Chris' Story on Katie & Kristal Jersey Retirement

[Sly Fox]

Liberty honors Feenstra, Tharp

Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
December 17, 2005

Katie Feenstra and Kristal Tharp were the smiling faces behind Liberty University’s run to last year’s NCAA tournament regional semifinals. It was only fitting that the two joined the Liberty University athletics Hall of Fame together.

College roommates and best friends, Feenstra and Tharp were inducted to the hall at halftime of Liberty’s game with SMU Friday night to a rousing ovation from an appreciative Vines Center crowd.

“It really means a lot to be able to share it with her,” Feenstra said.

Liberty chancellor The Rev.

Jerry Falwell and LU coach Carey Green presented the two with glass plaques at midcourt.

“It feels great to be known for working hard and achieving your goals, and all that goes along with being inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Feenstra said.

“It’s something that we’ll remember forever.”

Feenstra led the Flames last season with 17.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Tharp was right behind her, scoring 11.6 points and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per contest. Each played key roles in leading Liberty to NCAA tournament upsets of Penn State and DePaul in College Park, Md., last March. The run ended with a loss to LSU in regional semifinals.

Feenstra finished her career as Liberty’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,843 points, 311 behind all-time leader Elena Kisseleva (1996-2000). Tharp finished seventh on the all-time list with 1,161 points.

www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768775994&path=!sports

[Sly Fox]

Here's the writeup from the fishwrap in Kristal's hometown (and many of my relatives coincidentally):

Liberty Hall calls on Tharp, Feenstra

By MICHAEL S. JOHNSON
Gazette Sports Editor

Kristal Tharp and Katie Feenstra have been good friends ever since the two first stepped on the hardwood at Liberty University.

The two played high school basketball more than 600 miles apart from each other. Tharp enjoyed a stellar career at Zane Trace, while Feenstra was a prep phenom in Grand Rapids, Mich. Both helped guide Liberty to last season's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

Now, they'll be forever linked in Liberty women's basketball lore as the two were inducted to the Flames' Womens Basketball Hall of Fame last week.

Tharp and Feenstra were college roomates and best friends, so it was only fitting the two joined the school's hall of fame together.
"It really means a lot to be able to share it with her," Feenstra told the News and Advance of Lynchburg, Va.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, and Flames coach Carey Green presented the two with glass plaques at at halftime of Liberty's game against Southern Methodist.

"It feels great to be known for working hard and achieving your goals, and all that goes along with being inducted into the Hall of Fame," Feenstra said. "It's something that we'll remember forever."

Feenstra led the Flames last season with 17.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Tharp was right behind, scoring 11.6 points and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per contest. Each played key roles in leading Liberty to NCAA tournament upsets of Penn State and DePaul in College Park, Md., last March. The run ended with a loss to LSU in regional semifinals.

Feenstra finished her career as Liberty's second all-time leading scorer with 1,843 points, 311 behind all-time leader Elena Kisseleva (1996-2000). Tharp finished seventh on the all-time list with 1,161 points.

Feenstra went on to become the No. 8 pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft, going to the San Antonia Silver Stars.

Feenstra rrecently told WNBA.com her most influential role model in basketball was her best friend.

"Kristal Tharp. She was a teammate of mine," she said. "She always gave 100 percent in every practice and strived to get better. She always finished every sprint first and gave all the glory to God. Because of her hard work in practice, she made the team work hard, too."

Tharp, who was unavailable for comment Tuesday, decided to leave basketball and pursue a career in veterinary medicine, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather at The Ohio State University.

Tharp excelled on and off the court. She finished her career at Liberty as one of the most prolific shooters in school history, ranking in the top 10 in career scoring and 3-point field goal percentage, while becoming just the 10th Lady Flame to join the 1,000-point club, which she did midway through her senior season.

In the classroom, Tharp was a two-time academic All-American and Big South Scholar-Athlete of the year.

During her four-year career, Tharp helped lead the Flames to 100 victories, an all-time school record in a four-year span.


(Johnson can be reached at 772-9361 or via e-mail at [e-mail])

www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051221/SPORTS/512210331/1006

Sorry, medic ... no pics with the story on Kristal.

[thesportscritic]

They both definitely deserve the honors. They did a lot for the Women's Basketball team over the last 4 years including our "Sweet 16" run through the NCAA's back in March.