Women's Basketball Selected to Finish Fifth in Heart Preseason Poll
The Heart of America Athletic Conference announced its 2023-24 Heart Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday afternoon and the Culver-Stockton College women's basketball program was picked to finish fifth, according to the 13 Heart head coaches.
The Wildcats, under the direction of Head Coach Janette Burgin, finished 2022-23 with a 19-11 overall record and a 13-9 mark in the conference. C-SC won a postseason game for the first time since 2018-19 when they advanced to the conference championship game against William Penn.
Coach Burgin returns 12 players from last year's team, including Heart Freshman of the Year Avery Oetting, and starters Katie Webb and Aaliyah Ortiz. All three players earned All-Heart honors last season honorable mention selections. Also returning is starter Addison Newbon, who played in only eight games last season due to injury.
Defending Heart champion Central Methodist University was chosen to finish first this season, according to the head coaches.
Under head coach Mike Davis, CMU went 35-1 overall and a perfect 22-0 in the Heart last season and advanced all the way to the NAIA National Championship Semifinals. CMU is the defending Heart regular season and conference tournament champions.
The Heart sent four teams to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship 1st Round last season, including CMU, Clarke, Grand View and MidAmerica Nazarene.
Clarke University won the 2022-23 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship last year by defeating the defending NAIA National Champions, St. Thomas More (Ky.), 63-52, for their first-ever national championship.
CMU earned the most points in the poll with 139 and seven first-place votes, while Clarke earned 127 votes and three first-place votes, tying for second with MidAmerica Nazarene, who also had 127 total votes and three first place votes.
Complete Poll Below:
Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Central Methodist (7) 139
2. Clarke (3) 127
2. MidAmerica Nazarene (3) 127
4. Grand View 116
5. Culver-Stockton 89
6. Benedictine 84
7. Missouri Valley 81
8. Baker 68
9. Mount Mercy 61
10. William Penn 49
11. Graceland 28
12. Peru State 24
13. Park 21