Heidi Harnsich Earns IWU Women’s Basketball “MVP” Honor

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Senior Heidi Harnisch, who was the “Player of the Year” in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, has been selected as the "Most Valuable Player" for the 2005-06 Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team.

Harnisch (Urbana HS) led the Titans with a 14.5 scoring average and connected on 77 3-point field goals, a total that is second most in an IWU season. She finished her career as IWU’s 20th all-time scorer with 845 points and her 140 3-pointers is third most at the school.

In other team honors, senior Amanda Glerum (Champaign, Centennial HS) was chosen as the Titans’ “Defensive Player of the Year” and senior Val Fleishman (Oak Brook, Hinsdale Central HS) earned the team's "All-American Titan" honor, bestowed for sportsmanship, integrity, leadership and overall responsibility to basketball success.

Glerum, who missed the final 10 games with a leg injury, ended her career tied for second with 150 3-point field goals and is No. 22 at IWU with 827 career points. This season Glerum averaged 9.5 points, shot 93.8 percent from the free throw line (45 of 48), and made 51 3-pointers.

Fleishman set a school season record with 117 free throws and tied for No. 1 with 319 career free throws made. She is No. 14 all-time at IWU with 512 rebounds and No. 17 with 893 career points. This season, the third team all-CCIW forward averaged 11.1 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.

Head coach Mia Smith, whose team was 19-8 overall and 10-4 in the CCIW, awarded letters to 12 players. The letterwinners are, with hometowns and high schools:

SENIORS - Katie Blonn (Des Plaines, Maine West HS); Val Fleishman (Oak Brook, Hinsdale Central HS); Amanda Glerum (Champaign, Centennial HS); Heidi Harnisch (Urbana HS).

JUNIORS – Brianna Baker-Carvell (Rantoul HS); Crystal Dye (Springfield, Southeast HS).

SOPHOMORES – Tasha Gaston-Bell (Bloomington HS); Thea Rogers (Hoffman Estates, Oak Park-River Forest HS).

FRESHMEN – Mallory Heydorn (LaGrange, Lyons Township HS); Claire Sheehan (St. Charles, East HS).

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206