GAMBIER, Ohio — With Tuesday’s release of the 2024 NCAA Division III women’s basketball Academic All-District team, selected by members of College Sports Communicators (CSC), the Kenyon College Owls learned of four honorees. That quartet included senior Claudia Cooke, and sophomores Anissa Hardy, Grace Murphy and Mikayla Rudolph.

To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete had to be a key contributor who participated in at least 90 percent of the team’s competitions or started 66 percent of those competitions. The student-athlete had to be on the team’s active roster for at least two years and, most importantly, had to possess a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50.

Each NCAA Division III institution was allotted a maximum of four nominations.

Cooke, a chemistry major, was the Owls’ top player throughout the 2023-24 campaign. She started all 26 games and led the team in points (15.4 ppg) and rebounds (8.0 rpg). Those averages ranked second and third, respectively, among all players in the North Coast Athletic…

CLEVELAND, Ohio — On Wednesday, the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) released its annual women’s basketball All-NCAC teams, and Kenyon College’s Claudia Cooke collected all-conference recognition. The senior secured a spot on the All-NCAC Second Team, her first all-league laurels.

Cooke was a consistent and significant contributor throughout the season, and she was the only Owls player to start all 26 of the team’s games. Her per-game averages of 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds paced the squad and rank second and fifth, respectively, amongst NCAC players. She also led Kenyon in shooting percentage at 48.6 percent, the conference’s sixth-best mark, and in free throws made and attempted, going 113-for-152 at the charity stripe. Her free throw totals rank second in the league, and her 74.3 percent clip is the eighth highest amongst qualified players. Additionally, the center ranked second on the Owls in total minutes (727), blocks (35), and steals (15). Her 1.3 blocks per game were a career-high that ranks fourth in the NCAC.

Over her stellar senior season, Cooke scored in double figures in 21 of 26 games, notched five…

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The No. 7 seed Kenyon College women’s basketball team traveled to Springfield, Ohio on Tuesday night for the opening round of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament against the No. 2 seed Wittenberg University Tigers. 

Despite a solid start on both sides of the ball led by senior center Claudia Cooke, the Owls could not sustain the effort outside of the game’s opening minutes, eventually falling 80-39.

To open the contest, the Owls came out with a spark that was headed up by the team’s leading scorer in her final game for Kenyon (3-23, 1-13 NCAC). Cooke scored four straight points on two turnaround layups and grabbed an offensive rebound on the next possession to find Raine Hammel, who drained a three to put Kenyon ahead 7-0 with six minutes to play in the first. 

After the early lead, Wittenberg (19-6, 11-3 NCAC), currently ranked second in offense and fourth in defense in the NCAC, lived up to its conference ranking and rattled off an 11-2 run to put the Tigers ahead for the first time. Later in the quarter, Cooke carved up the defense and drew a…

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) is celebrating its 40th playing season by selecting All-Decade teams in all 23 championship sports. The league released its 40th Anniversary Women’s Basketball All-Decade Team on Monday, and Kenyon’s Maureen Hirt ’14 and Paige Matijasich ’20 were amongst the student-athlete honorees.

Student-athletes that competed in the NCAC between the 2013-14 and the 2022-23 seasons who earned Player of the Year honors, or who earned a minimum of three All-NCAC first-team nods during this time were named to the team. Hirt and Matijasich are two of a dozen women’s basketball student-athletes who earned a spot on the All-Decade team for their outstanding accomplishments on the court.

Hirt competed for Kenyon from the 2010-11 season through the 2013-14 campaign, and her stellar senior season secured her a spot on the All-Decade squad. Only All-Conference laurels earned between the All-Decade seasons are considered for inclusion, but Hirt still earned recognition after winning the…

GAMBIER, Ohio – After closing out the regular season on Saturday against Hiram College, the Kenyon College women’s basketball team will travel to Springfield, Ohio to take on the Wittenberg University Tigers in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament’s quarterfinal round. The playoff matchup will take place on Tuesday, February 20 at 8:00 pm. 

Historically, the Owls have kept it tight with the Tigers, earning a 16-17 record since 2010 against the conference foe. However, Kenyon has struggled of late, dropping eight straight against Wittenberg, including a 81-37 loss on January 6 and a 71-46 loss on January 27 of this season.



The Owls will look to top the second-seeded Tigers after coming in as the seventh seed in the NCAC postseason bracket. Kenyon compiled a 3-22 overall record during the 2023-24 campaign and garnered a 1-13 record in the conference. After rattling off back-to-back wins in November against Defiance College and Earlham College, the Owls would go on a dry spell until topping the College of Wooster, 63-44, in January. 



Wittenberg earned the right to host the quarterfinal matchup after earning a share…

GAMBIER, Ohio — Before the Kenyon College women’s basketball team took the court for its regular-season finale against Hiram College, the squad celebrated a pair of Owls on Senior Day. Claudia Cooke and Lauryn Rauschenberger were recognized before tipoff, kicking off an exciting atmosphere in Tomsich Arena. Cooke led the team in scoring, and the Owls were on…

GRANVILLE, Ohio — Claudia Cooke continued her impressive week with a second straight game with 20-plus points, but her big game could not lead Kenyon College past the Denison University Big Red. The home team blitzed the Owls in the first half, and Kenyon’s second-half surge was not enough to overcome the early deficit in a 72-37 Denison win.

The victory boosted Denison’s record…

DELAWARE, Ohio — Kenyon College’s Claudia Cooke had her way with Ohio Wesleyan University on Wednesday night, but the Battling Bishops bested the Owls by a score of 76-34. The victory clinched a sweep of the series for OWU, who defended their home court.

Cooke led the Owls with a game-high 20-point outing, scoring six points in three of four quarters. The output…

WOOSTER, Ohio – The Kenyon College women’s basketball team made the short trip north to take on The College of Wooster Fighting Scots on Saturday afternoon in a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) matchup. 

Despite having season-high marks in multiple shooting categories, costly turnovers and defensive struggles to open and close the game held…

GAMBIER, Ohio — Claudia Cooke registered game-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds Wednesday night at Tomsich Arena. Her efforts alone, however, were not enough for the Kenyon College women’s basketball team to avoid a 69-38 loss to the visiting Oberlin College Yeowomen.

Cooke was 7-of-13 from the floor and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line. Her point…