
































NO. NAME POS. HT. YR./EL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL 1 Logan Roberts G/F 5-9 Fr./Fr. Twin Falls, Idaho / Canyon Ridge 2 Jordan Roberts G 5-8 Fr./Fr. Twin Falls, Idaho / Canyon Ridge
Miki Vermeulen G/F 5-10 Fr./Fr. Renton, Wash. / Liberty
Eve Burke G 5-7 Fr./Fr. Port Angeles, Wash. / Port Angeles
Ella Koebelin G 5-4 Fr./Fr. Silverdale, Wash. / Klahowya Secondary
Rowan Cusack G 5-2 So./So. Auburn, Wash. / Bellarmine Prep
Paige LaFountain G 5-6 Sr./Sr. Tigard, Ore. / Tigard
Riley Cusack G 5-2 So./Fr. Auburn, Wash. / Bellarmine Prep 14 Laurel Quinn G 5-8 Fr./Fr. Vancouver, Wash. / King’s Way Christian 15 Anna Dazey G 5-6 So./Fr. Corvallis, Ore. / Corvallis 20 Alexis Heald F 5-9 Sr./Sr. Portland, Ore. / Lincoln 21 Jordan Worthington F 6-0 Sr./Sr. Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville 22 Kaylee Schow G 5-7 Sr./Jr. Tenino, Wash. / South Puget Sound C.C. 23 Peyton Bergevin F 5-11 Jr./Jr. Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla 24 Elyse Waldal F 5-10 So./So. Snohomish, Wash. / Glacier Peak 30 Janessa Yniguez G 5-3 Sr./Sr. Santa Cruz, Calif. / St. Francis Salesian Prep 32 Gillyan Landis C 6-2 So./So. Yakima, Wash. / West Valley
HEAD COACH: Casey Bunn-Wilson (eighth year)
ASSISTANT COACHES: Jeremy Vandenboer, Maggie Smith
NO. NAME POS. HT. YR. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
4 Olivia Sprague G 5-8 So. Clatskanie, Ore. / Clatskanie 5 Elli Kent G 5-7 Fr. Bend, Ore. / Trinity Lutheran 10 Chelsea Ching G 5-6 Fr. Folsom, Calif. / Folsom 11 Maddyson Tull F 6-2 Jr. Gridley, Calif. / Gridley 12 Gabbie Gascon G 5-5 Fr. Jackson, Calif. / Argonaut 14 Lily Everson G 5-9 Fr. Forest Grove, Ore. / Forest Grove 15 Alexis Elquist F 6-1 Jr. Elko, Nev. / Elko HS / University of Nevada 20 Kaitlyn Wright G 5-8 Fr. Burns, Ore. / Burns 21 Jenna Wallace F 6-0 Jr. Redding, Calif. / Foothill HS / Shasta C.C. 22 Kennedy Tull G 5-8 So. Gridley, Calif. / Gridley 23 Alex Conley F 5-10 Sr. Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview 25 Ebony McMillan G 5-10 Fr. Melbourne, Australia / Caulfiel 31 Melissa Lee F 5-11 Sr. Napavine, Wash. / Napavine 34 Kayley Elliott F 6-2 Jr. Springfield, Ore. / Springfield HEAD COACH: Paul Poetsch (interim) ASSISTANT COACH: Joy Lease, Natalie DeLonge
The energy in Ted Wilson Gymnasium has been positive to begin the season. The players put in a lot of work during the offseason on the court and in the weight room.
“I give my team a lot of credit for last year, fighting through all the adversity and finding a way to still enjoy the season. But we don’t want to do that again.”
Fundamentally, the ‘Cats are hitting shots and making reads that they weren’t quite able to nail last year. Five seniors, one junior and five sophomores, two with freshman eligibility, return with another year of collegiate experience under their belts. Those returners have taken six talented freshmen under their wings to show them an improved version of what it means to be a Linfield basketball player.
“I’ve liked a lot of things. They’re working hard. They’ve been grinding. The chemistry is good. They’re gelling a lot more quickly this year compared to last year.”
The success of any college team starts with the senior class, and this year’s seniors have kept the rest of the team in check.
Alexis Heald, Jordan Worthington and Janessa Yniguez all saw significant playing time last season. Heald started all 24 games, finishing second on the team with 26.5 minutes per game. The reintroduction of Paige LaFountain, who missed the 2021-22 season, will be a nice addition to the Linfield backcourt.
The Linfield women’s basketball team follows a new creed in 2022-23, entering the season with a clean slate and a refreshed mindset
by kaho akau ’19The Linfield Wildcats look to make strides that will stack more games in the win column. But that’ll be difficult to accomplish without first changing their sense of urgency and intensity during practices and non-conference games.
“We’ve mixed up our offenses and threw in some defenses that fit who we have in our personnel. We’re hoping for the best, and so far, so good,” said eighth-year head coach Casey Bunn-Wilson.
The win-loss records from a year ago weren’t an accurate depiction of how competitive Linfield was on the court. In many cases, the ‘Cats were a few key moments away from turning Ls into Ws. The goal this season is to clean things up and limit extra opportunities for opposing teams.
“A gift and a curse last year was that we were in a lot of our games,” Bunn-Wilson said. “Some of those games, we were right there and lost by 10 points or less. Hopefully we can get over that hump and capitalize.”
“Paige will be great for us at the point guard position. She’s steady and even keeled. She brings a lot of experience and her basketball IQ is high. We just need to get her back to the level of competitiveness that she was used to playing, and she’s getting there quickly.”
Due to NCAA regulations, the players spend much of the offseason running workouts without the coaching staff. As seniors, their jobs are to keep the team organized and get their teammates to where they need to be both physically and mentally.
Every little intangible act contributes to not only building team culture but maintaining it as well.
“They make sure we’re implementing our culture and program expectations without coaches there. That’s where I think they’re the most invaluable.”
Last season’s freshman class was one of the bright spots for Linfield. Gillyan Landis, Elyse Waldal and Rowan Cusack all had starting opportunities and were forced to mature quickly.
“They know what’s coming and know what to expect in a long season. I’m excited to see how they develop and continue to grow. I’m expecting a lot more from everyone.”
Landis was named an honorable mention to the allNorthwest Conference team. She started all 24 games,
leading the ‘Cats with 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 74.6 percent from the free throw line. Landis scored in double digits on 12 occasions and led the NWC with 32 blocks.
Waldal led Linfield with 22 three-pointers, connecting on 28.9 percent from beyond the arc. She averaged 7.7 points and four rebounds per game. Cusack finished with 43 assists and 24 steals. Her buzzer-beater three-pointer on Feb. 4 gave Linfield its lone win of the season, a thrilling 62-59 victory over Whitworth in McMinnville.
Anna Dazey and Riley Cusack, twin sister of Rowan, are still freshmen in terms of basketball eligibility. Both provide a boost of speed and energy in the backcourt. While speed continues to be a strength for the ‘Cats, the height and athleticism of the freshmen will certainly play a role in the team’s success.
“Our freshman class is talented. They’re long and athletic. We’re going to be a little taller this year, so that’ll be good.
Just like every freshman class, they’ll take some time to get there, but they’re going to be competing for minutes.”
Linfield opens the season today inside Ted Wilson Gym. The ‘Cats will host the NAIA’s Oregon Tech Owls before heading to College Place, Washington, to take on Walla Walla on Nov. 15.
“I’m looking forward to our team executing our offense, bringing the energy and playing hard,” said Bunn-Wilson. “We’re quick and athletic and are hoping to run and do things to offset other teams’ size and physicality. We have a huge emphasis on rebounding and defending.”
The ‘Cats will be at Pacific’s Ken Schumann Classic on Nov. 19-20 and UC Santa Cruz’s December Classic on Dec. 16-17. They will open NWC play in Oregon, hosting crosscounty rival George Fox on Dec. 2 before playing the Boxers in Forest Grove the following day.
Casey Bunn-Wilson is in her eighth season as women’s basketball coach at Linfield. In her first year with the Wildcats, she helped guide the women to the program’s first winning record in five seasons (13-12) and a share of sixth place in the Northwest Conference, one of the premier women’s basketball leagues in NCAA Division III. In 2018-19, the Wildcats reached the NWC Tournament despite a competing with an injury depleted roster.
Bunn-Wilson spent three seasons as girls basketball coach at Tualatin High School, compiling a 39-32 win-loss record while leading the Timberwolves to three straight OSAA Class 6A state playoff appear ances. Prior to Tuala-tin, she spent two seasons as an assistant girls basketball coach at Lake Oswego High School. At Oregon State, Bunn-Wilson led the Pacific-10 Conference in scoring as a senior in 2007, averaging 20.0 points per game. She graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Promotion and Education.
A star athlete at Stayton High School, Bunn-Wilson earned varsity letters in basketball, volleyball, softball and track. On the basketball court, she was a four-time all-state, all-region and all-conference honor ee. The Capital Conference Player of the Year for three straight seasons, Bunn-Wilson led Stayton to the league championship her freshman and junior seasons. She set SHS career records for points (1,831), rebounds (783), assists (342) and steals (306) and went on to represent Stayton in the Oregon Class 3A All-Star game following graduation.
Bunn-Wilson played professionally in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Australia. While competing overseas, she earned all-league honors on the Portuguese All-Star team. At Linfield, Bunn-Wilson also co-directs the athletic department’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
She and her husband, Mitch, live in McMinnville with their sons, Rylan and Dawson.
Linfield is set to return to the court this week and resume its run as one of the top Division III basketball programs in the west.
After winning back-to-back Northwest Conference championships the past two full seasons, the program’s first consecutive league titles since 1978, the bar has been raised for men’s basketball in McMinnville under now 10th-year head coach Shanan Rosenberg.
But after graduating three all-Northwest Conference players last year, it is time for young players to both step up and develop to keep Linfield in the mix at the top of one of the most competitive conferences in Division III basketball.
“I think the leadership of our older guys has been great, our overall team speed is the best we’ve ever had. A lot of new players are filling im-portant roles, fast,” said Rosenberg.
“Whenever you lose any players that put up bulk numbers some-body has to fill that void. So, we’ll see, I can’t point to any personnel, it will kind of emerge organically and whoever the better players are for us will emerge over time. But we’ve had a number of guys improve significantly since last year and I expect them to do very well.”
It all starts in the backcourt for the Wildcats with guards Trey Bryant, a sophomore, and Carson Bonine, a senior.
Bryant burst onto the scene last year to start 24 games for the Wildcats on the way to the NWC title, and is the only re turning player to have started 20 or more games last season.
As a freshman, Bryant averaged 9.8 points per game, fourth on the team, while shooting 53 percent. By the end of the season, he led Linfield in rebounding at 5.8 per game and assists with 3.7 and was second on the team in steals and blocks playing 30.8 minutes per game.
“Starting and playing and doing the things he did, he’s demonstrated that he can be an exceptional player and perform well on a big stage. I just look forward to his continued growth,” said Rosenberg.
“What makes Trey extraordinary is his approach. He’s all about the team and yet he also knows there are times when he can take some risks and make some plays that other people can’t, and we need him to do that at times. It’s a hard thing to do as a freshman and with good efficacy and he’s doing more of that this year.”
Bryant’s numbers cracked the top five in the NWC in as sists, steals and assist to turnover ratio, top-10 in minutes and top-15 in rebounding. One of his most notable performances came against Pacific when he posted the first triple-double in recorded Linfield basketball history, which he followed up
with another double-double and career high 23 points against George Fox later in the season.
Bonine, a fixture in the Linfield rotation since his freshman season, was hampered by injury to start last season but ended up starting 18 games and finished fifth on the team in scoring at 6.8 points per game, adding 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
“Carson’s effort and approach and his leadership with the team has always been consistent. His shooting has been the biggest concern for us and after he came back after that injury last year, he never quite shot the ball as well as I think he’s capable of. That’s something this year that he’s been doing well thus far,” said Rosenberg.
“A lot of the things he provides and does day in and day out have been exceptional and really make us better,” said Rosenberg. “But his offensive play this year has been at the level where we need it to be for him to be a consistent impact player.”
Junior Jackson Dupree could see an increase in playing time and ex-pectations this season. As a spark plug off the bench last year, he aver-aged 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 56.8 percent from the field in 12.9 minutes per game. Dupree made strides during the stretch run of the season and saw his minutes rise to 16.3 per game over the final nine contests.
“Jackson was playing bulk minutes for us down the stretch and did very well. There’s no doubt he’s improved a ton, and as his abilities and refinement and efficiency as a player con tinues to improve and I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t have a huge impact on our team out on the court this year,” said Rosenberg.
Linfield returns to the court this week to resume its run as one of the top Division III basketball programs in the WestJuniors Jacob Hjort and JT Estes and senior Jack Stallard could provide valuable minutes in the backcourt as well.
Freshmen TreyVaughn Bierlink, from Quincy, Wash., Chase Bennett out of Moraga, Calif., and Anthony Flint of Durango, Colo., could all see opportunities to contribute quickly in their first collegiate seasons.
Seniors Alex Jackzo and Reece Gibb are set to lead a young but talented group of forwards as the only upperclass “bigs” on the roster.
Jackzo was a key contributor for the Wildcats last season, averaging 14.5 minutes and starting five games through the course of the season.
He averaged 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and blocked nine shots throughout the course of the season. His 67 percent mark on field goals led the team.
Gibb provided crucial shooting ability off the bench last season, shooting a team-best 37.5 percent from three and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. He also collected five blocks and five steals through the season.
Sophomore Cayden Lowenbach saw limited time last season due to injury and inexperience, but the Crook County High School product re-mains a tantalizing prospect off the bench and should factor into Linfield’s rotation.
Danilo Petrovic, a 6-5 freshman from Roosevelt High School of the extremely competitive Metro League in Seattle, will likely have a role immediately at the start of the season. Petrovic averaged a double-double in points and rebounds
through both his junior and senior seasons at Roosevelt.
There’s a bevy of young forward talent behind those two as well, with three others joining the Wildcats this year along with Petrovic, including 6-9 Logan Morrill from Astoria, Ore., 6-7 Braedyn Benhard out of Santa Ana, Calif., and 6-6 Philip Rosenfeld from Portland.
With three all-conference players leaving the program and nine incoming freshmen, this season holds plenty of learning opportunities and chances for young players to make an impact, as well as time for the veterans on the team to model the high expectations held in the Linfield basketball program.
“You have to be patient, you have to model the way things are and what those guys have learned in their three or four years here,” said Rosenberg of his returners. “I think iron sharpens iron and so as guys are playing with great effort, keeping their emotions in check, being focused during practice and really working on concentration and engagement and being present, that will certainly help model and demonstrate what we need out of our young players.”
“All young players struggle with processing the game, all young players struggle with the speed of the game, those are just universals. There’s just a lot to learn, they’ve got a lot going on in their lives in general, and now they’ve got a whole new lexicon, system, relationships, etc.”
“But that being said I think we’ve got a really talented group of younger classmen and I expect we’ll probably play more younger players this year than we have in quite some time.”
NO. NAME
POS. HT. WT. YR./EL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
0 Jake Downing G 6-4 175 So./So. Seattle, Wash / Roosevelt
1 Chase Bennett G 5-10 165 Fr./Fr. Moraga, Calif. / Campolindo
2 Jack Greenwood G 5-11 160 Jr./So. San Rafael, Calif. / Marin Catholic 3 Nick Tripaldi G 6-0 155 Jr./So. Menlo Park, Calif. / Menlo Atherton
4 Donovan Johnson G 6-0 160 Fr./Fr. Antelope, Calif. / Antelope
5
Mikey Hinkle G 6-2 180 Sr./Jr. Camarillo, Calif. / St. Bonaventure 10 Carson Bonine G 6-2 180 Sr./Jr. Camas, Wash. / Camas 11 Trey Bryant G 6-0 170 So./So. Springfield, Ore. / Springfield 12 Jackson Dupree G 6-3 180 Jr./So. San Jose, Calif. / Bellarmine Prep 13
Braedyn Benhard F 6-7 215 Fr./Fr. Santa Ana, Calif. / Foothill 14
JT Estes G 5-9 170 Jr./So. Walnut Creek, Calif. / Las Lomas
15 Josh Puccinelli G 6-2 185 So./So. San Francisco, Calif. / Stuart Hall
21 Jacob Hjort G 6-2 190 Jr./Jr. Vancouver, Wash. / Whitworth University
22 Milap Owens G 5-11 170 So./So. Prescott, Ariz. / Prescott
23 Reece Gibb F 6-5 210 Sr./Jr. Longview, Wash. / Mark Morris
24 Cayden Lowenbach F 6-6 205 So./So. Prineville, Ore. / Crook County
25 Philip Rosenfeld F 6-6 190 Fr./Fr. Portland, Ore. / Beaverton
30
TreyVaughn Bierlink G 6-5 160 Fr./Fr. Quincy, Wash. / Quincy
31 Jack Stallard G 5-11 185 Jr./So. Danville, Calif. / Monte Vista
32 Alex Jaczko F 6-5 205 Sr./Jr. Newberg, Ore. / Newberg
35 Danilo Petrovic F 6-5 190 Fr./Fr. Seattle, Wash. / Roosevelt
40 Grant Lyon G 6-2 180 Fr./Fr. San Francisco, Calif. / University
42 Anthony Flint G 6-5 175 Fr./Fr. Durango, Colo. / Durango
44 Logan Morrill F 6-9 230 Fr./Fr. Astoria, Ore. / Knappa
NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. YR./EL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
0 Luke Howard F 6-9 225 R-So. Vancouver, B.C. / Biola University
1 Matt Amano G 6-1 180 Fr. Mililani, Hawaii / Presentation College
3 CaCoa Chatman PG 5-10 165 Sr. Long Beach, Calif. / South Puget Sound C.C.
4 Pa’Treon Lee G 6-2 200 Jr. Seattle, Wash. / Lewis-Clark State College
5 Lewis Pope F 6-5 195 R-Jr. Langley, Wash. / Central Washington Univ.
10 Drew Bryson G 6-3 195 Sr. Arlington, Wash. / Simon Fraser University
11 Ajani Chappell G 5-7 150 Sr. Kent, Wash. / Skagit Valley College
12 O’Shae Barquet G 5-11 175 So. Renton, Wash. / South Puget Sound C.C.
20 Brody Steinhart F 6-5 195 R-So. San Ramon, Calif. / Northwest Nazarene
21 Anthony Howard F 6-8 205 So. Vancouver, B.C. / Trevecca Nazarene
23 James Laurence F 6-6 205 Fr. Covington, Wash. / Eastside Catholic
24 Devante Powell G 6-1 185 So. Bellingham, Wash. / Squalicum
25 Djordje Mitrovic F 6-7 210 So. Novi Sad, Serbia / Lake Region State
30 Isaiah Williams F 6-8 220 Jr. Perris, Calif. / Mt. San Jacinto College
32 Dawit Nuguse F 6-9 200 Sr. Seattle, Wash. / Shoreline C.C.
33 Dewitt Bullock F 6-9 220 So. Sacramento, Calif. / Consumes River College
34 Daniel Sharpe F 6-7 210 Sr. Mukilteo, Wash. / Kamiak
HEAD COACH: Rick Skeen (first year)
ASSISTANT COACHES: Christian Hakilimali, Adam Lynch, Leif Anderson, Colton Hafey
Shanan Rosenberg is in his 10th year as Linfield men’s basketball coach. Since taking over leadership of the program, Rosenberg has guided Linfield through a “worst-to-first” transformation, capping it in 2019-20 with a share of program’s first Northwest Conference title since 2001. Linfield followed with a second co-championship in 2021-22. Under Rosenberg’s direction, the Wildcats have reached the NWC Tournament in four consecutive seasons, ending a seven-year playoff drought.
In nine seasons as head coach, hIs career record at Linfield stands at 116-99 overall and 74-64 in NWC play.
Rosenberg has twice been named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year. His first league honor came in 2017 after guiding the pro gram to its first winning season since 2008 and first conference playoff berth in five seasons. The most recent NWC accolade came in 2020. That season, the Wildcats went 20-6 and were crowned conference co-champion during a run that included victories over nationally ranked Whitman and Whitworth on consecutive nights. In a six-season span after taking over the program, the Wildcats elevated their conference record from 2-14 to 14-2.
Before arriving at Linfield, Rosenberg was head men’s basketball coach for 11 years at Foothill College, a two-year college near Palo Alto in the south San Francisco Bay region. At Foothill, he compiled a 186131 win-loss record. His 2012-13 team went 22-5, achieving the best regular-season finish in program history.
Prior to taking over at Foothill, Rosenberg spent three years as assistant head coach at Lewis & Clark from 1998 until 2002, a period when the Pioneers won two Northwest Conference championships and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III playoff tournament. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from UC-Davis in 1994 and went on to earn a master’s degree at Chico State in 1999.
A native of central California, Rosenberg starred in basketball at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, leading the Lancers to a Central Coast Section championship in 1988. As a student-athlete and three-year letterman at UC-Davis, he earned all-North Coast Athletic Conference honors while leading the Aggies in rebounding his final two seasons.
Rosenberg and his wife, Sarah, have three sons: twins Walt and Clyde, and Gus.
From the weekend warrior to the elite athlete, we are ready to get you back in the game. We will work closely with you to help create a treatment plan geared to and focused on you.
We are proud to serve as the team physicians for Linfield College, McMinnville High School and the See Ya Later Foundation.
The Linfield Sports Network is set to bring fans live action of all home Linfield basketball home games in 2022-23. Fans can enjoy live video webcasts with play-by-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or smart TV.
Live coverage begins 15 minutes prior to the start of each game. Broadcasts include a complete postgame wrap-up with analysis and statistical breakdown. Linfield will also provide live audio-only webcasts of all of the Wildcats’ Northwest Confer ence road contests.
McMinnville native Joe Stuart begins his fourth season as the play-by-play voice of the basketball Wildcats. The 2020 Lin field graduate is the Athletics Broadcast Operations Coordina tor, managing all aspects of Linfield’s webcasting outreach and handling lead play-by-play duties on Linfield football, baseball and softball webcasts in addition to basketball. He also assists with other sports communications and social media needs.
Linfield junior Isaac Milner will contribute occational playby-play and color analysis on Linfield basketball broadcasts this winter. Milner, who also serves as lead play-by-play voice for Linfield soccer, began his broadcasting career with the LSN last year covering soccer, providing color commentary on basketball broadcasts, handling occasional play-by-play duties for volleyball, basketball and softball, as well as crucial production support on football, softball, tennis and swimming webcasts.
All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed at golinfieldwildcats.com/watch or in the Linfield Athletics app on mobile, tablet or smart TVs.