Teaming with Honors
Pleasant Valley Grad Kern MAC Commonwealth League Player of Week
Joins Jostens Trophy Finalist Venne on D-III Online Team, Team's Players of Week
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) - Susquehanna senior power forward Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) and junior center Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) form one of the best low-post combinations in the NCAA Division III women's basketball ranks. They certainly proved that last week as Kern is the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League Player of the Week and joins Venne as the first teammates to ever appear together on the Division III Basketball Online's National Team of the Week. The duo is also the WQSU-FM Crusader Women's Basketball Co-Players of the Week.
The latest awards cap quite a week for Venne, who learned Friday that she was one of the 10 finalists selected for the 1999 Jostens Trophy, which recognizes the Division III Player of the Year. The 30-member Jostens Trophy Selection Committee will select the recipient of the Jostens Trophy, which will be presented on Thursday, March 18, at the Salem (Va.) Rotary Club Meeting in the Salem Civic Center - site of the NCAA Division III men's basketball Final Four. Recipients of the Jostens Trophy must exhibit excellence in basketball, academics and community service. Nominations are submitted by the Chief Executive Officer of the participating Division III institutions.
The 6-2 Kern earned MAC and Division Online honors for the first time this season as she averaged 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game in last week's two league victories -- shooting an astounding 81.0 percent from the field (17 of 21) and 90.9 percent from the line (10 of 11). She set a new school record for field goal percentage in a game while going 11 for 13 (84.6%) in scoring a game high 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Wednesday's 83-66 win over Albright. She followed that with yet another double-double in Saturday's 76-61 win at Juniata, scoring 18 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field and 6 for 6 shooting from the line, also grabbing a game high 11 rebounds.
The NCAA Division III leader in field goal percentage, now at 69.0 percent (158 of 229), she is almost guaranteed to break the MAC single-season record (Record: 63.9%, Rebecca Baker, Wilkes, 1995-96). She also leads the regulars in free throw percentage (79.8%, 75 of 94), ranking seventh in the conference. Also the team leader in blocked shots (1.8 per game) and steals (2.2 per game) - ranking third in the MAC in blocks - Kern is second on the team and fifth in the conference in scoring (16.3 ppg), ranking second on the squad in rebounding (8.4 per game). Now with 35 career double-doubles in points and rebounds, she is fourth at Susquehanna in career rebounds (687) and sixth in scoring (1,195 points).
"Karyn has really stepped up her game as of late. She's been playing the way we know she can and really picked a good time to do it - heading into the playoffs," said 12th-year Susquehanna head coach Mark Hribar. "When she and Kristen both have it going inside, that makes us awfully tough to stop in the low post."
Also an Academic All-American candidate as a psychology major, with a minor in speech communication, Kern is the daughter of Peter and Carol Kern.
The 5-9 Venne averaged 25.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 69.0 percent from the field (20 of 29) and 91.7 percent from the line (11 of 12) last week. She also averaged 3.0 assists per game in the two wins. Venne had 24 points on 10 for 13 shooting from the field, also making all four of her free throws, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out three assists in the team's second-place clinching 83-66 win over Albright Wednesday. She followed that with a game high 27 points -- missing tying her career high by just two points -- going 10 for 16 from the field and 7 for 8 from the line while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out three more assists in Saturday's 76-61 win at Juniata.
The 5-9 Venne presently leads the team in both scoring (21.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg) - ranking second in the MAC and 13th in Division III in scoring, and fifth in the conference in rebounding. She is also second on the team and third in the MAC in field goal percentage (57.1%, 193 of 338). Venne has scored double figures in 38-straight games and 95 of 97 during her collegiate career. She is second in Susquehanna women's history in career scoring (1,859 points) and third in rebounding (859). At present, she ranks second in MAC modern history (since 1993-94) in career scoring average (19.1 ppg), third in both field goal percentage (54.3%) and rebounds (9.1 per game), and fifth in free throw percentage (76.3%).
"I'm so proud of Kristen already. Just the fact that she's a finalist (for the Josten's Trophy) is pretty terrific. I really think she's deserving of it," said Hribar. "I'm not real familiar with the other nine players, but I know that Kristen's just had a fantastic career for us. I think she's an All-American with the possibility of being the best player in the country. I think she's very deserving of it, that's for sure."
Also an Academic All-American candidate as a psychology major, Venne is the daughter of Richard and Ann Venne of Shillington.
Kern and Venne have helped Susquehanna post its 11th-straight winning seasons and 10th-straight berth in the MAC playoffs, finishing 16-8 overall, 10-4 and in second-place in the league. The Crusaders host defending Middle Atlantic Conference champion Allentown College (15-9) in a MAC quarterfinal tonight at 7 p.m.
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