MARION, Ind. -- The Indiana Wesleyan University women's basketball team is the new No. 1 of No. 1-rankings.
Indiana Wesleyan is ranked No. 1 in the NAIA Division II polls for the sixth consecutive week and for the 20th time in program history. Indiana Wesleyan surpasses Morningside (Iowa) College for the all-time record of weeks spent at the No. 1 spot. Hastings (Neb.) College is third all-time spending 13 weeks at the top of the poll.
"The reason the program has experienced the success and the longevity has been the quality of the young ladies in the program," said Indiana Wesleyan head coach Steve Brooks, who has been at the helm of every week spent at the top of the poll. "The strength of our program is the kids that Indiana Wesleyan University has attracted to the program. I think the quality of the kids has really been the absolute reason we have been able to accomplish what we have accomplished."
The 20 No. 1-rankings have all come since the 2005-06 season. The Wildcats were ranked in the top spot four times in the 2005-06 season which led into the historic 2006-07 season. IWU was ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll and gained the No. 1-ranking in the first regular season poll and never let it go. The 2006-07 team held the No. 1-ranking for 10 polls en route to a 38-0 season and becoming the first undefeated NAIA DII women's basketball national champion.
Brooks understands that besides the high quality girls that he recruits that he needs high caliber coaches on staff to sustain the success.
"I've been blessed in the 13 years that I've been here to be surrounded by quality people," said Brooks. "The assistant coaches, people who really, really care about Indiana Wesleyan, who really care about the program, and have put their own personal touch on it. You think about Coach Sue Jackson who was here for nine years and was an IWU alum. She gave sacrificially of her time to help make the program what it is. There's Nathan Bellman who is now the head coach at Ohio Dominican. He came in and was a relentless recruiter. Then you follow that up with Bill Dobrik who was also a relentless recruiter. And now we have Brent Bellinger in that role."
"But we also have alums that help out. Keri (Hosier) Barcomb is back and is a valuable asset. Kat Spitler is another kid who was an integral part in all of this. They love Indiana Wesleyan and have an idea about the program, an idea what it means to be a part of the team and the demands that the kids face from the sports side of it but also academically. That's probably where the testimony lies in the chance for us to be successful."
Indiana Wesleyan is the unanimous No. 1 selection again this week with all 13 first place votes. It's the sixth straight poll that IWU is the unanimous No. 1 team. Briar Cliff (Iowa) College, Davenport (Mich.) University, College of the Ozarks (Mo.), and Concordia (Neb.) University round out this week's top-five, respectively.
Brooks knows the extra attention to the new record can bring both good and bad along with it.
"It makes the target a lot bigger which is a good problem to have," added Brooks. "I would also like to think we can use it from a recruiting standpoint. We can say we have a quality product here, something you should be interested in and at least look at. If we can get a kid to come look here the percentages really rise because Indiana Wesleyan sells itself."
Indiana Wesleyan will get back on the court with a pair of road games this week. IWU travels to No. 18-ranked Grace (Ind.) College on Wednesday night in Winona Lake, Indiana and then on Saturday travel to Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) University in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
CLICK HERE for the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top-25 Poll
