Oct. 4, 2007

The NJC Plainswomen basketball season is underway with practices that began on Monday. This year's team hopes to improve, on an already impressive season, under second year Head Coach Darrel Parker. Parker was named "Coach of the Year", for Region IX last season and compiled a record of 25-7 in his first year coaching on the college level. Five of the seven losses for the Plainswomen came from nationally ranked teams, including a loss in the Semi Finals of the Regional Tournament, to eventual Region IX Champion, Casper College.

Entering this season the Plainswomen have high goals, both on the court and off. On the court the team would like to win a Region IX championship, and a National Tournament berth. In the classroom high academic standards are the team's goal as well. The team returns five sophomores from last year's South Sub Regional Championship team, three of which obtained All Region Academic Achievement Awards.

The Plainswomen return five players from last year, four of which started at one time or another. Returning for NJC is 5'8" guard Sarah Conner, who averaged over 10 points per game, and was second on the team in rebounding and assists, 5'7" guard Jennifer Garner, 5'11" guard Kristen Forbes, 5'7" guard Taija Bennett, and red shirt sophomore, 5'9" forward Saundra Proctor.

The freshman class looks promising with increased size and athletic ability for the Plainswomen as well, adding ten new faces to the roster including, 5'7" guard, Jacqie Neill, from Yuma, Colorado, 5'7" guard, Candace Ewert, from Ogallala, Nebraska, 5'5" guard, Shorty Ramos, from Austin, Colorado, 5'10" forward, Britney Creamer, from Montrose, Colorado, 6'0" post, Kassie Kroeger, from Haxtun, Colorado, 6'1" forward, Stacey Howard, from Queensland, Australia, 5'10" forward, Christina Brennan, from Security, Colorado, 6'0" forward, Jessica Priest, from Parker, Colorado, 6'4" center, Silke Forstmann, from Wiesloch, Germany, and 5'7", Otero Junior College transfer, Kristy Henderson, from Denver, Colorado.

The team should be more diverse on offense and defense this season. "We have added some kids with great athletic ability and size this year. We should have more depth giving us the ability to really get after it defensively and speed things up offensively as well," commented Assistant Coach Dave Huss. "We are very excited about the possibilities this year. We feel like we should make a run for that Region IX title."

With these goals in mind, it should be another great season for the Plainswomen, who open the season with the Alumni game, scheduled for October 27th at 5:30 p.m. Following that, the team will go on the road to the "Casper Shootout" in Casper, Wyoming.