Women's Basketball | 2/9/2015 11:45:00 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Emily Zadny, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Feb. 9, 2015 - Those who have attended women's basketball games at North Central College this season have heard the name "Tess Godhardt" countless times. With her energy on the court and her vivacious style of play, she's hard to miss.
 
"If you ask a lot of people who know me, they'll tell you that I'm usually a pretty quiet person outside of basketball," said the senior. "I don't really like to talk too much and I just chime in when I think there's something important to say. I'm the complete opposite on the court. I will yell and cheer about every good thing that happens."
 
A native of Hinckley, Illinois, Godhardt came to North Central College her junior year as a transfer from Elmhurst College, another member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Because of inter-conference athletics rules, she was not cleared for competition until she had been at North Central for a full calendar year, making her eligible for only the last four games of the 2013-2014 season.
 
"[Transferring] was the best decision I ever made," said Godhardt. "I came in with a lot of hesitation, yet from the second I came to the first open gym and met my new teammates, I knew it was the right fit. Everybody was extremely nice and supportive."
 
She found her niche for basketball at a young age when her parents signed her up for a Bitty Ball league. From that day on, it was full speed ahead toward a promising basketball career.  With the help of genetics, Godhardt knew that her talent was something special.
 
"Don't get me wrong, I've practiced and tried to perfect a lot of my game, but things like rebounding and certain post moves are just things I've been doing for years and don't think about anymore," she said. "I just had a knack for the game and a lot of what I do in games is just instinct. I can't say that I was one of those players who spent hours shooting in the gym."
 
The combination of hard work and natural ability has paid off for Godhardt. This season, she has started all 22 of the Cardinals' games, leading the CCIW in scoring (17.3 points per game) while ranking third in steals (2.27 per game), fourth in field-goal percentage (.580) and fifth in free-throw percentage (.803). She scored 40 points in a 117-115 double-overtime win over Millsaps College on Nov. 22, setting a single-game school record.
 
Not only is she a stellar athlete, but she is also a stellar student. The political science major, with her eyes set on law school following graduation, made the Dean's list this past fall term, handling the transition to a new academic atmosphere quite well.
 
"School-wise, North Central's political science department is the best, bar none," said Godhardt. "The teaching staff is absolutely amazing and the classes I've taken here have really put me on the right path towards my future career as a lawyer. Trimesters were hard to transition to, but I ended up liking them a lot better than semesters."
 
She is also involved with the Athlete Mentor Program and the Pre-Law Society. Once basketball season is over, she plans to join the intramural soccer team to keep busy and try new things before she graduates.
 
Having already helped lead the Cardinals (20-2) to their first 20-win season in more than 30 years and their first-ever national ranking in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, Godhardt  is intent on closing out her collegiate career on a high note. Her passion for the game and her support for her teammates is evident each time she steps on the court.
 
"I just want to enjoy every minute I have left playing this game," she said. "I mean, after this year I'll never play this game in a competitive league again. I want to end the year strong and play with as much heart and effort as I possibly can."
 
"I have high expectations of myself and it's not about scoring," she added. "I think I just want to accomplish having a perfect shooting night along with playing outstanding defense, getting a large amount of rebounds, and having the team win the game. That would be the perfect game for me and I'll probably always be chasing that."
 
From the academics to the game she loves, Godhardt has found her home at North Central College. She cites a stronger sense of family on the team as one of the greatest benefits of her choice to transfer into the Cardinals' program, which has allowed her to more completely enjoy the student-athlete experience.
 
"My team is like my second family," she said. "We would do anything for each other: we are always there for one another in tough times, we are always all on the same page, and we are constantly putting in the hard work this season.
 
"I never hear anybody complain about having a hard practice or even put their heads down when they're having a bad game. Everybody just wants to win and it doesn't matter if they're playing badly, just as long as the outcome is a 'W'."
 
The 23rd-ranked Cardinals resume CCIW play on Wednesday at Carthage College, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. Links to live video coverage and in-game statistics can be accessed by clicking HERE.