Jersey

Number

Advice Get your 1000 foul shots in before the season starts.  Be early for everything, treat your teammates special,

communication works best in person, and know that young girls in this community look up to you so act accordingly.

Favorite memory when athletes come in to visit during their frees.

2002 - Kelly Hooge (LaPolla)

Houghton College (undergrad); St. John Fisher (graduate)

I stay home part-time with our two little boys and substitute teach part-time.  We are pregnant with our third due in April. :)

Make every second count by giving it your all whether it's in practice or in a game.  Always play as if it's your last game.  (You will miss playing when it's over!)

20

2002 - Kym Whatley (Banks)

St. John Fisher College

Currently a 5th grade teacher living in Germany with my active duty Army husband. Have two little boys 6 and 2 yrs old.

I learned a lot during my one year under coach vogt just about taking advantage of every opportunity and honoring the moments that count on and off the court. Its easy to take things for granted and lose focus bc you think you have time. Then one day its all a memory!

30

University of Rochester, 2006 (BS Biomedical Engineering) – played lacrosse

University of Pittsburgh, 2011 (PhD Bioengineering)

Johns Hopkins University, 2016 (MS Regulatory Science)

Here are some things I try to instill in my teams that can be applied to athletics and life.

1. If it seems too good to be true, it is - there is no substitute for hard work and preparation is the key to success in any situation.
2. Be kind to each other – you never know what someone else is going through.
3. Step outside of your comfort zone – that is where the magic happens.
4. Important and meaningful communication is best made in person.
5. Embrace your mistakes, just don’t repeat them.
6. Everything online can be made public.
7. Take advantage of the opportunities presented to you.
8. Respect is earned.
9. Never stop learning.
10. The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves

Monroe Community College and

Syracuse University- Undergraduate and Graduate School

Advice:

- Have fun and enjoy your time together

- Support your teammates

- Be grateful for the opportunity you have to play for a great program

2004 - Jackie LeBlanc

Marist College

I  am an Account Manager in the Sales Department at Fox News in NYC

Basketball taught me discipline and proved that hard work can pay off. I know sometimes people say women's sports aren't as exciting to watch as men's, but when we had a bigger crowd than the boys varsity team that was my highlight. Miss those days-enjoy every minute!

12

2004 - Danielle (Graunke) Bittenbender

Southern New Hampshire university and then to West Virginia university

Right now I am working in wv as an addiction therapist.  I'm married to Jason and we had our baby.  A healthy baby boy: levi richard.

My advice would be to never stop remembering how fun the sport is and never look at it as a job (especially in college)..  I heard from Mary Doyle who is wearing number 20 this year. She told me Coach Vogt has nice things to say about me so I just wanted to say thank you!  I can easily reciprocate and say nothing but good things about Coach Vogt.

20

2004 - Allison McAndrew

Williams College

Standup comedian in San Francisco

Learned from Sarah Mutch '03 that making people feel welcome and appreciated is one of the most important parts of being on a team.

30

2004 - Meaghan Harris

St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY (2008 Grad with B.A. in Government and French and minor in history)

Licensed attorney in MA, and working as a Tax Examiner for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue Bankruptcy Unit

Hard work pays off.  And great memories of the pre-game hangouts we had at everyone's house.  I remember parents always had a huge spread (we'd normally eat only a little bit), and we'd play catch phrase and just have some laughs.

34! (Meghan Bruce-Kumar wore it before me, and Niky Shattuck wore it after)

2006 - Kayleigh Duda

U of R undergrad, NYU master's

Recently married, house in Penfield, new puppy

Respect your teammates and coach, support your teammates and coach, and challenge your teammates and coach... i'm sure i have more advice, but it's hard to think of! but, I will say that every single skill I learned while playing Penfield basketball has come in use in both my personal and professional life. I learned more by being a part of that team then I ever thought possible.

14

2007 - Martha Silverman

SUNY Brockport

Full time teacher for middle school PE in gates chili. Also, the assistant JV and varsity coach for basketball and softball.

Be sure to look yourself in the mirror after each practice and game and ask yourself if you gave 100% and left everything out on the court?  Also, take it the extra degree and 212!  And lots of fun memories of hang outs and trips to San Diego.

53

There are so many memories from my time in the program but to select just a couple I would say first, I remember my first few years watching my role models, Ashley McMillen, Jackie LeBlanc (go #12), Jamie Malloy, Kayleigh Duda and others and wanting to be just like them on and off the court. They gave me the first taste of what it's like to be a part of Penfield Basketball and as a player I tried to emulate what I learned from them and strived to be a role model to younger players in the program, just like they were for me.

Second, the best memory I have is winning the 2008 Section V Championship. Being a part of the first team in school history to achieve that feat is something I will never forget. We were a TEAM in every sense of the word and the memories made with that special group of girls will stick with me forever.

I think the biggest piece of advice I could give to future players is to take pride in the name on the front of your jersey because it carries a lot of meaning thanks to all of the players who have come before you who worked hard to make Penfield Basketball mean something, not just to the Penfield community, but to the Rochester area and the state as a whole.

2009 - Lacey Coppage

Marist College

I am now in my second year of law school at William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia

Work as hard as you possibly can and when you think you have nothing else to give, think again. Penfield Basketball taught me that my potential is always increasing

#33(home)/ #23(away)

2011 - Laura McNamara

University of Rochester

Senior year at UR. Plan on attending medical school next fall.

Preparation is everything. Whether it's for a game, an interview, or a test, you need to put in the time and effort to adequately prepare yourself and to increase your chances for success.

24

Advice: I can honestly say that my experience playing for the team has helped shaped me into the person I am today. My advice to you future players is to firstly, never take anything personally, and to give all that you can, not for yourself, but for your team. Remember each time you put on that Penfield jersey that you are apart of something much greater than yourself. One of the most important lessons I learned through Coach Vogt and my teammates, is to always live in the moment, and have no regrets. Do not dwell on the mistakes that you make in practice, games, or in life; what truly matters is what you are willing to do in this present moment. And lastly-- apply the ten-minutes-early rule to every area of your life.

Memories: When Coach would hop in 11-man with us, team sleepovers at the Nesselbush clan's making a team parody video, and pre-game rap battles with Hannah Sumey. Oh-- and seeing Katie Kayes sink a half court shot at the buzzer against one of our biggest rivals my senior year, Irondequoit.

2012 - Izzy Simone

Currently a junior at SUNY Fredonia

Majoring in Communication with a focus in Video Production. Member of the Fredonia Softball team.

Advice for team managers: Invest in your own clipboard and always have a spare pencil. Also, help coach fill up the water cups before the game but let him actually fill the cups, it's his thing.

0

My advice to future basketball players is to always give 100%. There are no shortcuts. Do not take anything for granted because it’s over before you know it. Playing on Penfield Varsity will always be one of the best experiences of my life. 

2013 - Alicia Flanagan

SUNY Cortland

I am trying to get my major in adolescent education while trying to obtain a minor in Spanish

 I learned that it is an honor to play Penfield Varsity Basketball. Never take anything for granted. People would love to be able to wear Penfield across their chest. Always work hard and your time will come. Every person on the team plays an important role. It is a team effort. You win as a team, you lose as a team. Penfield Varsity Basketball will always hold a special place in my heart.

20

2013 - Katie Kayes

Mercyhurst university

Senior year majoring in Intelligence Studies with dual minors in Law Enforcement and Arabic and Islamic Studies. Currently interning for Thomson Reuters (Special Services), who I was with this past summer in Virginia, and hoping it turns into a job offer upon graduation.

Being apart of the penfield program is a privilege, you get what you give, and giving everything is what is best for your team and your community

22

2013 - Margaret Fitzpatrick

Daemen College

Physical Therapy major

The greatest lesson I learned from playing Penfield Basketball is that some learn by watching, some learn by doing and some learn by teaching, but the best learn from doing all three.  Therefore listen intently, practice harder than you think is possible and don't be afraid to share your knowledge

31

2013 - Michelle Nesselbush

Harvard College

Graduated with degree in Applied Mathematics with an application in Statistics, played Lacrosse at Harvard. Working at Oliver Wyman Consulting, with office based in New York City.

The best memory I have from playing Penfield Varsity Basketball is the night we played Gates in sectional finals. It is not as much about winning, but rather remembering all of the fans that came all that way to support us. I know everything I am saying is super cliché but that doesn’t make it any less true: Women’s Penfield Basketball is not a team, but a community.

42

2014 - Jill Vacanti

Duquesne University

Attending school and playing lacrosse

Being a part of the basketball family definitely taught me a lot of good tips for life in general. Especially about being on time and making a good example for those who might look up to you. Wearing the Penfield girls basketball name is something to be proud of.

Manager

Syracuse

University

Lemoyne

communications and marketing major

don’t wish any of your basketball career away. Penfield is a great school to be a part of and the basketball program is an even greater thing to be a part of. Enjoy every second of it.

University at Buffalo

Health and Human Services

Lift up your teammates and celebrate each other’s success. You will have a better experience if you put your teammates ahead of yourself.

Cornell University

Biometry & Statistics And Information Science

2017 -

Clare Burdick

Chelsea Hamilton

Gannon University

Physician Assistant Major

Manager

Lafayette College

Engineering undecided

Margaret Bassney

Smith College

Statistics and data science

2018 - Shannon Sedita

Ithaca College

Occupational Therapy with a minor in Deaf Studies

Manager