The Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball program is one of the finest in NCAA Division III.
For more than a decade, Cheri Harrer's Yellow Jackets annually have competed for an Ohio Athletic Conference title both during the regular season and in the OAC Tournament and a berth in the Div. III National Tournament.
"We are pleased with the success that our women's basketball program has enjoyed," said Head Coach Cheri Harrer, the winningest women's basketball coach in school history and a 347-126 mark after 17 seasons in Berea. "Our ultimate goal is to win the NCAA Division III National Championship. We are committed to making that happen and will continue to work hard to make that possibility a reality."
In the past 12 years, the B-W women's program has earned nine berths to the Division III National Tournament, including "Elite Eight" finishes in 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2005-2006.
Success in the rugged OAC also has been a trademark of Harrer's teams. During the past nine years, B-W has won or tied for six OAC regular season titles and captured four OAC Tournament crowns and the OAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III National Tournament. In 2005-2006, B-W was 27-5 overall, won the OAC regular season title but lost in the OAC Tournament championship game. Then three straight NCAA Division III National Tournament wins followed and led to an "Elite Eight" finish.
Harrer's 2006-2007 team finished 19-7 overall and had its 15th straight season with 15 or more victories, including 12 consecutive seasons of 18 or more wins.
Study Table Prepares Student-Athletes at B-W
All first-year student in the Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball program are required to attend a study table to help with studies during their first two semsters at college. At the study table, first-year student receive guidance on mastering college work. Overall, it has provided a solid transition for the first-year student to the collegiate academic and athletic experience.
"Making sure that our student-athletes receive a quality education is a priority at B-W," said Harrer. "Our study table is helping those who want to improve their study skills. We believe that it provides a strong transition from high school to college for our first-year players."
During each academic semester, progress forms are sent to every professor in an effort to monitor each student-athlete's experience. After the second semester, only those student-athletes below a 3.0 grade point average are required to attend the study table. Entering the 2006-2007 season, the returning players in the program had a combined 3.417 grade average for the year. Annually, B-W is ranked 13th in by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) in its Top 25 Honor Roll.
"We are very proud of our women's basketbal student-athletes who excel in the classroom, on the court and on our campus as leaders," said Harrer, who was an Academic All-American as an undergraduate student-athlete at the University of Findlay. "Our young women like Jen Swinehart '99, Mandy Zolciak '01, Emily Clark '02, Holy Koepp '03, Sarah Gordon '03, Erika Schultz '04, Karissa Kusick '04, Lindsay Meek '04, Nikki Altenweg '06, Michelle White '07 and Steffani Jaworski '07 set the standard for our current student-athletes to match.
"This year's team also had some outstanding student-athletes, such as seniors Steffani Jaworski (Parma/ Padua), Jessica Latimer (Brooklyn) and Michelle White (Hudson)," said Harrer. "All three have 3.4 or better grade point averages and were either starters or come off the bench as a part of our 12-player rotation. It is a tradition of excellence both in the classrom and on the basketball court that makes all of our student-athletes proud."
The Ohio Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III
The Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball team competes in the 10-team Ohio Athletic Conference. The OAC is considered one of the finest Division III conferences in the nation and offers competition in 21 NCAA Division III sports for men and women.
The OAC plays an 18-game how and away schedule. The annual OAC postseason tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Tournament.
Since Cheri Harrer took over as the head coach in 1990-91, she has built the B-W program into one of the best in the OAC and Division III. In the last nine years, Harrer's teams have won six OAC regular season titles, four OAC Tournament crowns and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament 10 times in the last 13 years, including"Elite Eight" appearances in 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2005-2006. Also, B-W owns the conference record with 39 straight OAC regular season wins.
FOR MORE INFORMATION on our women's basketball program, please call Head Coach Cheri Harrer via telephone at 440-826-3299 or e-mail her at charrer@bw.edu. Her fulltime assistant, Kelly Warnke, can be reached by phone at 440-826-3433 or e-mail at kwarnke@bw.edu.
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275 Eastland Rd.