Pride women's basketball to receive 2022-23 NAIA Championship Rings on Jan. 10

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Seemingly nearing the end of the celebration of Clarke University's first national championship in school history, the 2022-23 women's basketball team will be presented their 2023 NAIA National Championship Rings on Wednesday, Jan. 10 following the Pride's home game against Mount Mercy University in the Kehl Center.

The ring presentation will specifically take place after the conclusion of the women's game that is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. CT and prior to warm-ups of the men's game of the Jan. 10 doubleheader against the Mustangs as Clarke Interim President Fletcher Lamkin, Director of Athletics Curt Long, and former head coach Courtney Boyd will each provide brief remarks during the short ceremony.

Along with Boyd, the majority 2022-23 roster and staff will be return including the graduating seniors that produced the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in program history concluding in the 33-4 record in 2022-23 that set the program record for wins in a season.

The rings that will handed out were produced by Baron Championships Rings, who are an official sponsor of the NAIA and Heart of America and have produced rings for professional and collegiate champions in North America.

Finishing 2022-23 with a program record and Heart of America best seven All-Conference selections, that CU women's basketball team had all five of their starting lineup reach significant statistical milestones with three 1,000-point scorers in Nicole McDermott (1,271), Giana Michels (1,124), and Emma Kelchen (1,288) then Tina Ubl set the new all-time scoring record, finishing with 1,992 career points in 164 games as the fourth senior, Skylar Culbertson, finished as the program's all-time leader in assists as Culbertson finished her career 492 assists. 

Currently, the 2023-24 edition of the Pride returned 10 members of the championship team as they currently sit at No. 4 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll, their highest ranking in program history, with a 9-0 overall record and a 6-0 record in the Heart.

Between this release and the ring ceremony on Jan. 10, Clarke women's basketball team will play three games in December on Dec. 13, 16, and 22 before entering a winter break to return to play January with a pair of road game on Jan. 3 and 6 before returning home for the Jan. 10 game against Mount Mercy.