NCAA DIII 25th Anniversary Team

Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: February 15

Fargo Forum Article on Jessica Rahman

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that Concordia women's basketball head coach Jessica Rahman has been named as one of the five players on the NCAA Division III 25th Anniversary Team.

An NCAA Division III women's basketball sports committee named an expert panel to select the Division III Women's Basketball 25th Anniversary Team. The panel, which consisted of current and former coaches, athletics administrators, and sports information directors, used historical data and results from online public voting at www.ncaasports.com to make its decision.

The honor team will be recognized in April at the Division I Final Four.

Rahman, formerly Jessica Beachy, was a four-time All-American who helped Concordia win the NCAA National Championship in 1988. She was named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year in 1988 and went on to earn the Honda Award as the NCAA Division III Female Athlete of the Year as well as one of the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.

Rahman is joined on the team by St. Thomas standout Laurie Trow Kelly. Trow Kelly was a three-time Kodak All-American for the Tommies (1990-93) and helped the team win the 1990-91 national championship. She ranks first all-time in conference history in scoring (2,607 points), rebounding (1,204) and blocked shots (203) and was named the WBCA Player of the Year in 1993. The other three players on the anniversary team are former WBCA Division III Players of the Year as well. Alia Fischer and Tasha Rodgers led Washington University (Mo.) to national championships in the late 1990's and early 2000's and Page Lutz, who was a three-time All-American, led Elizabethtown College (Pa.) to a national title in 1982. Nancy Fahey was named the coach for the 25th Anniversary Team. She won four straight NCAA National Championships (1998, 99, 2000, 01) as the coach at Washington University.

Rahman is second on the MIAC all-time list for most points scored in a career in conference games (1,491) and is the all-time leading scorer in Cobber women's basketball history (2,101 points). Rahman was inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

Rahman, originally from Staples, Minn., came to Concordia in 1984 after a highly successful high school career at Staples-Motley. In her four years at Concordia, she helped the Cobbers win 96 of the 118 games in which she played.

As a first-year player, she was a major contributor on a team that reached the NCAA Tournament. She earned All-MIAC honors in her first year, was named to the West Region All-Tournament Team and was named a First-Year All-American.

As a sophomore, she helped the Lady Cobbers post a 25-3 record, win the MIAC title, and advance to the West Region Championship game. She still holds the MIAC record for sophomore scoring at 19.7 points per game. She was named All-MIAC and All-American.

In her junior year the Lady Cobbers again won the MIAC and then finished as runners-up in the NCAA Division III Tournament. She was named MIAC Most Valuable Player and a first team All-American.

The NCAA is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Women's Championships in several sports during the 2005-06 season. In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women's championships, which opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female athletes. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year.

NCAA Division III 25th Anniversary Team

Jessica Beachy, Concordia College, Forward
-NCAA National Champion (1988)
-NCAA All-Tournament Team (1987, 88)
-WBCA all-American (1987, 88)
-WBCA Division III Player of the Year (1988)

- Honda Division III Female Athlete of the Year (1988)

Laurie Trow, University of St. Thomas, Center
-NCAA National Champion (1991)
-NCAA All-Tournament Team (1991)
-WBCA all-American (1991, 92, 93)
-WBCA Division III Player of the Year (1993)

Alia Fischer, Washington University, Center
-NCAA National Champion (1998, 99, 2000)
-NCAA All-Tournament Team (1998, 99, 2000)
-NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2000)
-WBCA all-American (1998, 99, 2000)
-WBCA Division III Player of the Year (1998, 99, 2000)

Page Lutz, Elizabethtown College, Guard
-NCAA National Champion (1982)
-NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982, 83, 84)
-NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1983, 84)
-WBCA all-American (1982, 83, 84)
-WBCA Division III Player of the Year (1984)

Tasha Rodgers, Washington University, Forward
-NCAA National Champion (1998, 99, 2000, 01)
-NCAA All-Tournament Team (1999, 2000, 01)
-NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2001)
-WBCA all-American (2000, 01)
-WBCA Division III Player of the Year (2001)

Nancy Fahey, Washington University, Coach
-NCAA National Champion (1998, 99, 2000, 01)
-6 NCAA Division III Tournament semifinal appearances (1991, 94, 98, 99, 2000, 01)
-17 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances
-WBCA Division III National Coach of the Year (2000)