Venne Also Kodak All-American
Susquehanna Star On Kodak D-III Women's Hoop All-American Team
Named As One of Top 10 Players For Purely Basketball Achievement
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.)- On the same day that she was honored as the 1999 Jostens Trophy winner as the Outstanding Division III Women's Basketball Player of the Year, and also named a GTE College Division First Team Academic All-American, Susquehanna University senior power forward Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) was announced as a member of the 1999 Kodak Division III Women's All-America Basketball Team. The prestigious 10-member squad was selected by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and announced by the organization Thursday evening.
This is the second time Venne has been a Kodak All-American, also being an honorable mention pick in 1997 following her sophomore season. As opposed to the Jostens Trophy which also considers academic achievement and community service in addition to basketball accomplishments, the Kodak All-American Team honors players exclusively for their basketball achievements of the current season.
This Kodak Team marks the 17th season that Kodak and the WBCA have selected an honor roll for the NCAA Division III.
"While you can't top winning the Jostens Trophy and how memorable that ceremony was to be a part of yesterday, the Kodak All-American Team is truly special because it is chosen by fellow women's basketball coaches. Being voted to this team shows that my fellow coaches believe she is one of the best players in the country," said 12th-year Susquehanna women's head coach Mark Hribar. "She's certainly been an All-American for us throughout her career here."
The 5-9 Venne is now 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 eighth in Division III in scoring, and fifth in the conference in rebounding. She was also second on the team, third in the MAC and 19th 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). Her efforts helped the Crusader program make the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time since 1993 before finishing 17-10.
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-Tourmament Teams at two other events this season.
A psychology major with a 3.70 cumulative grade point average, she is the daughter of Richard and Ann Venne of Reading.
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