State Colleges Report: Stelmack reaches Western by taking the scenic route

BELLINGHAM — Two years and about 6,000 miles later, Mollie Stelmack still isn't quite at home, but she's close enough.

Stelmack, a 5-foot-11 guard on the seventh-ranked Western Washington women's basketball team, spent the previous two years as a starter at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire before deciding to transfer to a school near her hometown of New Westminster, B.C.

She set her sights on Western, just a one-hour drive from New Westminster, and the move has worked out well for both player and school. Stelmack is averaging 12.0 points and 4.1 rebounds and is shooting 43.2 percent (16 of 37) from three-point range for the Vikings (9-1).

"I just decided it was time for something new," Stelmack said. "I remember getting recruiting information from Western in high school. So my mom said, 'Why don't you try Western? It's only an hour away from home.' "

So Stelmack e-mailed Western coach Carmen Dolfo, a Canadian from Penticton, B.C. One workout convinced Dolfo.

"We immediately thought she was a great player," the Western coach said. "We were really fortunate to get her. It doesn't happen very often that someone falls on your doorstep like this."

Like Dolfo, who led Penticton to a provincial title, Stelmack starred in the Canadian high-school ranks. She was a two-time provincial all-star at New Westminster Secondary School, averaging 25 points as a senior.

Picks of the week


Men's basketball

Central Washington at No. 3 Western Washington, Bellingham's Carver Gym, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Women's basketball

Seattle U. at Seattle Pacific, Saturday, 3 p.m.

She landed a scholarship to Franklin Pierce, a school of 1,600 located in Rindge, N.H., after being spotted at a tournament in Eastern Canada. She started 17 games as a freshman and all 28 as a sophomore, averaging 13.6, earning second-team all-league honors and setting a school record with 76 three-pointers. Dolfo considered having her redshirt one season at Western to ease her transition, but Stelmack's play forced her to reconsider.

"As we kept watching her, we kept saying, 'How can we not play this girl?' " the coach said.

Stelmack came off the bench for the first eight games of the season. She had 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 94-81 win over No. 11 Chico State on Dec. 10, earning tournament MVP honors. Last week, Stelmack moved into the starting lineup, scoring 16 points in 19 minutes as the Vikings rolled over Northwest Nazarene, 81-60, and 17 points in an 82-71 victory over No. 14 Seattle Pacific.

Western sports

Men's basketball: The third-ranked Vikings (10-1 overall, 2-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) put a 20-game regular-season home win streak on the line Saturday against Central Washington. Western, which has won nine straight this season, has beaten the Wildcats six consecutive times at Carver Gym.

Women's basketball: No. 7 Western Washington (9-1, 2-0 GNAC), which plays at Western Oregon (0-11, 0-2) tonight, has shot 42.6 percent (46 of 108) from three-point range over the last six games.

Seattle Pacific

Men's basketball: The sixth-ranked Falcons (9-1, 1-0 GNAC) have won four straight and matched their best start in 12 years. Senior Mike Bushmaker (Eisenhower of Yakima), a 6-7 sixth man, averaged 11.2 points and shot 66 percent from the floor in December.

Women's basketball: After playing seven in a row on the road, the No. 25 Falcons (7-4, 1-1) begin a three-game homestand vs. Saint Martin's on Thursday night. SPU has won 29 straight at home and 61 in a row in regular-season play.

Seattle U.

Men's basketball: The Redhawks' 8-2 overall record is their best through 10 games to begin a season since 1968-69.

Women's basketball: Seattle U.'s defense has forced 30 or more turnovers in six of nine games and is a major reason for the team's 6-3 record.

Washington

Gymnastics: Senior Kelly McDonald (Roosevelt) and freshman Ashley Houghting (Welland, Ontario) each won events as the No. 18 Huskies opened the season by finishing fourth among six teams at the Hawaiian Classic in Kailua, Hawaii. McDonald scored a 9.850 on bars to win her 15th career event. Houghting debuted for the Huskies by tying for first on vault with UCLA's Kate Richardson at 9.850.

Volleyball: Fans can join Washington volleyball players and coaches for a celebration of the team's NCAA championship Sunday at 3 p.m. at Edmundson Pavilion. Athletic director Todd Turner and UW president Mark Emmert will present the Huskies with their trophy. The final game of the Huskies' win over Nebraska will be replayed. Parking is free. Doors open at 2:30.

Other colleges

Central Washington: Ashley Fenimore (Meadowdale of Lynnwood) scored 12 points in her college debut as the women's basketball team lost at Seattle Pacific on Dec. 29, then had 13 in a New Year's Eve loss at Northwest Nazarene. The freshman point guard transferred to Central (5-4, 0-2 GNAC) after initially signing with SPU.

Eastern Washington: Concluding a grueling stretch of six games in 16 days, the men's basketball team opens its Big Sky Conference schedule this week at Northern Arizona and Sacramento State. The Eagles (5-8) have played six road games since Dec. 16, including losses to nationally ranked Gonzaga and Washington.

Gonzaga: Junior forward Stephanie Hawk (Ontario, Ore.) had her third career double-double and her second in four games with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Portland State on Monday. The 6-3 Hawk narrowly missed another double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds in a loss to Utah Valley State on Dec. 30.

Northwest: The men's basketball team (11-5) received votes in the NAIA national poll for the first time this season. Northwest spent three weeks listed in the poll last season.

Pacific Lutheran: Senior Drew Cardwell (Lakes of Lakewood) was named to the All-Cactus Jam Tournament team last week in Phoenix after 52 points and 19 rebounds in three games. He tied his career high with 29 points in a 63-54 win over Washington and Jefferson on Thursday.

Puget Sound: Senior forward Zack McVey (Woodinville) leads the Northwest Conference in field-goal percentage, making 66 of 100 shots. The preseason All-American averages 16.5 points for the Loggers (9-2, 3-0 NWC).

Whitman: Laura Vertatschitsch (Issaquah), a senior guard who scored a career-high 24 points in last week's victory over Cal State-East Bay, is averaging a team-leading 14.6 points, third in the Northwest Conference.

Whitworth: Sophomore swimmer Samantha Kephart (Santa Maria, Calif.) leads NCAA Division III in the 200-yard butterfly this season with a time of 2 minutes, 3.78 seconds. She is ranked second in the 100 fly (56.79).

Elsewhere: Sophomore Ryan Hall (Newport of Bellevue), a 2-meter offensive player for Redlands, was named a first-team All-American by the American Water Polo Coaches' Association. Hall led the Bulldogs in several categories, and his 50 total goals rank ninth in school history and his 51 ejections drawn are fourth.

Sports information directors

contributed to this notebook.