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CMCS has high hopes for ‘23-24
Central Minnesota Christian School eighth-grader Sienna Duininck makes a layup against Redwood Valley during the WildCard third-place game on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at Willmar High School. Michael Lyne / West Central Tribune
Bluejays return 4 starters, including 9th-grader Sienna Duininck
BY MICHAEL LYNE | West Central Tribune
PRINSBURG — The Central Minnesota Christian School girls basketball team returns much of its core from the 202223 season and it has Bluejays head coach Brian Nelson feeling optimistic.
“We feel like our group can compete for a Camden Conference championship,” said Nelson, who enters his second season as the Bluejays head coach. He will be assisted by Logan Erickson and Janey Duininck.
CMCS was 13-14 overall and 11-7 in conference play in its 2022-23 campaign. The Bluejays won 12 of their last 17 contests to close out the season.
CMCS returns four of its five starters for the 2023-24 season. Back are Lauren Taatjes, CC Roiseland, Carrie Mulder and Sienna Duininck. The Bluejays’ sole roster loss is Natasha Erickson.
Taatjes is a senior forward who averaged 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Roiseland is a senior guard who was a All-Camden Conference Honorable Mention following a junior campaign where she averaged 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Mulder is a sophomore forward who averaged 9.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Duininck returns as CMCS’ top piece. The freshman guard averaged 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.4 assists per game as an eighth-grader en route to being honored as an All-Camden Conference pick for a second consecutive season.
Also looking to make impacts for the Bluejays this season are junior guards Sophia Vogel and Morgan Groen and sophomore forwards Peighton Mulder and Emmi Braem.
Vogel played in all 27 games for CMCS in her sophomore season. Peighton Mulder played in 22. Groen played in 17. Braem saw action in 11.
CMCS averaged 45.2 points and allowed 46.5 points per game in the 2022-23 season. The Bluejays shot 39.3% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc.
