Two years removed from a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament and a runner-up finish, the 1996-97 SC4’s women’s basketball team enjoyed a special season.

And the Skippers pulled it off with a group of talented student-athletes from around the Blue Water Area.

The Skippers went 13-1 to win the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Eastern Conference and 22-10 overall.

SC4 opened the state tournament with an 89-88 victory over Glen Oaks in the semifinals. The Skippers captured the state title with a 79-67 victory against Lansing CC.

The Skippers’ bid for a regional title came up short with a 71-60 loss to Lansing Michigan College in the regionals.

“Playing basketball at SC4 was a great opportunity to further my education while also being able to continue competitively playing a sport that I grew up loving,” Val Durand said. “We were fortunate to have a close team of girls that enjoyed spending time together both on and off the court.”

The Skippers were coached by Chris Huss. Assisting Huss was Sandusky graduate Carrie (Hickson) Lohr. The Skippers’ backcourt was anchored by Yale graduate Kelly Falter, who was a First-Team All-Conference, All-State and All-Region selection. St. Clair grad Rachelle Baysinger and Traci Robinson of Capac earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors, while Georgette Kollmorgen, a St. Clair grad, landed Second-Team honors. Rounding out the roster were guards Erica Sopha, Jamie Ball and Jill Riedel, along with Durand, Lenora Becker, Erin Snyder and Carrie Robinet in the front line.

“The 1996-97 Lady Skippers basketball team was a special group of local talent,” Huss said. “We had a great combination of speed and depth.”

“The chemistry and teamwork transpired into a championship team.”