Incarnate Word Girls Basketball

Seeks State Four-Peat, 11th Title

By Jim Wieners

Incarnate Word Academy, an all-Girls Catholic high school in Bel-Nor, continues their quest to add on to 30 Missouri State High School Activities Association titles, most by any St. Louis County high schools north of St. Charles Rock Road.

Girls Basketball is the sport that is likely to not only adds to IWA overall title but also is a title away from tying Girls Volleyball for most MSHSAA State titles in any sport, with 11. In addition, the Basketball Red Knights seek their fourth straight state title — a feat only accomplished by Volleyball, which won five straight (1982-1986). Basketball, after winning in 1995, won the last nine since 2006 and eight in the 2010s.

IWA took their 10-1 overall record to Parkway North on Jan. 7 in a rematch of the 45th Visitation Christmas Tournament semifinal, which IWA won 61-43. The Red Knights, on a lay-up by junior Ellie Vazzana with four seconds left, defeated Edwardsville, Ill., 56-54 to win their 14th Visitation title since 1992, their 13th since 2004, and their 8th in the 2010s. It avenged the 2017 loss to Edwardsville, a 30-2 team in 2017-2018 that took fourth place in Illinois High School Association Class 4A.

IWA won the McDonalds Classic in El Paso, Texas,  Del Valle, despite losing in their second Dec. 13 game to San Elizario, Texas, 57-52  The Red Knight won over San Antonio (Texas) Roosevelt 50-28 (Feb. 12) and Hamilton, Ariz., twice (60-54 [Dec. 13] and 55-50 [Dec. 14]). IWA began the Visitation Tournament by rolling over Francis Howell (74-38) and Hazelwood Central (63-43).

IWA began the season with two road wins, 74-29 Dec. 3 at Cor Jesu and 63-32 Dec. 10 at 2019-2019 Class 3 Runner Up Lutheran North. In-between thee two road wins the Red Knights won 75-71 Dec. 8 over Blue Springs in the Norm Stewart Classic at Mizzou Arena on the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Incarnate Word plays Saturday, Jan. 11 in the St. Joseph’s Academy Shootout with a 1 p.m. game against Belleville (Ill.) East. That is prior to the 2:30 game between Hazelwood Central and Whitfield. The Red Knights play their first two home games of‘19-’20  against Cardinal Ritter, Jan. .14, and Metro Women’s Athletic Association rival Nerinx Hall, Jan. 16, both games start at 6 p.m. IWA, de3fending MWAA champi0ons, have a conference win over Cor Jesu.

Vazzana leads Incarnate by scoring nearly 17 points per game, shooting 63.5 percent, from which less than 67 percent is inside the three-point arc, and making at least 25-40 free throws. Stats do not include the last three games of the Visitation Tournament. Sophomore Saniah Tyler, 11.1 points per game, has at least 26 assists and 21 steals, Senior Katie Rolfes, daughter of nine-time State Champion coach Dan Rolfes, scores at least 14 plights per game while making nearly 82 percent of her free throws while freshman Natalie Potts has at least 13 shot blocks.

Incarnate Word Academy Swimming

SWIMMER ELLIE WEHRMANN has the top 10 state qualifying times in five events but can only qualify in two individual events at the Class One State Championships, Feb. 20-21 at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. The IWA senior won two events at the COMO Invitational, Jan. 4 at Columbia-Battle, both season-highs. Wehrmann swam the 200- Yard Freestyle, a state champion in 2018, in 1:51.64 Jan. 4 while taking the 200-yard Individual Medley in 2:04 97.
Wehrmann, defending two-time state champion in the 100-Yard Freestyle, had her season-best 54.37 seconds against Villa Duchesne Dec. 12 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, IWA’s Home Pool. In addition, Wehrmann swam the 50-Yard Freestyle in 25.22 seconds. Wehrmann swan the 100-yard Backstroke, against St. Joseph’s Academy Dec. 9 at Chaminade College Prep, in 1:00.92. For more on Incarnate Word Academy’s Red Knights and the school’s Athletics Program, visit www.iwacademy.org/page/AthleteHome.

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