Concordia University juniors guards Whitney Stichka and Melissa Tinkham has been named NAIA Div. II All-Americans after stellar 2008 seasons. Stichka was named to the second team while Tinkham was selected as an Honorable Mention. Stichka, a Ruskin, Neb. native, led the Bulldogs in scoring and assists for the season. Stichka scored a career high 538 points during the 2008 season, eclipsing the 1,000 career scoring mark on February 10, 2008. "Whitney had an amazing year," said head coach Drew Olson. "There were multiple times this year when if Whitney doesn't have an amazing game we would have lost. She makes all of her team mates better." Along with averaging 16.81 points per game during the season Stichka also led the Bulldogs with 92 assists on the season.
Stichka, a senior academically still has one year of eligibility after sitting out her freshman season with a knee injury, was also named a NAIA Scholar Athlete for her work in the classroom as a Journalism and Communication Major.
Tinkham, a Kearney, Neb. product was the sharp shooter from the outside for the Bulldogs. For the season Tinkham hit on 90-of-293 three-point attempts. "There is a reason we call her (Tinkham) Mrs. Big Shot, if we needed one she came up big for us this year," Coach Olson said. "She is the most aggressive offensive players I have coached. Melissa has a competitive tenacity to be successful and it shows."
Tinkham was second in scoring for the Bulldogs behind Stichka, averaging 15.8 points per game while also leading the Concordia defense with 80 steals on the season.
The Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 26-7 (13-6) after being eliminated from the NAIA Div. II National Women's Basketball Tournament by the College of the Ozarks (Mo.). Of the Bulldogs seven losses, five came from teams participating in the final four of the national tournament.