Venne First Team All-American Twice More, Second Team on a Third,
Barrette, Kern Also Make Columbus Multimedia All-Region Teams
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — Susquehanna University senior power forward Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) is now officially a consensus Division III All-American as she is a first-team All-American according to the Division III Basketball Online and Columbus Multimedia, and on the All-American Second Team by the Women’s D III News. Venne was also chosen as Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year by Columbus Multimedia.
The 1999 Josten’s Trophy winner as the Outstanding Division III Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, Venne had already made both the 1999 Kodak Division III All-America Basketball Team, and the GTE College Division First Team Academic All-America Team.
In addition to Venne, junior teammate and first-team Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League All-Star center Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) is also on the Columbus Multimedia All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team, while Crusader men’s basketball All-Star post player Mike Barrette (Dunmore/Dunmore H.S.) is an honorable mention All-Middle Atlantic Region selection by Columbus Multimedia.
The 5-9 Venne was a three-year All-American while being a MAC Commonwealth League All-Star all four seasons. She led the team this season in both scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg) – ranking second in the MAC and sixth in Division III in scoring, and fifth in the conference in rebounding. She was also second on the team, third in the MAC and 12th in Division III field goal percentage (57.3%, 219 of 382). Her 579 points and scoring average were the second best in a season at Susquehanna (Records: 586 points, Deb Yeasted, 1984-85; 29.8 avg., Lyn Jones, 1980-81).
Venne scored in double figures in each of her final 41 games, and 98 times in her 100 collegiate contests, while finishing second in Susquehanna women’s history in career scoring (1,929 points) and third in rebounding (894). She tied for first in MAC modern history (since 1993-94) in career scoring average (19.3 ppg – tying Jarra Rusnock, Albright, 1994-98), is third in both field goal percentage (54.6%) and rebounds (8.9 per game), and fourth in free throw percentage (77.0%).
Along the way this season, Venne made the Division III Online Team of the Week five times and earned MAC Commonwealth League honors eight times — four times as Player of the Week. She was also the Player of the Month for February by The Women’s DIII News, and was the Columbus Multimedia Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Week four times. She was also named Most Valuable Player of the Days Inn Gettysburg Invitational in January, and made the All-Tournament Teams at two other events.
A psychology major who also made the MAC Executive Director’s All-Academic Team, she is the daughter of Richard and Ann Venne of Reading.
A first-team league All-Star this season after being a second-teamer in her first two years, the 6-2 Kern led Division III in field goal percentage much of this season, breaking the MAC single-season record at 65.0 percent (169 of 260). Also the team leader in blocked shots (1.8 per game) and steals (2.1 per game) – ranking third in the MAC in blocks – she was second on the team and fifth in the conference in scoring (15.7 ppg), ranking second on the squad in rebounding (8.6 per game). Kern is fourth all-time at Susquehanna in career rebounds (730) and sixth in scoring (1,227 points).
She made the Division III Basketball Online Team of the Week during the final week of the regular season, also earning Commonwealth League Player of the Week that week, and was on the All-Tournament Team at Susquehanna’s season-opening Kiwanis K.I.D.D.’s Tournament.
A psychology major who also earned MAC All-Academic honors for a second time last winter, she is the daughter of Carol and Peter Kern.
Venne and Kern helped the Crusader program make the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time since 1993 before finishing 17-10.
The 6-5 Barrette led the men’s team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 per game) for a second-straight season. He also finished third in three-point field goals (33 of 83, 39.8%) and was fourth in free throw percentage (57 of 80, 71.3%). Barrette scored in double figures in 18 of the team’s 23 games this season, earning MAC Honor Roll honors twice. He became the program’s 26th player to score 1,000 points in his career this season, finishing tied for 24th with Kevin Doty (1979-82) at 1,014. He probably would have had more, if he hadn’t had his freshman year cut short by a shoulder injury just five games into the season.
He is a biology major and the son of Dr. Joseph and Carol Barrette.
Barrette was the top player as the Crusader men finished 9-14 this season, 6-8 and in fifth place in the Commonwealth League. The final record ended a string of seven-straight winning seasons.
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