2024 Awards:
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The Ladyjay basketball program is rich in winning tradition. Year in and year out, it has been one of the most robust programs in the competitive Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC). The Ladyjays have qualified for the Region XIII tournament for the last seventeen years and have played in the Region Championship for eleven of those years.
The Ladyjays ended their 2023-2024 basketball season with an impressive season record of 26-7, crowned Region 13B Champions, and seeded #1 going into the National Tournament. Highlighted by a remarkable 12-game winning streak and triumphs in 15 of their last 16 games. The Ladyjays celebrated a historic win at the National Championship in Rochester, MN. Motivated by their bitter loss in the previous year's championship game against Rochester Community & Technical College (RCTC), they sought redemption and secured a title victory over RCTC in a rematch, triumphing 76-60.
Sophomore guard Olivia Hayenga was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Additionally, sophomores Audrey Drapeau and Hattie DeVries were honored with a spot on the all-tournament team. Coach Moz Hayenga-Hostikka received the Coach of the Tournament award for her leadership.
The 2022-2023 was a season for the ages, as the Ladyjays won 30 games and played in the NJCAA National Championship game finishing as the National Runner Up. This team set many Ladyjay records and most impressively also finished as the #4 team in the entire nation in team GPA! All nine of the Ladyjays made the MCAC All-Academic team and four Ladyjays made the NJCAA All-American Academic team. There were also four Ladyjays that received All-MCAC honors, All-Region honors, and the Ladyjays also had the 2023 NJCAA National Player of the year.
In 2021-2022 the Ladyjays won the Region XIIIB Championship and gained an appearance at the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament They lost a heartbreaker in the semifinal game to go to the National Championship. The team finished 4th in the nation.
In 2017-2028 the Ladyjays boasted a 23-6 record, earning themselves a Southern Division Championship and the opportunity to host the Region XIII tournament, and in 2014-2015 they Ladyjays also won the Region XIIIA Championship and appeared at the NJCAA National Tournament in Bethlehem, PA, placing 6th. Numerous players from the program have gone on to play at the NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA levels.
