2008 UGF Women's Basketball: Recent Recruit Signings

Marijka Francis , Great Falls High School, Great Falls, Montana

Lady Argos hoop team signs local Great Falls High standout

GREAT FALLS, MT (Friday, April 25, 2008) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of a local athlete to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Marijka (pronounced MAR-RIKE-A) Francis is a 5’7” guard from Great Falls High School in Great Falls, Montana. She averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this past season for the Lady Bison. She joins her older sister Marissa, a freshman guard, and former high school teammate Kirilynn Winkler in the Lady Argo program. Marijka is the daughter of Lucius and Mary Ellen Francis and she will be majoring in sociology at the University of Great Falls.

"Marijka will be a terrific fit in our program. She is really athletic, and she has a very high ceiling for development. Marijka is also a great student, and we are excited that she will be joining us this fall," said UGF women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.

The Lady Argos won 12 games this season, which is the most since the program’s reinstatement nine years ago.

Mackenzie Gentry , Sheridan Community College (transfer), Pocatello, ID

Lisa Van De Riet, Foothills Community Christian School, Great Falls, Montana

Lady Argos hoop team adds a pair of standouts for the upcoming season

GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, April 21, 2008) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of two athletes to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Mackenzie Gentry is from Pocatello, Idaho. The 5'9" guard will be transferring to the University of Great Falls from Sheridan Junior College in Sheridan, Wyoming. She averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Lady Generals last season where she helped the team to a 26-4 record and a runner-up finish in Region IX’s Northern Division. Gentry also shot 41% from the field.

"Mackenzie is a winner in every sense of the word. She is strong off the dribble and has a great touch from mid-range. Mackenzie is a talented passer as well, having helped set up three of the top scorers in Region IX. She is also a tenacious ball defender, and she continues our trend of getting more athletic," said UGF women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.

UGF has also signed Lisa Van De Riet from Foothills Community Christian School in Great Falls, MT. Lisa averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game this season for the Lady Falcons. On February 2, 2008 against Gallatin Valley, she scored a season-high 14 points. Foothills Community Christian School is a member of the Montana Christian Athletic Association.

"Lisa is a great fit for our University and our program. She is very quick, and she is a tremendous student. Lisa comes from a great family, and we are excited about her potential development," said Chaffin.

The Lady Argos are coming off a season in which they set the school record with 12 wins; that is 10 more wins than the previous season.

Becca Frank , C.M. Russell High School, Great Falls, Montana

C.M.R. standout Becca Frank signs with Lady Argos basketball team

GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, March 10, 2008) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team is excited to announce the signing of a student-athlete from Great Falls, MT to a Frontier Conference/NAIA Letter of Intent.

Becca Frank is a 5’6” point guard from C.M. Russell High School who averaged 8.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.8 steals per game for the Lady Rustlers this season. This season, she scored 16 points against both Helena Capital High School and Butte High School, a State AA finalist. Becca also scored 15 points against cross-town rival Great Falls High School in February.

“Becca has a tremendous nose for the ball. She is a tremendous ball defender and she has the quickness and speed to attack the full court pressure that we see regularly in the Frontier Conference. Becca is a high-motor athlete that brings an intensity that is infectious. We are excited that she is joining our program,” said UGF women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.

She is the daughter of Dan and Anita Frank, and she will be majoring in Exercise Education while at the University of Great Falls.

Frank joins three other former C.M.R. Rustlers that currently are playing for the Lady Argos including junior Joslin Swartz, sophomore Kassie Holmlund and redshirt freshman Kelsey Hopkins. Lady Argo assistant coach, Bill Himmelberg was a former assistant coach at C.M.R.

Carrie Feenstra, Bozeman High School, Bozeman, Montana

Bozeman basketball standout signs with Lady Argos

GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, January 28, 2008) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team is excited to announce the signing of a student-athlete from Bozeman, Montana.

Carrie Feenstra is a 6’2” forward from Bozeman High School who will join the Lady Argos next season. She is a member of the defending State AA Champion, Bozeman Lady Hawks team and is averaging 6.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Feenstra is shooting 52% from the field and 70% from the free throw line this season.

“We are really excited that Carrie has chosen to join our program. Carrie is the type of student-athlete that we are trying to recruit to our program. She has great footwork, and she has a tremendous face-up game from mid-range. Carrie practices everyday against two Division I posts, and she knows what it takes to be successful. She comes from a great family, and she will fit in nicely with our good young nucleus,” said UGF women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.

She is the daughter of Daryl and Sheila Feenstra, and she will be majoring in Business Marketing while at the University of Great Falls. Shawn Chaffin coached Feenstra’s sister-in-law, former C.M.R. Lady Rustler standout Hillary (Taylor) Feenstra, while he was an assistant coach at Montana Western from 2001-2005.

Carrie joins two other former Bozeman Lady Hawk basketball players who are on the team including Leslie Saunders and Amy Barber, who are redshirting this season.

Morgan Jorgenson, Harrison High School, Harrison, Montana

Maraya Hungerford, Charlo High School, Charlo, Montana

Lady Argos basketball adds Charlo and Harrison, Montana standouts

GREAT FALLS, MT (Wednesday, November 7, 2007) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team is proud to announce the signing of two athletes to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent.

Morgan Jorgenson is from Harrison, Montana. The 5'9" forward averaged 9.8 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game as a junior last season. She also earned All-Western Class C Conference Honors. Morgan is very active in the Science Olympiad and in the Music program at Harrison High School. Morgan is the daughter of Jack and Kathleen Jorgenson. While at UGF, she plans on studying physical education and athletic training.

"Morgan is a tremendous passer and a great leader. She has played many positions, and has a thorough understanding of the game of basketball. Morgan is the kind of student-athlete that we are excited to get, and I am confident that her best basketball is still in front of her," said UGF women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.

UGF has also signed Maraya Hungerford from Charlo, Montana. She is a 5'5" guard who earned All-State honors last year as a senior. Maraya Hungerford participated in four state basketball tournaments and played on the winning State Class C title team as a junior. She will be transferring from the Sheridan Community College campus in Gillette, Wyoming after this semester. She will finish out the rest of this season as a redshirt.

"Maraya is very quick, and she sees the floor very well. She was highly recruited out of high school, and we are excited that she decided to give basketball another chance. She is a great teammate and she will be an asset for our program in the near future," said Chaffin.