Women's Basketball: Senior Class To Leave A Legacy

How will you remember the 2015-16 UNI women's basketball season?

Will you reminisce about the regular season title that UNI won outright, picking up 15 conference wins, the second most in school history, or will you remember the MVC Tournament where the Panthers fell in the championship game?

Will you look forward to the path that four seniors laid for the future of the program, or remember the heartbreaking loss in the third round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament?

How will you choose to remember this season?

We will remember the 5-2 point guard from Des Moines, Iowa, that played with the confidence and grit of a 6-4 post. We will remember the goofy 6-2 forward from Caledonia, Minn., that could make you laugh, but also put a dagger in your game with her undeniable talent around the arc.

We remember the center from DeWitt, Iowa that played with so much passion and tenacity that it made the crowd and bench catch fire with excitement. And we remember the 5-10 guard from Maple Grove, Minn., the three-year captain that has been a leader on the court and in the community since stepping foot in Cedar Falls.

UNI will graduate four seniors this Saturday in Sharnae Lamar (finance and economics), Amber Sorenson (health promotion), Jen Keitel (psychology and criminology) and Stephanie Davison (graphic technologies and graphic design).

They finished their careers with 94 wins, 25 spots on the UNI top-20 all-time list and four post-season appearances. The stats that go along with each student-athlete are many, but it is the young women and what each one brought to the table that will leave a lasting impression on Panther fans and the UNI women's basketball program.

"Our senior class has left behind a standard for future teams when it comes to what we accomplished on the court and in the classroom," Keitel said. "I feel that there has been a goal set for those future Panthers to come in and meet and excel past."

Let's start at the point.

Lamar came to UNI after setting records at Des Moines East High School, but at just 5-2, she wasn't highly recruited at the collegiate level. Her passion for the game and willingness to learn was an attractive quality to the Panther coaching staff, and they took a chance.

Lamar was a spark off the bench in her first several seasons in the Purple and Old Gold, but suffered a potentially career-ending injury her junior year. That passion for the game came into play after doctors told her that she might not play basketball again, as she returned in 2015-16 to start all 35 games.

The senior led the team in dimes and ankle-breaking crossovers during UNI's 24-win season, setting a new school record in season assists and placing herself at the No. 7 all-time at UNI in career assists. Head coach Tanya Warren, a point guard herself in her playing days at Creighton, kept it simple when describing what she will miss most about Lamar.

"No height, all HEART – everything," Warren said.

Speaking of heart, let's move into the post.

Keitel, who started in 92 games during her time in Cedar Falls, was dealt a devastating blow to begin the 2014-15 campaign when she went down with a season-ending injury in just the seventh game of the year.

"Work ethic, attitude and perseverance," Warren said. "She taught us that a setback is simply a setup for a greater comeback."
And comeback she did.

Keitel ended her senior year ranked No. 15 in career points, No. 10 in field goal percentage, No. 9 in rebounds and No. 4 in rebounds. She becomes just the third player in school history to score more than 1,000 points, grab at least 500 rebounds and finish with 100 or more blocks in a career.

Keitel's quirky personality exuded off the court and in her play, always making her a fun player to watch whether she was catching a breather on the bench or dabbing with Lamar after a big bucket. Even with all of her spots in the UNI records book, it is those memories she will keep after moving on from the Cedar Valley.

"I would have to say some of my favorite memories have come from this season," Keitel said. "From going to Cancun, to winning a regular season championship and making program history in post-season play. But also the memories I have with my teammates over the years, the life-long friends I have made. Those are the things that are going to stick with me the most."

Quirky personalities were common among the 6-0 or taller players on the Panther team this season, which moves this story to the four.

Stepping on campus, Sorenson redshirted in 2011-12 and only saw action in nine games in 2012-13. As a sophomore, she averaged 5.6 points and 15 minutes of play. Fast forward to her last two seasons at UNI, and you have one of the most dynamic three-point shooters in school history.

"She is every coach's dream," Warren said. "She understood that there is a process to all things, and what you get done in that process is up to you. She worked very hard to make her weaknesses serviceable and her strengths stronger. So when the opportunity presented itself, she was prepared to make an impact."

That impact came into play this past season when Sorenson broke the school record for threes made in a season (97) and moved into second all-time in career threes. She also made huge strides in her inside presence, averaging 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and racked up 36 blocks to earn All-MVC honors.

Sorenson, who was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete honorable mention team this year, attributes much of her success at UNI to a standard that has been set for all Panther athletic teams.

"It has meant a lot to me to be a student-athlete at UNI because we have a high standard for athletes both on the court and in the classroom," Sorenson said. "It has been amazing to play for a school that has had so much success over the years, not just in women's basketball but in all sports. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to play here. It has been a wonderful home to me for the past five years."

The home that Sorenson talks about is where the four seniors' hearts have been for the past five years. And heart is what the final senior on the team has put into her time in the Cedar Valley.

"Stephanie taught us all that winning is not just about the scoreboard, but more importantly, putting others before ourselves," Warren said. "We admire her competitiveness and will miss her gentle spirit."

Davison, a three-year captain for the Panthers, will leave behind records and wins at UNI, but also a legacy that travels outside of the court. She is a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete selection, earned the MVC Good Neighbor Award, was selected to the prestigious WBCA Allstate Good Works Team, is the co-President of the UNI Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the President of the UNI Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter.

Being a tenured captain on the team, Davison knows the importance of being a role model not only to those she mentors in the community, but the youngsters on the team as well. This year's team is something that she will keep in her heart forever.

"One thing we always talked about during our post-season games was making more memories," Davison said. "We didn't know how many more games we would have to play together, but every game was another opportunity to make more memories together. We have a lot of amazing memories, and those will last forever."
I think our senior class is leaving behind a group that will continue the program's legacy of success on the court and in the classroom. I think we have set an example for them to pass that on to the next group of players."

The 2016 UNI women's basketball senior class battled for that legacy and success. They studied and prepared to help UNI to four straight seasons ranked in the top-15 in the country in team GPA. They fought and clawed to four post-season appearances, battling injuries and earning big wins over in-state rivals. In all that, UNI will graduate four incredible young women into the world to continue to make an impact in whatever they do next.

The class with "class." So sit back Panther fans. The bar has been set. Enjoy the ride.

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Women's Basketball: Senior Class To Leave A Legacy

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Stephanie Davison

Jen Keitel

Sharnae Lamar

Amber Sorenson

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University of Northern Iowa Athletics