Hesston, KS — Goshen College head women’s basketball coach Steve Wiktorowski announced Wednesday that 2006 Hesston College graduate Katie Sowers will join the Leafs’ basketball program next fall, giving the team another multi-faceted perimeter player to its roster. A two-year letterwinner while at Hesston, Sowers led the Larks to a combined 37-25 record during that time, averaging 8.2 points per game and a team-best 6.9 assists per game as a sophomore. Sowers joins 2006 West Ottowa High School (OH) graduate Chloe Van Den Brink (click here for related article) as Wiktorowski’s two commitments thus far.

“Katie has the athletic ability and collegiate playing experience to come in and contribute during the next two years at Goshen,” Wiktorowski said. “We like her versatility in that she has played everything from the low post position in high school to the point in college. We feel she will play somewhere in between those two positions for us.”

After averaging just 5.8 ppg as a freshman at Hesston College, Sowers upped her production to just over 8 ppg in her second season as a Lark, knocking in 34 percent of her field goal attempts and 31 percent of her three-point tries. Her 4.25 assist per game average was tops on the team this season, while her 235 career dishes ranks third in Hesston College program history. Sowers also finished as the Larks’ eighth-best career rebounder, collecting 397 boards in a Hesston uniform.

“Katie is a tremendous competitor and has a very strong work ethic,” said Joel Kauffman, Hesston head women’s basketball coach. “She is very unselfish and makes her teammates better when she is on the floor. She has grown into a very good perimeter player after playing the post position all through high school, and is a very smart player. She will only help Goshen’s other players get better.”

Originally from Hesston, Sowers attended Hesston High School and was a standout three-sport athlete, competing in volleyball and track along with basketball. A three-year varsity letterwinner in basketball, Sowers led her high school squad to a third- and fourth-place finish in the Kansas state championship tournament and was named to the 3A All-Class team by the Hutchinson News following her senior season. Sowers was also voted into the Mid-Kansas All-Star Classic, the Steve Young High School All-Star Game and the Central Kansas All-Star Game, where she scored 22 points to lead her team.

“Katie is a great competitor and plays with tremendous passion, something we were looking for in this recruiting class,” Wiktorowski said. “She has improved her perimeter shooting in college, and is especially good at driving into the lane and pulling up off the dribble. She is the daughter of a former college coach, which shows on the court in that she has an excellent feel for the game. We think she can adjust quickly to our program and our style of play.”

Sowers father, Floyd Sowers was the head women’s basketball coach for 10 years at Bethel College (North Newton, KS) and was a 1972 Goshen College graduate. Katie Sowers said her decision to attend Goshen was a combination both of her family’s past, and the current direction the Leafs program is headed.

“I feel very good about my decision to transfer to Goshen College this coming fall,” Sowers said. “My experience at Hesston College has been extremely positive and I found the Goshen College environment to be much like that at Hesston. My mom and dad are both Goshen College graduates and had great experiences there. It is strong academically and I am also very excited to be a part of the women’s basketball team. On my campus visit, I was very impressed with Coach Wik, his assistant coaches and all the players. Goshen has a quality basketball program and it is evident that everyone enjoys being a part of this team.”

Wiktorowski said that while both Sowers and Van Den Brink are a solid start to his 2006-2007 recruiting class, it is far from complete. Wiktorowski said he plans to announce additional signings in the coming weeks.

“Katie’s background and the fact that she has family in the area will help her make a quick adjustment to life at Goshen College,” Wiktorowski said. “She is a very good student and we feel she will be a great fit for our program and help our young team immediately next year.”

Check back to this website for the most up-to-date recruiting information. To contact Steve Wiktorowski, call him at (574) 535-7492 or click here to send him an email.