The 2012-13 Lady Tiger squad did a lot of things well, especially on the defensive end of the court where they ranked in the top five of several categories.  The main issues with the young squad were on the offensive end of the court where they only managed to shoot only 29% from beyond the 3-point arc and 39% overall.

The Tiger coaching staff has issued a challenge to the nine returning players and the incoming recruits to make significant improvements to those pedestrian shooting numbers.  The challenge is for each player to make a minimum of 5000 jump shots over the course of the summer.  Those players that can document that they have completed the goal before school starts in the fall will receive a special shirt to commemorate their accomplishment.

The Lady Tigers will come into the 2013-14 season with high expectations and the hard work the players put in during the off season will be necessary to help achieve the team goals.

Jenna Jamieson, from Wayland Union High School and one year at Spring Arbor University, has signed with Grace Bible College as a transfer student.  Those familiar with the men’s and women’s basketball programs at Grace Bible College will definitely recognize the Jamieson name, as Jenna’s older siblings have been major contributors to the basktball programs in the past.

Jenna and Coach Renzema.

Jamieson, a 6-0 post player, put up solid numbers in her only season at Spring Arbor, playing in all 29 games and scoring double digits 10 times, including a season high 21 against Huntington University.  In high school, Jenna was an All Conference performer and was Honorable Mention All-Area when she averaged over 11 points and 6 rebounds per game, and shot 79% from the free throw line for a very deep and talented Wildcat team that advanced to the quarterfinals in Class B.

Jenna on her decision to come to Grace, “ I’ve always been a fan of Grace Nation, and finally being able to contribute and be a part of it is really exciting for me. I can’t wait to finish my education at Grace,  grow in my faith and continue my basketball career!”

Coach Renzema had this to say about Jenna:  “Jenna will make an immediate impact to the team and the program as a whole.  She is a dominant inside presence with the ability to step out and make shots from mid-range and beyond.  We are very thrilled to have her as a part of the Grace program.”

Jenna and her parents Cindy and Bill Jamieson.

Hannah Wight, a 5-6 guard from Cedar Springs High School, has signed to play basketball at Grace Bible College.  Hannah was a three year starter for the Red Hawks and averaged four points per game her senior season.  Scoring doesn’t tell the whole story of Hannah’s game as she generally drew the opponent’s best scorer on defense every night and did a lot of the little things on the court to help her team win.

Coach Renzema and Hannah.

Hannah is a leader on and off the court.  She has been a team captain for basketball and soccer and has been a captain of the Student Athletic Leadership Council and has been a member of the National Honor Society.

Hannah is the daughter of Chad and Shannon Wight and has three younger sisters; Sayge, Sienna, and Jade.

“Hannah is a great addition to our program”, Coach Renzema commented about his latest signee.  “She plays with a lot of grit and does a lot of little things to help teams win.  I also believe she has the ability to score, because she finishes well around the basket and she can hit mid-range jumpers.  She is going to be a huge asset to the team going forward.”

Hannah with Shannon and Chad Wight [mom and dad]; and sisters: Sayge, Sienna and Jade.

Coach Rich Renzema is pleased to announce the signing of Molly Holtrop, a 5-4 point guard from Cedar Springs High School.  Molly was a three-year starter for the Red Hawks and was a team captain and voted All-Conference her senior season where she averaged 10 points, 3.5 assists and 3 steals per game for the Red Hawks.  Molly earned Honorable Mention for the Detroit Free Press All-State Team.  She is also a standout on the soccer field where she has been an All-Conference performer.

Coach Renzema and Molly.

Molly is also an excellent student in the classroom, having been an honor roll student all four years of high school and a member of the National Honor Society.  She is the daughter of Terry and Sarah Holtrop and has two older brothers, Luke and Jake.

“Molly is a true point guard and is a very exciting player to watch”, Coach Renzema commented at her signing.  “She is really quick and can get past a defender and is a threat to make the three point shot as well.  Probably her best asset is her ability to see the floor and find the open person.   We are very excited to see what she can do and are thrilled to have her as a part of the Grace Athletics family.”

Molly with Sarah and Terry Holtrop [mom and dad].

Coach Rich Renzema is pleased to announce the signing of multi-sport athlete Debbie Pekel to play basketball with the Lady Tigers starting with the 2013-14 season.  Debbie, a 5-5 guard, is a fine all-around athlete and will also be playing soccer at Grace.

Coach Renzema and Debbie.

Debbie was a three-year Varsity basketball player at Fruitport High School and was Honorable Mention All Conference her senior season for the Trojans.  Debbie is a leader on and off the court, having been a team captain and member of the Student Athletic Leadership Team.  Debbie is also a standout in the classroom where she is in the top 10% of her class and has been a member of the National Honor Society for two years.

Debbie is the daughter of Jessica Pekel and has the distinction of being a quadruplet, along with her sister Brianna and brothers Cody and Alan.  Debbie also has an older brother, Matt.

Coach Renzema had this to say about Debbie:  “Debbie is a great young lady that is passionate about everything she does; from her relationship with God, her academics, and her athletics.  She is going to be a great fit for us and a real asset on the court with her quickness and play making ability.”

Debbie [seated] with: Coach Renzema; Jessica Pekel [mom] on left; Brianna Pekel [sister] standing and Grandmother on right.

The Lady Tiger coaching staff hosted a signing ceremony on campus where five players signed their Letters of Intent to play basketball at Grace Bible College for the 2013-14 season.

Coach Rich Renzema is pleased to announce that Molly Holtrop of Cedar Springs High School, Jenna Jamieson of Wayland High School via Spring Arbor University, Debbie Pekel of Fruitport High School, Megan Scholtens of the Quad City Mustangs Home School, and Hannah Wight of Cedar Springs High School will be joining the Lady Tiger Squad.

“We are very pleased with the new players we have coming in for next year”, Coach Renzema had to say about the new signees.  “All of these girls are gifted athletes and players and bring something special to this team.  Even more, they are all great kids that will represent Grace Bible College very well on and off the court.

“We are thrilled with the event we held today with the only down side being a couple of the kids could not be here.  We will get them signed in the coming weeks.”

Several of the returning Lady Tiger players were also on hand to welcome their new teammates.  The group took some time to lace up their shoes for a while and played some pick-up games in the Aldrich Center to close out the evening.

Individual profiles for each of the players will be posted in the coming days and weeks.

Front row: Debbie Pekel; Molly Holtrop; Hannah Wight. Back: Jenna Jamieson; Megan Scholtens

The Lady Tigers finished the 2012-13 season with a loss in the regionals to eventual NCCAA National Champion, Maranatha.  The young Tiger squad won 14 games on the season and lost several contests by very close margins and those involved with the program are already anticipating a very competitive team for 2013-14.

The team will lose Kerie Rudd, the team’s lone senior, but everyone else on the team has committed to returning.  No longer will this be a young and inexperienced team as those nine returners all logged quality minutes and gained valuable experience last season.

While the defense was solid for most of the campaign, having ranked in the top five nationally in most categories, it was no secret that the Tigers struggled with consistency on the offensive side of the ball.  The return of Kim Kamp, who was leading the team in nearly every scoring and shooting category when she went down with a knee injury, will certainly help the offense.

The coaches have received committments from five players so far that will help with depth and add competition and motivation for everyone to improve in the off season.  The coaching staff has been looking to improve overall team speed and athleticism.  The 2012-13 team saw definite improvement in those areas,  and this year’s recruits will definitely be another step in that direction.

Stay tuned as some of the new Lady Tigers will be introduced in the near future.

The NCCAA Division 2 National Tournament was held last week with Grace’s Midwest Regional rival Maranatha Baptist earning the National Championship Trophy.   Grace Head Coach Rich Renzema was in attendance for the basketball activities in Circleville, Ohio and saw a large dose of the 2013-2014 opponents his Lady Tigers will be facing.

The Lady Tigers will be playing against the reigning champions from Maranatha on the road in February and will face runner-up Manhattan Christian on the road in November.  To add to the schedule, Grace will face the winner of the previous six championships, Kentucky Christian, in two different tournaments, one at home and one in Grayson, Kentucky.  Throw in a game against Ohio Christian, who finished fifth in this year’s tournament, and you have yourself a  very challenging schedule and one that will put the Lady Tigers to the test early and often.

Anna Iwaniw

Three Lady Tiger players were recognized at the Midwest Regional Tournament last weekend in Chicago.  Freshman, Anna Iwaniw (Kent City) was named to the All Midwest Regional Team and Senior, Kerie Rudd (Battle Creek Pennfield) and Sophomore, Marissa Pelletier (Calvin Christian) were named Honorable Mention.

Anna came on strong in the second half of the season and had several consecutive games with double figure scoring, including a 31 point outburst against Northland International.  She finished averaging 9.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.  Anna shot 48% from the field and 76% from the free throw line.

Kerie did a little of everything for the Lady Tigers this season.  She averaged 6.0 points, 4.1 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.  More than anything, Kerie was a team leader and was willing to play any role asked of her.

Marissa had a solid sophomore campaign and made her presence known in the paint throughout the season.  Marissa averaged 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.  She also is known as a solid defender.

Other All Region performers included Lacy Peterson, Autumn Peotter and Torey DeLozier from Maranatha; Allie Riegel and Kate Matthai from Northland;  Jenna Bloodworth and Rainey Hadley from Moody; and Moriah Kirkpatrick and Tatiana Colclasure from Lincoln.

Marissa Pelletier

Kerie Rudd

The Lady Tigers knew they had to play a nearly perfect game to beat the #1 ranked Crusaders from Maranatha on Saturday.  For a while in the first half, it appeared they might be up for it as they played solid defense and got some good open looks in their offense in the opening 10 minutes of the game.  A late three-point shooting barrage by Maranatha’s All-American guard Autumn Peotter and some missed shots by the Tigers sent the Grace team into the locker room with a 35-23 deficit.  The Tigers did a fine job of containing Maranatha’s inside game, but the Crusaders shot 7 of 12 from beyond the arc in the opening frame.

Turnovers plagued the Lady Tigers in the second half as Maranatha extended their lead, much of which came on fast break points after Grace miscues.  Grace actually shot one of their better percentages of the season (44%) but 26 turnovers against the Crusader defense was too much to overcome.

Anna Iwaniw (Kent City) led the Lady Tiger scorers with 15 points.  Abby Schultz (Calvary Schools of Holland) and Amy Leszinske (Ravenna) each added seven, while Brittany Summerfield (Forest Hills Northern) and Marissa Pelletier (Calvin Christian) each chipped in with six points.

“Maranatha is a very good team”, Coach Renzema said after the game.  “They have been to the championship game the last two years with the exact same starting five and I think this is the year they can get it done.  We did a good job of containing their inside game, but they hit their three point shots and that is why they are such a good team.”

“I am very proud of this year’s team.  These girls are just beginning to scratch the surface of their potential.  We need to learn how to play with more consistency and work on our shooting and reducing our turnovers, but they always give a good effort and that is a great place to start.”

The Lady Tigers finished with a 14-15 record.