“We return four of our five starters from last year and six players that played big roles on last year’s team,” said Imdieke.  “Transition offense and 3-pint shooting ability will help us be in position to win a lot of games this year.  We had young players getting their first opportunities playing varsity basketball last year and dealt with our fair share of growing pains.  We believe that experience will help us deal with the uniqueness of this COVID season.”

Senior center Grace Conzemius set a school record for rebounds in a season with 273 her junior season and senior guard/forward Jude Held ended up in the top five in school history for 3-point shots made in a game.  They return along with juniors Camryn Kaehler (Forward), Carcie Materi (Guard) and Ann Erickson (Guard), and sophomore Abby Johnson (Guard).  Junior Tori Undem (Forward) and sophomore Kelsey Ceroll (Guard) are ready to step in and contribute.

“We have a nice blend of veteran players and younger players ready to take the step up to the next level,” stated Imdieke.  “A key strength of this year’s team will be our length and athleticism.  Our starting five will create a lot of mismatch opportunities for us to take advantage of.  Defense is something this roster needs to improve on to get where we want to be, come post season play.  We hope to see that length and athleticism affect the game on the defensive side of the ball more often this season!”

Imdieke will be assisted by Tony Bogenreif (JV) and Paige Rudick (C Team).  He sees Pelican Rapids, Perham, Hawley, Barnesville, Frazee and DGF all being competitive in the Heart O’ Lakes Conference, with Fergus Falls and Roseau joining that mix as top Section 8AA teams.