March 5, 2007
Missouri Valley Conference Release and Complete Team in PDF Format
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NORMAL, Ill. - Three former Illinois State women's basketball players were named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team, which was released by the league office Monday. As it celebrates a century of excellence as the nation's second oldest NCAA Division I conference, the Valley is naming all-centennial teams for each of the league's sponsored sports.
Former Redbirds garnering recognition on the team included Cathy Boswell (1979-83), Cindy Kaufman (1987-91) and Jenny Schmidt (1995-99).
Boswell was a legendary guard that led her team to 90 wins in her career, along with an NCAA bid in 1983, a 15th place finish in the AIAW National Tournament in 1981, and two women's NIT bids in 1980 and 1982. The all-time leading scorer in Illinois State history, Boswell scored 2,005 career points, grabbed 1,054 rebounds, and holds six school records. The former WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) All-American was also a member of the 1984 women's Olympic gold medalist basketball team. Boswell was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997, and is one of just three players in ISU history (men or women) to have their jersey number retired and hang from the rafters of Redbird Arena.
Kaufman is one of Illinois State's 21 all-time 1,000 point scorers, amassing 1,684 points in her four year career, the second-highest mark in program history. She was a three-time Gateway Conference first-team honoree, and led the Redbirds to three postseason appearances, including the 1988-89 NCAA Tournament.
Schmidt was a three-time first-team MVC selection, is ISU's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,558 points), ranks third all-time with 249 steals and fourth all-time in career assists (522). Her 16.9 points per game average in the 1998-99 campaign ranks 10th all-time for a single-season effort, and her 13.9 career points per game mark is the seventh-best mark in program history. Schmidt also compiled a program second-best .823 free throw percentage in her career.
The list of women's basketball players recognized as the greatest to play in the league tops out at 35 student athletes, while an all-time greatest coach was also voted on. The team was determined through an on-line fan vote (www.mvc100.org), in-arena ballots and a centennial committee. More than 3,500 votes were cast for women's basketball, while all 10 schools had at least one representative on the team.
