Lehigh women’s basketball class of 2020 to feature four players

The Lehigh women’s basketball team announced its incoming class of 2020, made up of four women coming from different states across the country.

These four student athletes have dedicated themselves to their studies as well as basketball, with three of them leading their teams to state championships. Lehigh coach Sue Troyan said the class of 2020 is a committed group of girls who will excel in the classroom as well as on the court.

“We are really looking forward to these girls coming in,” junior point guard Kayla Burton said. “We need everyone, and I look forward to having each person back here for the fall, all together ready to go.”

Gena Grundhoffer is from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, and assisted her high school team in winning two state championships throughout her career. A 6-foot-1 forward, Grundhoffer earned MVP for her efforts in the state tournament in her 2016 season. In addition, she set a record for points scored in a game and points scored in a tournament.

Coming from Montgomery, New Jersey, Cameryn Benz also excelled on the court in high school. She holds the title of leading scorer and rebounder at her high school, and she earned all-area and all-conference honors throughout her career. She was named Player of the Year in her 2015 season.

In her 2016 season, forward/guard Camryn Buhr helped her team win its first state championship. Buhr, from Mishawaka, Indiana, has earned state honors three times in her high school career.

The last to join the class of 2020 is point guard Hannah Hedstrom from Minnetonka, Minnesota. Like Grundhoffer and Buhr, Hedstrom helped lead her high school team to a state championship in her senior season. Hedstrom has earned an all-conference honoree recognition three times, and her high school team was nationally ranked by ESPN.

Not only will the four girls fit in with the competitive environment surrounding Lehigh athletics, but they will also be challenged in the classroom — a challenge Troyan thinks they will be able to handle.

In high school, all four student athletes were on the honor roll at their respective schools.

Some of the athletes also earned other academic honors. Along with being on honor roll, Grundhoffer was a part of the National Honor Society at her high school. Benz was also a part of the National Honor Society as well as being on honor roll for all four years in high school.

Just like Grundhoffer and Benz, Buhr was on honor roll at her school for all four years. Hedstrom graduated high school with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. She is a National AP Scholar and remained on honor roll throughout her high school career as well.

The team is looking forward to meeting the incoming freshmen and are eager to form relationships with the four new players to prepare for the upcoming season. Losing four graduating seniors — Kerry Kinek, Elizabeth Sharlow, Elizabeth Jordan and Amina Affini — the team members are ready to bring in four new players to the Lehigh women’s basketball family.

“This postseason, our team had really worked hard both on and off the court to come closer together and kind of focus on the areas where we need to improve on,” Burton said. “You can already see the changes, and I’m excited to have just a whole new addition of girls who are willing to buy into what we are trying to accomplish. Honestly, they will be a huge part of winning a championship.”