Hall of Fame
Team Members: Sarah Bailey, Stacey Baker, Sarah Barth, Meghan Burke, Jen Heath, Sarah Paquette, Sarah Ruzzi, Janna Walker, Merritt Walker, Head Coach Rich Conover, Assistant Coach Shawn Lincoln, Assistant Coach Kim Levins, Student Assistant Jen Daniels.
The 1997-98 women’s basketball team was heralded by head coach Rich Conover as a team that “embraced the idea that preparing for the games was as important as the games themselves.” That willingness to prepare translated into the team’s second-straight Mayflower Conference championship and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament. The team relied heavily on its defense, ranking among the top-five in the country in team defense in both the NAIA and NCAA, allowing just 46.4 points per contest. In addition to its stifling defense, the team boasted nine different players who averaged at least 5.3 points per contest, led by team Most Valuable Player and All-Mayflower Conference honoree Jessica Walker. The team earned 21 wins on the season, tying the program record, which has since been broken, while outscoring their opponents by 22.1 points per game. Sarah Ruzzi joined Walker on the All-Mayflower Conference squad, leading the team with 3.2 steals and 4.0 assists per contest and was also the Mayflower Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Castleton’s Mayflower title came at the hands of rival College of Saint Joseph by a resounding 20-point margin, avenging one of only two conference losses during the regular season.
