Youthful Scots Hope to Get 2007-08 Season Off to Good Start

Kym Wenz

The College of Wooster, sporting a roster of one senior, one junior, and nine underclassmen, will open the 2007-08 season this weekend, as it hosts the 12th annual Nan Nichols Classic on Nov. 17-18. This year’s event looks like it will offer some highly competitive games, as joining the Fighting Scots (14-12 in 2006-07) are the State University of New York at Fredonia (10-14), Misericordia University (14-11), and Notre Dame (Ohio) College (21-10). The first contest is set for Saturday at 1 p.m., when Fredonia State and Notre Dame match-up at Timken Gymnasium, followed by Misericordia and the host Scots at approximately 3 p.m. Sunday’s starting times will be the same, with the consolation first and then Saturday’s winners meeting for the championship. Wooster is aiming for its fourth Nan Nichols Classic title, having previously won in 1996, 2003, and 2006 when the Scots cruised past Lake Erie College 85-52 and Thiel College 78-65.

2007-08 Preview: After a promising 2006-07 season, which saw Wooster compile its first winning campaign (14-12) since 1992-93 and tie for fifth in the North Coast Athletic Conference (9-7), the Scots must rebuild due to losses from graduation as they look toward maintaining their status as a winning program. Attempting to reach that goal will be eight returning letterwinners and a three-member first-year class.

While Wooster is inexperienced, 11th-year head coach Lisa Campanell Komara can build around one of the best guards in the conference, sophomore Kym Wenz (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake), the 2006-07 NCAC co-Newcomer of the Year. Aside from Wenz, who also received honorable mention on the all-NCAC Team, Campanell Komara is looking for steady contributions from the surrounding talent.

Wenz finished seventh in the conference scoring race (11.8 ppg), including 33 3-pointers, while also contributing 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.7 steals for the Scots as a freshman. Wooster, which lost two-time first-team all-NCAC selection Carly Loehrke in the post along with three other starters, will look to push the tempo on the floor via a perimeter-oriented lineup. Wenz will be flanked in the backcourt by junior Meredith Wilson (Washington Ct. House, Ohio / Miami Trace), coming off a season in which she produced 2.9 points and shot .393 (11-of-28) from 3-point range, and sophomores Colleen Goodwillie (Dublin, Ohio / Bishop Ready) and Priscilla Staples (Stoughton, Mass. / Fontbonne Academy), the latter of which earned valuable playing time at point guard during stints last year.

Also, senior Jennifer Copeland (Stow, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) and sophomore Kelly Aughenbaugh (Wooster, Ohio / Wooster) could give the Scots a boost on the perimeter.