LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clarion sophomore forward Hannah Heeter is a preseason All-PSAC West choice, and the Golden Eagles are picked to finish fifth in the PSAC West in the preseason coaches poll.
Heeter is coming off an outstanding rookie campaign that saw her named PSAC West Freshman of the Year and second-team PSAC West.
She was the only freshman in either NCAA Division I or NCAA Division II to average a double-double for the season last year (13.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg) while leading the PSAC in both rebounding and shooting (59.3) percent. She was second in Division II in shooting and eighth in rebounding.
Heeter, who will join the basketball team at the conclusion of volleyball season, recorded 12 double-doubles down the stretch and 13 for the season including a pair of 20-20 games. In her final 14 games, she averaged 16.8 points and14.3 rebounds per contest.
Clarion finished 2012 7-19 overall and 6-16 in the PSAC West with a young team that started Heeter and three sophomores most of the season.
Including Heeter, the Golden Eagles return their top four scorers and eight of their top nine and have added a strong freshman class as well.
Junior guard Emma Fickel was second on the team at 11.7 points per game while hitting a team-high 65 three-pointers giving her 154 in just two seasons, already the sixth most in a career at Clarion. She has scored 651 points in two years.
Raven Jones, a junior guard, was the starter at point guard last year and is moving to the two-guard this season after recording 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while handing out 139 assists ranking second in the PSAC and 15th in the nation at 5.3 apg. The move is being made to help her cut down on her team-high 168 turnovers.
Junior forward Ann Deibert was Clarion’s second-leading rebounder (5.7 rpg) a year ago while adding 9.0 ppg, while junior guard Mackenzie Clark started 17 games with 5.1 points per game.
Clarion opens its season at 3 p.m. Friday at Fairmont State and then faces Concord at 2 p.m. Saturday Fairmont State. The Golden Eagles home opener is at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27 vs. Pitt-Johnstown.
NOTES – Clarion is coached by 24th year head coach Gie Parsons, who is the all-time winningest coach in school history with a career mark of 328-305. She has led the Golden Eagles to six NCAA Division II playoff appearances including a pair of Elite Eights while also guiding Clarion to three PSAC titles and five PSAC West championships … This year, for the first time, the top six teams in the PSAC West will advance to the PSAC Tournament. Last year, four teams made the postseason.
PSAC WEST PRESEASON POLL
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Edinboro (6)
2. Gannon (1)
3. IUP
4. California (1)
5. Clarion
6. Mercyhurst
7. Lock Haven
8. Slippery Rock
PRESEASON ALL-PSAC WEST TEAM
Hannah Heeter – Clarion
Samantha Blazetik – Edinboro
Kiara Brown – Edinboro
Jennifer Papick – Gannon
Kelly Sundberg – Gannon
Sarah Pastorek – IUP
