Brent Pollari, head womens basketball coach at Wayne State College, announced today that six high school student athletes have signed national letters of intent to attend WSC and play for the Wildcats in the 2021-22 season. They include Brigid Boyle of Eagan, Minnesota, Delaney Clark from Menasha, Wisconsin, Maya Fitzpatrick of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Avery Kallman from Gretna, Abby Kopecky of Aberdeen, South Dakota and Tate Norblade from Papillion.
Brigid Boyle is a 60″ forward from Saint Agnes High School in Minnesota where she is a three-year starter in basketball and volleyball. Last season, Boyle earned All-Skyline Conference honors after averaging 21 points and eight rebounds per game while scoring her 1,000th career point. She accounted for 15.3 points and 10 rebounds per game as a sophomore and is a three-year captain. Boyle also excels in volleyball where she was All-Conference as a junior.
“Brigid is a versatile, smooth player with a high basketball IQ,” remarked Pollari. “She has the ability to score from beyond the arc and in the paint because of her length. Her length gives her the ability to guard multiple positions on defense and is a great leader.”
Delaney Clark, a 511″ shooting guard/forward, from Appleton East High School in Wisconsin, is a three-year starter and four year letter winner in basketball. As a junior, Clark produced 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while helping her team win a third straight regional crown. She was named Fox Valley Association All-Conference honorable mention the last two seasons.
“Delaney is a long forward that is skilled in many areas and shoots the ball well from the perimeter,” stated Coach Pollari. “She will make an impact on the defensive end of the court with her great anticipation skills and always seems to make a play.”
Maya Fitzpatrick is a 510″ small forward from Champlin Park High School in Minnesota, starting three years in basketball. She earned All-Northwest Suburban Conference honors last season while leading the team in scoring and was an All-Conference honorable mention selection as a sophomore.
“Maya is a long wing player who has great poise on the basketball court,” said Pollari. “Her vision and ability to shoot it from the outside will really help her at this level. Maya has a knack for scoring the ball in many different ways.”
Avery Kallman, a 61″ forward/center from Gretna High School, is a four-year starter in basketball and one year in volleyball. Last season, she earned All-Metro Conference and Class A All-State honorable mention honors after averaging nearly 10 points and 11 rebounds a contest. Kallman was also named Class A All-State honorable mention in 2018 and in 2019 as a volleyball player.
“Avery will add depth to our post position,” Coach Pollari commented. “Shes a very good rebounder whose best days are ahead of her and has the ability to use her body well in the paint.”
Abby Kopecky is a 510 guard from Aberdeen Central High School in South Dakota and earned All-Eastern South Dakota Conference honors in three sports – basketball, cross country and track and field. Last season, she averaged 13.3 points and five rebounds a game and was named to the All-ESD Conference Team. Kopecky collected four All-Conference honors in track and field and three in cross country.
“Abby is a long athletic guard who can play multiple positions,” stated Pollari. “Her versatility will help her be successful on both ends of the court. Abby is a selfless player who wants the team success over her own.”
Tate Norblade is a 59″ guard from Papillion LaVista South High School where she is a three year starter in basketball and track and field. As a junior, Norblade recorded 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game to earn Class A All-State honorable mention honors. In track and field as a sophomore, Norblade earned three medals at the Class A State meet taking fourth in the 200 meter dash (25.53), eighth in the 400-meter dash (1:00.61) and ran a leg on the fourth place 400-meter relay team.
“Tate is a force on both ends of the court,” boasted Pollari. “Her ability to play fast on offense and fly around on defense could impact games easily. Her explosiveness is something that will give our team a boost.”
Wayne State College is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 16-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Wildcats were 16-13 last season (11-11 NSIC) and are scheduled to open the 2020-21 season on Saturday, January 2nd at Northern State.
