In his final season as the Riverland women’s basketball coach last year, Tim Kjar led the team to a 9-11 record under the guidance of guard Mary Kuitters, arguably the conference’s top player.

Monday, November 15, 1999

In his final season as the Riverland women’s basketball coach last year, Tim Kjar led the team to a 9-11 record under the guidance of guard Mary Kuitters, arguably the conference’s top player.

Kjar’s teams were no longer the pushovers of the always tough Minnesota Community College Conference. His players were better; the records were slowly, but surely improving.

Now Kjar, who accepted another coaching job, and everything he worked for are gone.

"I know it took Tim a long time to get to that point," said Suzy Hebrink, the new coach who left her post as the Pacelli girls basketball coach in August to take the Riverland job, "but we’re almost starting over."

Her summer hiring meant she was far too late to recruit during the high school basketball season. So, Hebrink did her best scrambling act. What she came up with is a roster mix of returners, walk-ons and quick fixes.

The leading scorer in the team’s opener, Rachel Burzinski, was an Austin High soccer player this fall. The guard surrendered her remaining high school eligibility to play for the Blue Devils.

Anna Keefe, a sophomore low-post player who didn’t play because of a knee injury last season, and Renea Bebler, the team’s second leading scorer last season, give the Blue Devils a measure of stability.

But no Blue Devil is taller than 5 feet, 9 inches.

"I realize how small we are," Hebrink said. "We’re going to have to use our quickness and pressing."

For Hebrink and Co., the season will be a challenge to keep the team from sinking to its pre-Kjar level.

"So far it’s been real positive," Hebrink said. "I think we will gel as a team as the season wears on …

"We didn’t have time to fill the voids with recruiting this year. But I hope we can build."