away from toppling her junior season total of 217.
If she were to maintain her current 10.8 points per game average for the remaining 10 games of the regular season, she would get to a two-year total of 767 points and with the near certainty of at least two post season games, at least one in the Heart Tournament and one in the NAIA Tournament, she has the potential to total over 800 points in just two seasons.
"She's put in the time, more so than a lot of people can say" head coach Courtney Boyd said. "The time and effort that college athletes have to put in goes unnoticed and each year she put in a little more time and a little more effort. Everything she's done, she's earned and that's because she got herself to a discipline standpoint behind the scenes that nobody will understand."
"Everyone talks about how important it is to get in the gym and put the hard work in," Kelchen said. "I love to do that but it's definitely easier to get in and put the hard work in when you're doing it with the people you love and they're having just as much fun as you."
And to think, the last 710 words wouldn't have been possible if not for a simple flip in commitment as the Bellevue, Iowa native prepared to begin her secondary education.
As a three-sport (volleyball, basketball, and softball) athlete at Bellevue High School, Kelchen earned four varsity letters in basketball, was a two-time River Valley Conference elite team, earned River Valley Conference first team, IBCA all region team, and academic all-conference, while joining 1000-point club in high school as well.
Originally planning on attending the University of Dubuque, Kelchen cites an addition of a varsity reserve team for Clarke women's basketball was able to sway her to 1550 Clarke Drive over 2000 University Avenue.
"I knew I wanted to stay close to home," Kelchen said. "It was between Clarke and UD and I knew I wanted to be on a varsity reserve team so that's why I was leaning UD but then Coach Boyd said they would have a one at Clarke so I flipped and thank goodness I did."
"Emma was a really good high school player and having a relationship with other players from Bellevue High School coming through our program helped us get to know her," assistant coach Adam Hocking said. "She knew there was going to be a development piece and a big part of that was being able to have some reserve opportunities to get some playing time. Her freshman year was our first year of the reserve program so Clarke became a good fit for the relationships and academics as well."
That 2018-19 freshman season, as stated prior, saw all of Kelchen's time on the floor participating in varsity reserve games before boosting up to appearing in every game the next two seasons, primarily off the bench.
Her sophomore year at Clarke also provided some familiarity in the form of fellow Bellevue native, longtime friend, and youth/high school teammate Giana Michels as Kelchen's ascension as an elite college player was something Michels knew she had in her.
"We've been playing basketball together since I was in fourth grade and she was in fifth," Michels said. "I remember thinking it was really cool to play up with the fifth graders because Emma and her classmates were really good. After playing with her for so long, I've seen her develop an aggressiveness and take over mentality to be one of, if not the best post players in the conference."
Then heading into her true senior year in 2021-22, she was given a "no pressure" role in the starting lineup only replacing the program's all-time leading scorer in Makenna Haase.
That role has seemingly actually come with no pressure at all to Kelchen as she led the team in scoring and rebounding on her way to that aforementioned All Heart First Team selection while currently averaging over 10 points per game and six rebounds per game while the Pride sit at No. 8 in the NAIA rankings with a 16-2 overall record.
"These last five years have flown by" Kelchen said. "Everyone says the four years, five in my case, are gone in the blink of an eye and it's so true. I'm so grateful I'm here, I'm so grateful I chose to come back for a fifth year and none of this would have happened."