Wayne State College head women's basketball coach Chris Kielsmeier, assistant coach Kelly Kielsmeier and senior players Paige Ballinger and Maggie Schulte will travel to Brazil next month and represent the United States as part of the USA D-2 Basketball Team Tour to Brazil.
            The team is comprised of 10 Division II basketball players from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), representing eight different colleges and seven states.  Chris Kielsmeier will serve as head coach of the select team and assisted by Wildcat assistant coach Kelly Kielsmeier.
            The tour starts July 31 and runs through August 9 with the team playing four games over a span of six days.  The first two games are in Jundiai with the final two games in Rio de Janiero.  The team will depart July 31 and fly to Orlando and Washington, D.C. before heading overseas to Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Players and coaches will return to the states on August 9^th. 
            While in Brazil, the team and coaches will also be involved in educational and social events on the trip that include visits to Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the International Market in Ipanema and the Christ the Redeemer Statue along with venues that hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics last year.
            Games will be played starting Wednesday, August 2 and Thursday, August 3^rd in Jundiai with the final two games August 5^th (Saturday) and 7^th (Monday) in Rio de Janiero. More details about game times, opponent and location will be posted on www.wscwildcats.com.  Daily blogs from Ballinger and Schulte will also be available on the Wildcats athletic website during the trip to share their experiences.
            Wildcat head coach Chris Kielsmeier remarked, "This fall I will be starting my 20^th season of coaching and throughout all of those years I have never had this kind of opportunity.  It is such a great honor to coach this extremely talented team and represent Wayne State College and the United States.  This will be a trip that we will all remember for the rest of our lives."
            USA Sports Tours and Events based in Lake Mary, Florida organizes and coordinates the games and events that the players and coaches will be involved with on the USA D-2 Basketball Brazil Tour. 
            "I'm really excited to be able to travel and play the game I love," said Wildcat senior center Paige Ballinger.  "Basketball has provided me with many awesome opportunities in my life and this is definitely at the top of the list.  I can't wait to share this experience with my coaches and friend/teammate."
            Wildcat senior forward Maggie Schulte said, "It's an honor to be able to represent WSC and USA at an international level."  She added, "Basketball is one of my true passions, so having the opportunity to experience a different country at the same time adds to my excitement even more."
 
2017 USA D-2 Women's Basketball Team – Brazil Tour
Paige Ballinger                        Wayne State
Chelsey Henry                           Missouri Southern
Paige Imhoff                             Pittsburg State
Brenlee McPherson                   Pittsburg State
Tanya Meyer                             Northwest Missouri State
Paige Redmond                        Central Missouri
Miranda Ristau                          Northern State
Maggie Schulte                        Wayne State
Cassidy Thorson                       MSU Moorhead
Jacky Volkert                            MSU Moorhead