2005 National Champs

Women's Basketball

2005 Millikin Women’s Team Headed to IBCA Hall of Fame

          DECATUR, Illinois—The 2005 National Champion Millikin University women's basketball team has been selected as part of the 2017 induction class for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame.  The induction ceremony will take place on May 6, 2017 at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.
          The 2005 Millikin women's team won the NCAA Division III National Championships and finished the season with a 29-2 overall record.
"The induction to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame is truly a privilege, and is a nod to not only the members of the 2004-05 team, but to the communities who taught these student-athletes to be champions," said Millikin Head Women's Basketball Coach Lori Kerans. 
          "The National Championship team of 2004-05 was a special group of student-athletes, coaches, and fans," adds Kerans.  "The run through the NCAA tournament was magical as the team was on the road for the Sweet 16/Elite 8 games, and for both of the Final 4 games.  Additionally, the team came from behind at half-time in four of those wins, before dominating the national championship game with a twenty point victory (70-50)." 
          Millikin's Joanna Connor was named the the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, and was joined by Audrey Minott and Lindsey Ippel on the five-member all-tournament team.
          Kerans is quick to add that all of the members of the team were excellent students with the Big Blue having the second highest grade point average in the nation in 2004-05.  All of the players graduated from Millikin, and went on to great careers as nurses, educators, coaches, entrepreneurs, and businesswomen.
          The members of the team included Christi Blackburn, Conner, Stacey Conrad, Abigail Gerlesits, Carsen Himes, Alayna Hirsch, Ariel Lamb, Ippel, Lindsey Koehn, Niki Korda, Tracy Kwasny, Heather Miller, Minott, Karin Olson, Andrea Riebock, Kristin Trotter, Adrienne Turner, Laura Zimmerman and Angela Vollmer.  The coaches included:  Kerans, Dick Marshall, and Brianna Morrow.
          The Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame honors former coaches, players, teams, officials, media members and friends of the game.  The 2017 Hall of Fame class also includes former Millikin players Jack Sunderlik and Missy Barrett Tingley.  Sunderlik's is Millikin's co-record holder for points in a game at 62 and ranks 18th on the men's basketball career scoring list with 1,279 points.  Bartett Tingley is sixth on the Big Blue's all-time women's basketball scoring list with 1,428 points 
 
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