4A girls caps

Carson Senators

Coach: Paul Croghan (fourth year)

1998-99 record: 9-3 division, 21-10 overall

Key losses: Kristina Yeskie, Angela Rambeau.

Key returnees: Pam Williams, 5-11 senior post; Alyson Thurman 6-0 senior wing; Davina Carter, 5-8 senior guard; Laura Borst, 5-5 senior guard; Jina Padilla, 5-6 senior guard; Erin Stieber, 5-7 sophomore point guard; Jennifer Saunders, 5-10 junior wing; Megan Mulvaney, 6-1 junior post; Meghan Gradert, 5-11 junior post.

Key newcomers: Talia Joyce, 5-5 freshman point guard.

Outlook: The Senators look to challenge for the division lead behind Williams and Thurman, fourth-year starters who lead an experienced cast of nine returnees. Williams was a first-team all-conference pick last season while Thurman received second-team honors.

Douglas Tigers

Coach: Werner Christen (third year)

1998-99 record: 8-4 division, 17-11 overall

Key losses: Jenny Smokey (second-team all-conference), Rosie Contri (now playing at Willamette College), Brooke Kizer, Tomasa Kizer, Rebecca Rippee.

Key returnees: Lauren Myers, 6-0 senior center; Stephanie Combes, 5-10 senior forward; Jessica Granat, 6-1 senior post; Michelle Roza, 5-7 senior forward; Andrea Honer, 5-8 sophomore guard; Natalie Stratton, 5-6 senior guard; Christie Burruel, 5-5 senior guard; Kim Gitthens, 5-5 senior guard; Krista Edling, 5-10 senior forward.

Key newcomers: Kim Smith, 5-4 senior guard; Tracey Kizer, 5-3 junior guard; Hillary Moreira, 5-10 junior forward; Ashley Sulprizio, 6-1 junior center.

Outlook: Quickness and pressure defense are keys for the new-look Tigers this season. "I keep hearing, 'You lost a lot of offense from last year, but we want to build this program on good defense," Christen said. "I won't say how many games we'll win, but when people were done playing us, they'll know they were in a game."

Reno Huskies

Coach: Craig Campbell (sixth year)

1998-99 record: 11-1 division, 23-4 overall

Key losses: Shannon Taylor, Haley Anderson, Hillary Smith.

Key returnees: Melissa Padgett, 6-1 senior forward; Megan Nunn, 5-5 junior point guard; Tessa Miller, 5-6 junior guard; Kara Concha, 5-7 senior guard; Brita Class 6-0 junior forward; Jennifer Koch, 5-9 sophomore forward; Lorie LeMay, 6-2 junior center.

Key newcomer: Meghann Hackstaff, 5-9 senior guard, transfer from Wooster (went down with a knee injury Friday during Nevada Union tourney).

Outlook: The Huskies are 52-9 over the last two seasons, including a zone tournament title in 1998. Padgett, who has signed with the University of San Diego, and Hackstaff were co-Division II Players of the Year in 1998-99.

Wooster Colts

Coach: Mike Anderson (first year)

1998-99 record: 6-6 division, 12-13 overall

Key returnees: Maggie Lazzari, junior guard, (third-year varsity); Jane Christie, junior guard, has two varsity seasons, one at Wooster, one at Pyramid Lake, and will be eligible to play in January; Katherine Litchenwalter, senior center; Caitlin Kintop, junior forward.

Key newcomers: Brianne McGowan, 6-foot-2 freshman center, is an athlete who also stands out in softball.

Outlook:"We've been getting better and better every game," Anderson said. "We have some good athletes who really work hard."

Hug Hawks

Coach: Jack Smith (first year)

1998-99 record: 2-10 division, 5-19 overall

Key returnees: Marissa Vesco, 5-8 senior guard (returning starter), Daphne Tuamoheloa, 5-9 junior post.

Key newcomers: Junior point guard Kelsi Kuzmik, back in the program after playing varsity as a freshman, is a capable floor general who can shoot; Zule Cerritos, 5-7 sophomore guard, is a 3-point threat.

Outlook: Smith inherits a team with only two returnees from last season. "We're short and we're young, but we're maturing all the time," said Smith, who was formerly an assistant at McQueen.

Fallon Greenwave

Coach: Chelle Dalager (second year)

1998-99 record: 6-6 division, 11-12 overall

Key returnees: Jaqui Hyatt, 5-4 senior guard; Monica Meihack, 5-10 junior post; Lacey Johnston, 5-6 senior guard; Karin Christiansen, 5-10 junior post; Michelle Flores, 5-4 junior guard.

Key newcomers: Jamie Nowlin, senior transfer from Montana; Haley Dahl, transfer from Pahranagat Valley.

Outlook: Missed advancing to the zone tournament on a tie-breaker last season. Now, with only three seniors on the roster and lacking in true height, the Greenwave will try to utilize depth and quickness to challenge for a top-four finish in the division and a berth in the zone tournament. Hyatt and Meihack were both honorable mention all-division picks last season.

South Tahoe Vikings

Coach: Tim Jaureguito (third year)

1998-99 record: 0-12 division, 5-24 overall

Key losses: Brooke Hoppe, Coral Cortez, Casey Hydrick, Allison David.

Key returnees: Melissa Johnson, 5-9 senior guard/forward; Chantelle Young, 5-11 senior guard/forward; Tirah Samura, 5-9 senior forward/center; Cassandra Psomas, 5-8 junior forward.

Key newcomers: Lindsey Hitt, 5-5 freshman guard.

Outlook: Frankly, South Tahoe's girls haven't won a lot of games in the past few years, but the feeling around the team seems to be that could change this year. South Tahoe finally has a number of players comfortable with Jaureguito's defense-first system, and several who worked hard in the off-season. Johnson, Psomas and Samura were starters last season.

Galena Grizzlies

Coach: Karen Friel (fourth year)

1998-99 record: 8-2 division, 20-11 overall

Key losses: Camie Cragg (first-team all-conference), Liz Manning.

Key returnees: Kellie Burton, 6-2 junior center; Amanda Twitchell, 5-10 senior forward; Whitney Williams, 6-0 senior forward; Janelle Mack, 5-11 junior forward; Annie Baxter, 5-4 sophomore guard; Kirsten Drury, 5-9 junior forward; Jayleen Chen, 5-5 junior guard; Karla Orellano, 5-4 senior guard; Monica Myles, 5-7 senior guard.

Key newcomers: Joanna Hixon, 5-10 freshman guard (played with Jam-On-It 17-and-under team that won AAU western regional tournament this summer).

Outlook: The Grizzlies appeared in the zone tournament championship game and state tournament last season, both firsts for the program. With nine returnees, there's high hopes for more to come. "I knew we'd be good coming in, but we need to stay focused," Friel said. "We can't afford to be too confident because there's a lot we still need to achieve." This is a team that plays an up-tempo game and tries to utilize 10 players.

Elko Indians

Coach: Lynette Davis

1998-99 record: 5-5 division, 19-12 overall

Key losses: Kathryn Symmes (four-year varsity).

Key returnees: Krystal Thacker, 5-6 senior guard; Amanda Basanez, senior 5-10 forward/center; Annette Martinez, 5-3 senior guard; Stephanie Herr, 5-6 sophomore forward; Angie Burns, 5-6 junior guard; Andrea Paris, 5-6 senior guard; Sarah Swanson, 5-5 junior guard.

Key newcomers: Seanne Culver, 5-8 junior center.

Outlook: The Indians are short, with no player who stands over 5-10, but expect to see a well-coached team from Davis (eight state championships at Elko and Carlin). Last season, Elko was fourth during its Division I regular season, but went on to the zone and state tournament semifinals. And there's Thacker, first-team all-conference during a junior season in which she averaged 16.7 points. "Thacker is that one player in this league who can beat you by herself. She's already proven that." McQueen coach Nick Brockovich said after Thacker scored a school record 46 points against the Lancers' J.V. team at the Lowry tournament.

McQueen Lancers

Coach: Nick Brockovich (ninth season)

1998-99 record: 10-0 division, 28-6 overall

Key losses: Kate Smith (now starting for the University of Nevada), Courtney Moore (playing at Oregon), McKenzie Harrigan.

Key returnees: Kae Blunt, 5-9 junior guard/forward (only returning starter); Kate Miller, 5-7 senior guard/forward; Michelle Sperry, 5-9 junior guard/forward; Jill Bentley, 5-8 junior guard/forward; Katie Suga, 5-9 senior forward.

Key newcomers: Traci Graham, 5-5 freshman point guard; Cristi Crofts, 5-11 freshman forward; Katie Ward, 5-9 freshman guard/forward.

Outlook: Though not the McQueen team that won 4A state tournament championships the last four years, this is no team to overlook, either. "We have some athletes who are in the process of learning how to play basketball and how to win," Brockovich said. "I have a lot of faith in the program. I think we'll be there down the road."

Lowry Buckaroos

Coach: Michon Schmidt

1998-99 record: 5-5 division, 16-11 overall

Key losses: Lacey Takacs.

Key returnees: Jessica Denison, 5-10, senior guard/forward; Leslie Case, 5-8 senior guard; Erin Schwartz, 5-5 senior guard; Stephanie Dolphin, 5-11 senior forward/center; Shani Graf, 5-11 senior forward/center; Jackie Schrempp, 5-8 senior guard; Tara Tipton, 5-8 senior guard.

Key newcomers: Chelsea Mendiola, 5-10 freshman forward/center; Savanna Roman, 5-0 freshman guard.

Outlook: Ample experience with a nucleus of third-year varsity veterans that includes Denison, Case, Schrempp, Graf, Dolphin and Schwartz. Denison (second-team all-conference last season), Case (second-team all-division) and Schwartz (honorable mention all-division) are returning starters. The Buckaroos are searching for their first trip to the 4A state tournament, and this could be the season.

Sparks Railroaders

Coach: Christine Flora (first year)

1998-99 record: 0-10 division, 4-23 overall

Key returnees: Jenna Guy, 6-1 senior forward/center (second-team all-division last season); Bridgett Williams, 6-3 senior center (injured last season); Danielle Hicks, 5-11 junior guard/forward; Catherine Corl, 5-8 sophomore guard (team captain); Serena Crawford, 5-6 sophomore guard; Jennifer Owyhee, 5-7 junior guard/forward; Krista Bates, 5-5 junior guard.

Outlook: The Railroaders' girls traditionally are not big winners, but there's a solid nucleus back from last season and a new attitude under new coach Flora, who played on three state championship teams across town at Reed and then at the University of Nevada.

Reed Raiders

Coach: Prim Walters

1998-99 record: 2-8 division, 9-17 overall

Key returnees: Misty Nguyen, 5-4 junior point guard; Sherika Hardaway, 5-6 junior guard (all-conference soccer); J'Cee Tagudin-Lawson, 5-6 guard.

Key newcomer: Tinishia Johnson, 5-9 junior forward (daughter of Nevada coach Trent Johnson); Kelly Harry, 5-6 sophomore guard; Whitney Smith, sophomore guard; Megan O'Connor, senior forward; Amanda Chaney, sophomore guard; Alana Espiritu, sophomore guard.

Outlook: A program with tradition - state titles in 1991, '92 and '93 - the Raiders look to rebound this season. They are small yet athletic, fast, and they never give up. Consider last week's game at Fallon when the Raiders trailed by more than 20 points in the first half but rallied back before losing 64-58 in overtime. O'Connor scored 22 points and Williams 20 in that game. Reed could be a team to keep an eye this season under Walters, a basketball standout at Carson in the mid-1980s.