Ridgewater with coach Holleman wins 68-65

Ridgewater College had an up night in women's basketball action on February 13. Those Warriors are under the coaching of Jodi Holleman, formerly the quite successful coach of the Hancock Owls.
Coaching at Ridgewater no doubt has its share of challenges, as it appears athletics is not a high priority for the school. My point here is not to indict that. I in fact like how that school has jettisoned football. Yes that sport is gone permanently from the Ridgewater landscape, hallelujah. It's a sport that subjects its male players to a ridiculous amount of health risk. Our high schools should follow suit. Or rather, they should have started following suit a long time ago.
For the present we have men's and women's basketball to enjoy from the Willmar college known as Ridgewater. I don't know why the school doesn't identify with the name of the city: "Willmar." What in fact is "ridgewater?"
The school is part of the Minnesota State system named for the old Jerry Van Dyke TV sitcom, no not really. We wish coach Holleman the best of success as she guides her student athletes through their challenges. I'll assert that she is doing as well as any coach could do there. I know the program has taken its share of lumps over the last roughly three years. That's the way it goes in sports sometimes. But on Feb. 13, the program achieved success with its 68-65 win over St. Cloud Technical in St. Cloud. The win was savory as it ended a five-game loss streak.
Community college teams play quarters not halves. Ridgewater got up 20-14 at the end of one quarter. Then St. Cloud Tech surged to outscore the Warriors 21-11 in the second quarter. The pendulum continued as Holleman got her charges fired up to outscore St. Cloud Tech 19-15 in the third. The decisive quarter was the fourth: an 18-15 edge by the winning Warriors.

Kendra Kuczek, leading scorer

The taste of success was most timely. Three Warriors stood out in the scoring department: Kendra Kuczek with 23 points, Morgan Swenson with 19 and Taylor Rose with 14. These three were complemented by Catherine Vogt (8) and Sarah Frederick (4). Rose made the Warriors' only '3'. The rebound leaders were Swenson (13), Vogt (7) and Rose (6). These three Warriors each had two assists: Kuczek, Rose and Frederick. Rose had three steals followed by Kuczek, Frederick and Swenson each with two.
The St. Cloud Tech scoring list was topped by Shania Nahring with 26 points. Then we have Kiara Coops with 16 and Abbie Wuertz with 13. Rachel Vreeland put in eight points and Julianna Cottier two. Wuertz found the range to make three 3-pointers. Vreeland made two long-rangers and Coops made one. Maria Stokes grabbed nine rebounds and Coops grabbed eight. Wuertz and Nahring each had three assists, and Vreeland had four steals.
You all might remember that Mel Lewis built up his coaching resume with a successful stint with Ridgewater football, many years ago of course. Lewis used that as a springboard for his time at UMM as both assistant coach and co-head (with Darrell Kluck). I recall basketball being Lewis' forte. My journalism instructor at Willmar Community College back in 1974 wrote an article himself about Lewis with a headline I still remember: "Football coach Mel Lewis, winner." Oh, I remember the instructor's name: Linton Lehrer.
The Willmar school no longer has to face any expectation of winning in football. I'm thankful for that. I know someone who works in the Ridgewater system and this person says athletics just doesn't rank high with administration. No criticism called for there. But everyone should just keep trying to have fun. Good luck to coach Holleman as perhaps she can lead her team to more frequent wins. Go Warriors!
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com