KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University is proud to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of women's basketball as a varsity program during the 2021-22 season. In celebration of the program and its alumnae, KU has announced its Golden Anniversary Team.
 
From the pioneers of the program in the 1970s and 1980s, to recent Golden Bear stars during the 2020s, Kutztown University women's basketball has been shaped through the contributions of many tremendous players. The Golden Anniversary Team is comprised of former players from the entirety of the program's 50-year history that have met preset criteria.
 
47 players were named to the team, spanning from 1971 to 2022, including 11 KU Athletics Hall of Famers.

The Golden Anniversary Team will be recognized in-person at the Feb. 5, 2022, game against Lock Haven, as well as at the postgame reception. Details are forthcoming.

Former Kutztown University women's basketball players had to meet one of the following requirements to be named to Kutztown University's Golden Anniversary Team. Current members of the 2021-22 team are not eligible.

• Member of KU Athletics Hall of Fame, for accomplishments primarily in basketball.
• All-conference selection.
• 1,000-point scorer.
• Pioneer of the Program.
  • Standout contributor to the women's basketball program in the 1970s and 1980s through archival research, with at least two varsity seasons at Kutztown, that played prior to the awarding of all-conference teams or doesn't meet one of the pre-defined criteria.

Learn more about KU's 50th Season of Women's Basketball at http://www.kubears.com/wbb50.

Players are listed in alphabetical order, by decade.

Note: This release was updated 10/28/22 to note the inclusion of KU all-time leading scorer Rylee Derr on the Golden Anniversary Team. Derr was unanimously selected to the team by the women's basketball anniversary committee after the postponement of the 50-Year Anniversary Celebration coincided with Derr's graduation. Current student-athletes were not eligible for the team when it was originally announced in November, 2021.
 
 
1970s
 
Sandy Ashton (1971-75)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Linda Kauffman (1974-78)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 1990 Induction Class
Pioneer of the Program
 
Caroline Kline (1969-71)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Sue Merritt (1975-79)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2003 Induction Class
 
Karen Messner (1974-77)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2001 Induction Class
Pioneer of the Program
 
Cheryl Schick (1970-72)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 1991 Induction Class
Member of first KU women's basketball team
 
Debbie Shanaman (1970-73)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Chris Shankweiler (1970-74)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Rose Sikorski (1974-78)
Pioneer of the Program
 
MaryAnn Tracy (1971-73)
Pioneer of the Program
 
1980s
 
Lori Bittenbender (1981-83)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Lori Brittain (1980-83)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Anita Jo Franczak (1978-82)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Patty Gruber (1986-88)
1988 PSAC Athlete of the Year
1987 All-PSAC First Team
1988 All-PSAC First Team
1987 ECAC Rookie of the Year
1988 ECAC All-Star
 
Kathy McGrail (1985-86, 1987-88)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Fran Metz (1983-87)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2004 Induction Class
1987 All-PSAC First Team
1987 KU Female Athlete of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,050)
 
Celeste Ross (1984-86)
1986 All-PSAC First Team
1986 ECAC All-Star
 
Sherry Szczuka (1987-89)
1989 All-PSAC First Team
1989 ECAC All-Star
School-record for points (540), field goals (202) in a season
School-record for career 3-pt percentage (42.2)
 
Linda Thompson (1978-81)
Pioneer of the Program
 
Beth Woodley (1983-87)
Pioneer of the Program
1,000-point scorer (1,043)
 
1990s
 
Robin Avery (1993-97)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2004 Induction Class
1995 All-PSAC First Team
1996 All-PSAC First Team
1997 All-PSAC First Team
School-record for free throws made in a season (122) and career (326)
1997 KU Female Senior Athlete of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,404)
 
Patty Blackman (1988-92)
1991 All-PSAC First Team
School-record for rebounds in a game (22)
1,000-point scorer (1,166)
 
Rebecca Blose (1992-96)
1995 All-PSAC Second Team
1996 All-PSAC First Team
1,000-point scorer (1,102)
 
Melissa Boettger (1987-91)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2000 Induction Class
1989 All-PSAC First Team
1990 All-PSAC First Team
1991 All-PSAC Second Team
1991 ECAC All-Star
1991 KU Female Athlete of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,335)
School-record for field-goal percentage in a game (8-8), defensive rebounds in a game (18)
 
Bobbi Jo Flagle (1991-93)
1993 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Janelle Needham (1993-97)
1996 All-PSAC Second Team
1997 All-PSAC Second Team
1,000-point scorer (1,134)
 
Amy Wahl (1995-99)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2005 Induction Class
1999 PSAC Athlete of the Year
1997 All-PSAC First Team
1998 All-PSAC First Team
1999 All-PSAC First Team
1998 ECAC All-Star
1999 ECAC All-Star
1997 WBCA All-Region
1999 KU Female Athlete of the Year
1999 KU Female Senior Athlete of the Year
1998 Lehigh Valley College Pete Nevins Player of the Year
1999 Lehigh Valley College Pete Nevins Player of the Year
1997 Kodak All-America Honorable Mention
1999 Kodak All-American Honorable Mention
NCAA Rawlings Woman of the Year
School-record for career assists (481) and steals (309)
School-record for steals in a season (93)
School-record for points (39), field goals (13) and steals (9) in a game
1,000-point scorer (1,434)
 
Cyndi Wasilius (1989-93)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2012 Induction Class
1990 PSAC Freshman of the Year
1992 All-PSAC Second Team
1993 All-PSAC Second Team
1993 KU Female Senior Athlete of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,368)
 
2000s
 
Monique Boykins (2002-06)
2004 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Jess Brady (2003-07)
2006 All-PSAC Second Team
2007 All-PSAC Second Team
School-record for free-throw percentage (14-14) in a game
 
Trish Dudeck (2002-06)
2006 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Brianne Homyak (1997-01)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2015 Induction Class
1998 KU Female Freshman of the Year
2000 All-PSAC First Team
2001 All-PSAC First Team
School-record for consecutive free throws made (29), field goal percentage in a season (61.5) and career (54.3)
2001 KU Senior Female Athlete of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,248)
 
Jessica Pieczynski (1999-03)
2002 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Becky Savage (1999-03)
2002 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Keri Suydam (1998-02)
1999 All-PSAC First Team
1999 PSAC Freshman of the Year
1999 KU Female Freshman of the Year
2000 All-PSAC First Team
2000 WBCA All-Region
2000 Daktronics All-Region
 
Mercedes Van Wagner (2004-08)
2005 PSAC Freshman of the Year
2007 All-PSAC Second Team
2008 All-PSAC First Team
School-record for career blocks (199)
1,000-point scorer (1,067)
 
Rachel Weidensaul (2004-08)
2008 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Rachel Wisemiller (2006-10)
2009 All-PSAC East Second Team
2010 All-PSAC East Second Team
1,000-point scorer (1,013)
 
Amanda Zinobile (2000-04)
2004 All-PSAC Second Team
 
2010s
 
Advia Campbell (2011-15)
2014 All-PSAC East Second Team
2015 All-PSAC East First Team
2014 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year
2015 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year
School-record for blocks in a game (10) and season (76)
1,000-point scorer (1,018)
 
Alex Heck (2016-17)
2017 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Karen Lapkiewicz (2016-20)
2019 All-PSAC Second Team
 
Natalya Lee (2012-16)
2016 All-PSAC Second Team
School-record for assists in a game (14)
1,000-point scorer (1,239)
 
Melissa McQuade (2007-11)
KU Athletics Hall of Famer, 2016 Induction Class
2009 All-PSAC East First Team
2010 All-PSAC East First Team
2011 All-PSAC East First Team
2011 KU Female Athlete of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,623)
School-record for rebounds in a season (281) and career (961), free-throw percentage in a game (10-10), career points (1,623) and field goals (584)
 
Kelsey Watson (2013-17)
2016 All-PSAC Second Team
1,000-point scorer (1,308)
 
Ashley Wood (2009-13)
2011 All-PSAC East Second Team
2013 All-PSAC East First Team
1,000-point scorer (1,293)
School-record for field goals in a game (13)

2020s
 
Rylee Derr (2017-22)
2019 All-PSAC East First Team
2020 All-PSAC East First Team
2022 All-PSAC East First Team
2018 All-PSAC East Second Team
2022 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention
2022 KU Female Athlete of the Year
2022 KU Female Senior Athlete of the Year
2018 KU Female Freshman of the Year
1,000-point scorer (1,820)
School record for points in a career (1,820), 3-pointers made in a game (nine), season (89) and career (335)