Incarnate Word Girls Basketball

On Another Three-Peat Quest

                   By Jim Wieners

Four years ago, Napheesa Collier was completing her high school basketball career leading Incarnate Word to three straight Class Four State titles,

Now, while Collier is completing her collegiate hoop career at the University of Connecticut, IWA is on a quest to win three straight Class Four State titles again. A state title would not only be their third straight, their eighth in 10 years and their 10th overall.

So far, so good for IWA, which is 14-1 so far, losing only to Pinewood in the Finals of the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, Hi? The Red Knights have Metro Women’s Athletic Association wins over Cor Jesu, Villa Duchesne and Nerinx Hall. IWA has back-to-back wins over Parkway Central (Dec. 28 in the Visitation Christmas Tournament title game and Jan. 5 in the St. Joseph’s Shootout) and have wins over Lutheran North and Cardinal Ritter.

This weekend, Jan. 25-26, IWA heads to Kentucky for 6:30 games — against Elizabethtown, Friday in Mercer County, and Louisville Eastern, Saturday at Sacred Heart. On Jan. 29-Feb. 2, the Red Knights head to Webster Groves to defend their title at the Webster Classic. Six-foot-four senior Rickie Woltman scores 14.8 points per game on nearly 67 percent shooting, has nearly 10 rebounds per game while blocking 24 shots. Senior Marisa Warren has 77 assists and 39 steals while sophomore Ellie Vazzana is making nearly 77 of her free throws.

   GIRLS SWIMMING — IWA junior Ellie Wehrmann seeks to repeat Class One State titles in the 100-Yard Freestyle and the 200-yard Freestyle Ranked first according to Direct Athletics in the 100 and 200 Freestyles Wehrmann swam her best in both at the Jan. 5 COMO Meet. She swam the 100 in 51.85 seconds and the 200 in 1:51.43.

Senior Emily Schroeder, 10th last year in State in the 200-yard Individual Medley and 14th in 500-yard Freestyle, is ranked second in the IM (2:12. 22 Jan. 5 COMO Meet), fourth in the 500 Freestyle (5:15.74 Dec 10 vs. Duchesne) and fourth in 100-yard Butterfly (58.91 seconds Dec. 3 versus St. Joseph’s Academy) as of Jan. 21.

Two Freestyle teams are ranked fifth according to Direct Athletics as of Jan.21 and both are results from the Jan. 5 COMO Meet. The 200-Yard Freestyle Relay was swam in 1:44.03 while the 200-Yard Medley Relay was in 1:55.16. The last chance for IWA to qualify for Class One State (Feb 16-17 at the St. Peters Rec-Plex) is the MWAA meet Feb. 2 at Mary Institute -Country Day School.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us