The 2011-12 season is here for the WWCC Women’s basketball team.  The team has gone 148-64 over the past seven years and averaged over 21 wins a year in that time period.  Last year’s team had one of the best records in school history at 23-6 and went 9-3 in conference play.  The women’s basketball team was once again national academic champions with a GPA of 3.58.  This makes three years in a row they have won this honor!

The biggest void to fill will be that of Jessa Jeppesen who was the first female basketball player to make All-American at Western.  She averaged 18 PPG and 8 RPG.  She is playing this year at Idaho State University.  Returning for the Mustangs, however, will be two full-time starters and a part-time starter.  Jordan Giles will return at the point after averaging 7.4 PPG and 4.2 assists per game.  Alissa Willard returns after averaging 6.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG.  Dani Hardy was a part-time starter after coming off knee complications and averaged 8.4 PPG.  Other returners include Ashley Argyle 2.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG, Breanna Johnson 4.8 PPG and 1.7 RPG, and Shelby Rudd 3.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG.  Chelsea Sorensen (6-4) will join the basketball team this year after a two-year outstanding career at Western in the sport of volleyball.

Seven freshmen will join the above seven sophomores as the make up for this year’s team.  “We have an excellent group of sophomores returning and we feel our freshmen are very athletic and can contribute right away,” Coach Swartz said.  “How they adjust to this level of play will be the big question,” he went on to say.

This year’s freshmen include three players from Mountain View High School in Utah who include Shanna and Shyanne Halalilo (twins) and Mika Pinner.  Others include Karah Jeppesen (Jessa’s sister), Kelsey Kazmar from Snake River, Kira Miller from Preston, ID, and Ashley Howell from Canada.