Older and wiser. That describes the 1999-2000 edition of the Central Missouri State University Jennies.

After enduring the growing pains of youth a year ago, when 10 of the 13 players on the squad were either freshmen or sophomores, the Jennies of fifth-year Head Coach Scott Ballard are hoping that their collective baptism by fire will begin to pay dividends this season. It actually showed signs of paying off during the final month of last year when the Jennies were arguably one of the hottest teams in the MIAA, winning eight of their final 10 outings (including four against teams that were regionally ranked at the time) to advance to the semifinals of the MIAA Post-Season Tournament and finish with a 17-11 record.

The Jennies will still be young this season as there are no seniors and only three juniors on the squad, but they have a solid nucleus with eight letter-winners, including four starters, returning from last season. Leading the returnees are a trio of honorable-mention all-MIAA performers in sophomore guard Lori Nichols, junior guard-forward Marlies Ozias and junior forward Kelly Sutton.

Sutton paced the Jennies in scoring, rebounding and free-throw percentage and started every game last season, which was her first at CMSU following a year at the University of Evansville. Ozias, the only player on the squad who has seen more than one year of action in the MIAA, topped the Jennies in minutes played and assists and ranked second in scoring, while Nichols, who missed a majority of preseason practice and was hampered for much of the campaign by a hamstring injury, was a catalyst of CMSU’s late-season surge as she was the team’s top scorer in conference play and finished third on the squad in scoring overall.

Five other sophomores also return, including four with starting experience: guard Molly Knobbe, forward Michelle Fouse and centers Nicole Cassmeyer and Katie Vaske. Vaske returns as the starter at center and was the Jennies’ second-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer last season, despite missing nine mid-season games with a stress fracture, while Cassmeyer, who made six starts while Vaske was injured, should give the Jennies a solid back-up in the post. Knobbe began last season as the starter at point guard and led the team in three-point field-goal percentage, but was sidelined for seven outings with a stress fracture, while Fouse, who started 23 of the team’s first 24 games before giving way to senior Amy Price, topped the Jennies in steals. Also back is sophomore forward Ashley Lawrence, who provided some steady play off the bench last season.

This year’s recruiting class is not quite as big as last season’s, but nonetheless solid. Junior forward Blanche Tucker, a product of Odessa (Texas)College, is the lone transfer of the group and should give the Jennies added speed and quickness at the wing position. The rest are freshmen and include Mandy Allen of Jefferson City (Mo.)High School, Stacy Butterworth of Monett (Mo.)High School, Callie Newton of Republic (Mo.) High School and Carlonda Pettiford of Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind. Like Tucker, Pettiford and Newton should see extensive action, while Butterworth and Allen are walk-ons and should provide additional depth.

Returning Starters (4)

Lori Nichols • G, 5-7, So., Nevada, Mo., 24 GP/16 GS, 10.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 34 3-pt. fgm (led team), honorable-mention all-MIAA

Marlies Ozias • G-F, 5-8, Jr., Centerview, Mo., 28 GP/26 GS, 11.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.5 apg (led team), honorable-mention all-MIAA

Kelly Sutton • F, 5-10, Jr., St. Louis, Mo., 28 GP/28 GS, 13.7 ppg (led team), 6.7 rpg (led team), .859 ft% (led team), honorable-mention all-MIAA

Katie Vaske • C, 6-1, So., Bancroft, Iowa, 19 GP/19 GS, 8.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.7 bspg (led team)

Starters Lost (1)

Amy Price • G, 5-7, Sr., Lebo, Kan., 22 GP/6 GS, 3.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg

Other Returnees (4)

Nicole Cassmeyer • C, 6-1, So., Jefferson City, Mo., 27 GP/6 GS, 3.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, .525 fg%

Michelle Fouse • F, 5-10, So., Kansas City, Kan., 27 GP/23 GS, 8.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 spg (led team)

Molly Knobbe • G, 5-5, So., Cimarron, Kan., 20 GP/13 GS, 7.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, .455 3-pt. fg% (led team)

Ashley Lawrence • F, 6-0, So., Farmington, Ark., 26 GP/0 GS, 3.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, .561 fg% (led team)

Other Letter-Winners Lost (1)

Jenny Higgerson • C, 5-11, Sr., Sparta, Ill., 25 GP/3 GS, 3.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg

Newcomers (5)

Mandy Allen • F, 5-11, Fr., High Point, Mo. [Jefferson City (Mo.)H.S.]

Stacy Butterworth • F, 5-10, Fr., Monett, Mo. (Monett H.S.)

Callie Newton • F-C, 6-0, Fr., Republic, Mo. (Republic H.S.)

Carlonda Pettiford • G, 5-8, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence Central H.S.)