Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Signs Six
November 19, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University women's basketball head coach Curt Miller has announced the signing of six student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Amber Flynn (Cincinnati, Ohio), Julie Gompers (Wheeling, W. Va.), Liz Honegger (Lafayette, Ind.), Carin Horne (Lima, Ohio), Kim Nowakowski (Butler, Pa.) and Meghan Thorburn (Mason, Mich.) will join the Falcons for the 2003-04 academic year.
All six players have received all-state honors of some kind, including three in multiple sports.
"This class has a chance to be a championship class," said Miller. "We have addressed many needs for our program with this class. The obvious help comes with increasing the height of our team. Rebounding has been a major weakness of the team since I took over but -- with five of the six recruits being 5-10 or taller -- we have addressed the need. It is an athletic class of recruits that will allow us to be a more up-tempo team in the future.
"We have targeted the Class of 2003 since my hiring, and felt that this class of recruits could help jump-start the Falcons back to the glory days of BGSU women's basketball. All six have great character on and off the floor, and it was a pleasure recruiting them and their families. Much of the credit has to go out to the assistant coaches for their tireless work with recruiting. Jennifer Roos, Brandi Poole and Kevin Eckert have passionately recruited this class, and their work was rewarded with this outstanding class of six seniors."
Flynn, a 6-0 forward, is a senior at North College Hill High School. She led her team to an 18-5 record last year, and had passed the 1,000-point mark by the end of her junior season. Flynn was rated as one of the top 35 senior power forwards in the nation by the All-Star Girls Report.
Flynn averaged 18 points per game for the Trojans of coach Joanna Sears last winter. This fall, she helped the NCHHS volleyball team to the school's first sectional and district championships in any girls sport, as the team went 23-1, losing in the regional semifinals. Flynn has earned first-team all-league honors in basketball, volleyball and softball during her first three years, and has won a league championship (high jump) in track as well.
"Amber is a powerful and explosive athlete," said Miller. "She has the versatility to play either post position -- the 'four' or the 'five.' Amber is a great rebounder and has good offensive instincts, and she has a chance to be an impact freshman for the Falcons."
Gompers, a 5-6 point guard, is a senior at Wheeling Park H.S. She led her team to a spot in the state tournament quarterfinals last year, averaging 15 points, 7.2 assists and 4.6 streals per game for the Patriots of coach Dee Davis. Gompers was rated the top senior point guard in the state of West Virginia by the All-Star Girls Report.
Gompers was a member of three West Virginia state soccer championship teams from her freshman through junior seasons. This fall, Gompers was a first-team all-state selection, and was named the Midfielder of the Year in the state of West Virginia.
"Julie is an outstanding point guard with great court vision," said Miller. "We targeted Julie as the point guard we wanted back in April. She has excellent quickness and has the ability to be a scoring point guard. Julie is a gym rat and is always looking for ways to improve her game."
Honegger is a 5-11 forward currently in her senior year at Jefferson H.S. She averaged a double-double for the Bronchos of coach Jeff Waldon last season, with 16.0 points and 12.3 rebounds. She also averaged 3.5 blocked shots per contest. Honegger had a 22-rebound game late last December, then pulled down 23 boards in an early February game.
Jefferson began the 2002-03 season by splitting a pair of games Saturday (Nov. 16). Honegger averaged 18.5 points, scoring 37 of the Bronchos' 81 total points in the two games. The All-Star Girls Report rated Honegger the fifth-best senior power forward in the state of Indiana and one of the top 150 power forwards in the country.
Honegger has had a pair of nationally-ranked high school track and field marks. Honegger, coached in that sport by her mother, Roberta Honegger, had a shot put of 42-feet-8 and a discus throw of 145-5 last year. She has earned all-conference honors in both basketball, soccer and track to date.
"Liz is a tremendous three-point shooter and will play either forward position for the Falcons," said Miller. "She is a powerful player that surprises people with her versatility. Liz was the first to verbally commit to the Falcons and started the ball rolling on this outstanding class."
Horne is a 5-10 forward at Lima Senior H.S. She averaged 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds last year as a junior. Horne shot nearly 38% from three-point range in making 27 treys last season.
Horne was an all-district selection a year ago for the Spartans of coach Ron Robinson.
"Carin already has a great college body and is a tremendous slashing athlete," said Miller. "She will impact our program at the 'three' position and will give us many match-up advantages at the offensive end of the floor. Carin is a sleeper to national recruiting experts, but the in-state coaches know we have signed a steal."
Nowakowski is a 6-1 forward/center from Butler H.S. She averaged 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Tornadoes as a junior for coach Jonna Burke, and enters her senior year with 678 points and 415 boards in her two-year career. Nowakowski was listed as one of the top-50 senior centers in the country by the All-Star Girls Report.
Nowakowski has played for the Pittsburgh Power AAU team as well. She helped that team, playing without one of its star players, to an 8-1 record and a fifth-place finish at the 184-team Junior National Championship Tournament in July of 2002.
"Kim is a great get for the Bowling Green program," said Miller. "She had an incredible summer for the nationally-known Pittsburgh Power team. Her stock rose through the roof with college coaches this summer because of her athletic ability in the post. Kim has a chance to be a special player -- her athleticism and work ethic point to a bright college future."
Thorburn is a 6-1 forward at Mason H.S. A two-time All-Capital Circuit League First-Team selection, she averaged 17 points, 8.7 rebounds and three steals as a junior while shooting 50 percent from the field and 44% from three-point range. This year, she is averaging 20 points and nine boards per contest.
Thorburn is rated as the 11th-best returning player in the state of Michigan by the Detroit Free Press. The All-Star Girls Report listed her as one of the top 35 senior wings in the country and the third-best senior wing in the state of Michigan. This past summer, Thorburn helped her club team, the Livingston Sting, to a state championship. In track and field, She had a high jump of five feet in the Michigan H.S. state meet as a sophomore.
"Meghan is the most highly touted and nationally recruited signee of our 2003 recruiting class," said Miller. "She is a versatile wing with good size, and will be an excellent replacement to All-MAC performer Francine Miller. Thorburn is an efficient scorer from the arc and driving to the basket. In our system, Thorburn will play anywhere from the 'two' through the 'four' positions. We are excited that Meghan chose us over outstanding programs in the Big Ten, SEC and Conference USA."
The Falcons will open the 2002-03 regular season by hosting Youngstown State on Friday (Nov. 22). Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
| Name | Ht. | Pos. | Hometown (High School) |
| Amber Flynn | 6-0 | F/C | Cincinnati, Ohio (North College Hill) |
| Julie Gompers | 5-6 | G | Wheeling, W. Va. (Wheeling Park) |
| Liz Honegger | 5-11 | F | Lafayette, Ind. (Jefferson) |
| Carin Horne | 5-10 | F | Lima, Ohio (Lima Senior) |
| Kim Nowakowski | 6-1 | F/C | Butler, Pa. (Butler) |
| Meghan Thorburn | 6-1 | F | Mason, Mich. (Mason) |
