LINFIELD UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL VERSUS WILLAMETTE • JANUARY 13, 2026

WELCOME TO LINFIELD UNIVERSITY

Chase Fisk, Kelly Bird

Rheese Heim, Emerson Teller

SCOREBOARD

Katie Putnam, Sam Haynes

Ethan Klein

PUBLIC ADDRESS

Steve Oleson

VIDEO WEBCASTS

Joe Stuart, Eric Albios

Maddie Funk, Kalina Zagyva

OFFICIAL SCORER

Mia McCormack

EVENT PROGRAM

Kelly Bird, Chase Fisk

Felipe Unker, Kalina Zagyva

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

like mother, like daughter

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Laurel Quinn is finding success as a Linfield basketball player and accounting major

by kalina zagyva ’29

Is determination really something that can accomplish anything?

Linfield women’s basketball player Laurel Quinn lives by the concept of hard work and clearly has a lot to show for it.

As a fourth-year senior in the sport, Quinn has noticed that the women’s team dynamic has positively evolved.

“We’re getting better every year,” she says, pointing out that the strong social aspect of the team is contributing towards their success on the court. “We’ve gotten a lot closer. And we’ve been able to work better together on the court.”

Team chemistry, Quinn notes, is one of the Wildcats’ greatest strengths.

“Hard work is a huge value of ours. I think we’re just really gritty.”

This season, Quinn proudly reports that the team has developed its own cohesive values.

“We’re all very bought into the mission of the program. Our values are all really aligned, we’re focused on our attitude, our effort, toughness, and our focus on striving to be better every practice.”

Based on last season’s success that included 17 wins, the team has set a high bar for themselves.

“We were ranked first in the conference coaches’ poll, so we’re viewing that as a target ahead of us and not as something that we should be afraid of.”

The team is set on improving during each practice. Quinn wants to at least equal and hopefully exceed, last year’s accomplishments.

“That’s definitely our biggest goal. It would be great to be ranked this year…we’ll go into every game with that goal.”

Linfield’s team furthers its commitment and hard work by acknowledging the mental aspect of the sport.

“We do a lot of sports psychology mental training on top of basketball. We have Cat Chats that talk about things like words of the week, like our word last week was ‘gritty.’ We read chapters of a book that are focused on the mental side of the game. Everyone has a chapter that they read and they give a summary to the team,” Quinn says this giveand-take process creates a sense of community among the team, which ultimately fuels success on the court.

When she’s not playing basketball, Quinn keeps herself busy year-round.

“I’m VP of finance for ASLU, our student government. I also have a work-study job on campus at the registrar’s office.”

With so much on her plate, Laurel often finds herself juggling multiple aspects of her life.

“I make a calendar for myself every week and to-do lists. Once I’m in the rhythm of practices, work and meetings, I just follow the schedule.”

At King’s Way Christian High School in Vancouver, Washington, Laurel was involved with student government, National Honor Society and was chosen as class valedictorian. She juggled all of these roles while keeping up her passion for basketball.

“I was probably getting a lot more playing time in high school and more of a leadership role as team captain. I think that experience really served me well coming into college; knowing how to be a good teammate to everyone, leading by example, and working hard to achieve team goals.”

Laurel’s mother, Rachelle, also played basketball for the Wildcats in the 1990s. Laurel views her mother as her greatest inspiration, saying “she’s the most selfless, hard-working and dedicated person I know. She serves the people around her really well and achieves her personal goals. I want to emulate that.”

Rachelle admires her daughter’s abilities, saying “Laurel is extremely intelligent – and since this is paired with a strong work ethic and perseverance – it shows on and off the court in her 4.0 GPA and high basketball IQ.”

Originally, Laurel says she felt significant pressure following in her mother’s footsteps, but she now views it as an opportunity to grow.

“Now, I’m my own person. I definitely see her as an example for myself. But my goals and my focuses are a little bit different than hers. If it’s pressure, it’s like positive pressure.”

Rachelle is equally as excited as her daughter

“Being part of Laurel’s journey has been an absolute joy — there’s nothing like watching your child play a sport you both love!”

The similarities between the two don’t stop there. Not only has Laurel taken inspiration from her mother in sports, but also as a major. Laurel is working to complete a major in accounting and finance, same as Rachelle did in the ‘90s.

“I just really enjoyed the classes I started taking,” says Laurel. “And it kind of fits my personality and how my mind works. So it’s a good fit.”

After graduation in May, Laurel plans to take Certified Public Accountant tests in order to begin her career at an accounting firm. As Laurel plays her final season of basketball, she will continue to give her all to the world around her.

WOMEN’S COACH CASEY BUNN-WILSON

pointing in the right direction

CCoach Casey Bunn-Wilson has the Linfield women’s basketball program aiming for a Northwest Conference championship oming off a record-tying 18-win season in 2024-25, Casey Bunn-Wilson enters her 11th season as head women’s basketball coach at Linfield with the goal of claiming the program’s first Northwest Confernece championship. equaling the team record for most wins in a single campaign while guiding the Wildcats to a coveted berth in the Northwest Conference Tournament.

During her first year with the Wildcats, she helped guide the women to the program’s first winning record in five seasons (13-12) and a share of sixth place in the Northwest Conference, one of the premier women’s basketball leagues in NCAA Division III. In 201819, the Wildcats reached the NWC Tournament despite a competing with an injury depleted roster.

Bunn-Wilson spent three seasons as girls basketball coach at Tualatin High School, compiling a 39-32 win-loss record while leading the Timberwolves to three straight OSAA Class 6A state playoff appearances. Prior to Tualatin, she spent two seasons as an assistant girls basketball coach at Lake Oswego High School.

At Oregon State University, Bunn-Wilson led the Pacific-10 Conference in scoring as a senior in 2007, averaging 20.0 points per game. That season, she averaged 37.9 minutes, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. Appearing in 122 games with 70 starting assignments, Bunn-Wilson concluded her career with 1,163 points, ninth-most in Beavers history and her 679 career rebounds rank seventh all-time.

She graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Promotion and Education.

A star athlete at Stayton High School, Bunn-Wilson earned varsity letters in basketball, volleyball, softball and track. On the basketball court, she was a four-time all-state, all-region and allconference honoree. The Capital Conference Player of the Year

for three straight seasons, Bunn-Wilson led Stayton to the league championship her freshman and junior seasons. She set SHS career records for points (1,831), rebounds (783), assists (342) and steals (306) and went on to represent Stayton in the Oregon Class 3A AllStar game following graduation.

Bunn-Wilson played professionally in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Australia. While competing overseas, she earned allleague honors on the Portuguese All-Star team.

She is co-founder and director of the Jr. Energy youth basketball program, a skills development program geared toward girls in grades 4-12 throughout the Portland area. In its fifth year, Jr. Energy’s mission is to introduce young female athletes to an advanced level of coaching and competition that takes their basketball skills to a higher level.

At Linfield, Bunn-Wilson also co-directs the athletic department’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

She and her husband, Mitch, live in McMinnville with their young sons, Rylan and Dawson.

Sixth-year assistant Jeremy Vandenboer previously spent four years as head women’s basketball coach at Mount Hood Community College, leading the Saints to back-to-back 20-win seasons. Prior to joining the Mount Hood staff, Vandenboer helped lead the Corban men’s team to the 2015-16 NAIA Cascade Conference playoffs. From 2013-15, he coached boys basketball at Auburn Adventist Academy High School in Washington, leading the team to its first-ever state appearance.

PROUD PARTNER OF LINFIELD ATHLETICS

MEET THE LINFIELD WOMEN

Back row (l to r): Miki Vermeulen, Logan Roberts, Evelyn Melis, Sydney Newby, Tana Hoekema, Assistant Coach Jeremy Vandenboer, Head Coach Casey Bunn-Wilson, Madison Huntley, Skylar Willey, Natalie Rosetti, Mia Thompson, Madison Barter. Front row: Allie Mead, Eve Burke, Jordan Roberts, Dylan Cheney, Willow Ishibashi-To, Amelia Solt, Ella Koebelin, Kate Townsend, Laurel Quinn, Jayden Ray, Lauren Buchanan.

MEET THE LINFIELD WOMEN

LINFIELD WOMEN

WILLAMETTE WOMEN

LINFIELD WOMEN VERSUS WILLAMETTE game PREVIEW

Safely

THE RECORDS

Linfield remains near the top of the Northwest Conference standings with a 3-0 conference record 10-2 overall, just one win back of the league-leading Puget Sound Loggers. Willamette enters tonight’s midweek matchup at 5-9 overall and 2-3 in NWC play, most recently falling 62-46 to the Loggers in Tacoma.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

Linfield rides into the mid-week battle with Willamette on a sixgame winning streak, fresh from a dominant 20-point win over the Whitworth Pirates. The Linfield defense held Whitworth to just 39 points, including just 17 in the second half. Over the weekend, Linfield was tied at halftime against Whitman and led by four points versus Whitworth, before dominating the third quarter of each game. Linfield features four of the top25 scorers in the conference. Miki Vermeulen ranks third in the NWC in rebounding (7.8 per game) while Allie Mead leads the league in steals (2.9) and ranks second in assists (5.0).

WILLAMETTE AT A GLANCE

The Bearcats are the NWC’s top three-point shooting team, averaging 7.6 per game, and trail only the Wildcats in threepoint shooting percentage. Riley Walden leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game, second-best in the NWC. Walden also has the second-highest three-point shooting percentage in the conference (41%).

SERIES HISTORY

The Wildcats have won 44 of 84 contests against the Bearcats, including the last three meetings. The teams have split the previous 10 matchups.

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NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

women’s basketball STANDINGS

MEN’S COACH ELIJAH GURASH

embracing change

Taking on his first head coaching assignment, Elijah Gurash relishes the challenge of rebuilding the Linfield basketball program

Joining the Linfield staff in the spring of 2025, Elijah Gurash embarks on his first collegiate head coaching assignment as he takes the reins of the Linfield men’s basketball program this winter.

Gurash arrived at Linfield after serving one year as the lead assistant coach at Buena Vista University, a Division III institution in Storm Lake, Iowa.

No stranger to the Pacific Northwest, Gurash served as a top assistant at Whitworth University for six seasons. During his time in Spokane, the Pirates went a combined 116-41, captured three Northwest Conference championships, three NWC Tournament titles and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament four times.

Prior to joining the Whitworth staff, Gurash spent 15 years coaching at the high school level in North Carolina, West Virginia and Washington state, first as an assistant boys basketball coach for seven seasons and later as a head varsity coach for eight seasons.

An all-state basketball player, Gurash began his collegiate playing career at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

He concluded his playing career at Northwest Christian University (now Bushnell University) in Eugene.

Gurash earned a bachelor’s degree from Bushnell in 2001 and went on to complete a master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 2007.

He has also published his own book, entitled, “Jesus is a Baller: Reflections on the Fundamentals of Basketball.”

Elijah, and his wife, Katy, are raising three children: Xander, Oliver and Isla Grace.

matt gehrke, assistant coach

New assistant coach Matt Gehrke brings over 20 years of coaching experience at the AAU level in the greater Portland area. Gehrke is the founder and director of G-Elite Basketball, an AAU program that has helped develop young studentathletes into successful collegiate basketball players.

MEET THE LINFIELD MEN

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LINFIELD MEN

WILLAMETTE MEN

LINFIELD MEN VERSUS WILLAMETTE

Linfield entering tonight’s midweek matchup coming off of a 1-1 weekend inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium. The Wildcats are 3-8 overall and 1-2 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette enters at 8-6 and 3-2 in the NWC. The Bearcats are fresh off a home

The Wildcats split last weekend’s homestand with Whitman and Whitworth. Senior guard Dayton Magaña led the charge, sinking a three-pointer in the final seconds to hold off the comeback by the Whitman Blues. Magaña topped the team in scoring in both games and continues to average the most points this season. Linfield continues to shoot well form beyond the arc, sinking more than 10 threes in each of its last three contests, and in

Coming off of a loss to one of the conference’s best teams in Puget Sound, sophomore guard Tanner Overby looks to get the Bearcats back on track, aiming to replicate his 30-point performance on Friday against Pacific Lutheran. Overby plays a large role in the Bearcat offense that ranks No. 1 in the NWC,

Linfield trails the all-time series with Willamette, 60-57, splitting the season series each of the past three years. The Bearcats

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

men’s basketball STANDINGS

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THE TOPCAT CLUB

Linfield University TopCat Club serves as a support organization to the 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams and the more than 500 students who participate in athletics each year. Each year, support from the TopCat Club is essential to maintaining and expanding each of these mission of the TopCat Club is to provide students with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the overall Linfield athletics program. Linfield, we continually strive to improve programs and facilities so that our teams may compete at the highest level. Roughly 75 percent of the athletic department’s annual operating budget comes from the university’s general fund. The remainder is generated through a wide variety of external sources, including annual gifts to the Linfield TopCat

o learn more about giving opportunities, please visit the TopCat Club website at www.linfieldtopcat.com.

LINFIELD DANCE

LINFIELD CHEER

KEEPING TABS ON THE

All Linfield Sports Network webcasts are now carried on FloSports, a conference-wide pay-to-watch platform

Linfield University has joined together with its eight fellow Northwest Conference institutions in support of a new partnership with streaming provider FloSports to offer live and on-demand video coverage of nearly every athletic event Linfield participates in

An annual subscription costs $107.88 ($8.99 per month). A monthly subscription runs $19.99.

Linfield students, faculty and staff with linfield.edu email addresses will enjoy discounted rates of $71.88 per year ($5.99/ month) or $9.99 if purchased monthly.

Schools are expected to receive annual investments from FloSports to build and expand broadcast capabilities and make other investments within the athletic department. Linfield personnel will continue to staff and operate all home broadcasts.

“Entering into this agreement with FloSports was a conferencewide decision,” said Linfield Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Brosius. “While it does represent a change in how our streams are viewed, we do believe this partnership signifies a positive step forward. We anticipate increased quality of our streams conferencewide, as well as programming allowing viewers to watch college sports not just from within our conference, but from all across the country. This is the direction other Division III conferences are moving toward. Many of our out-of-conference competitions already require a FloSports subscription.”

As Brosius noted, FloSports subscribers will have the capability to access more than 40,000 events nationwide spanning 25 different sports.

WATCHING flosports MADE EASY

To establish a FloSports account, head to go.flocollege.com/partner/nwc

REGULAR RATES

$107.88 ANNUALLY

$19.99 MONTHLY

STUDENTS & STAFF RATES

$71.88 ANNUALLY

$9.99 MONTHLY

FloSports expects to deliver live and on-demand coverage of Linfield events across 15 different sports: Football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s wrestling, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse. Northwest Conference Championship events in all sports except golf and cross country will also be streamed as part of the annual agreement.

Beyond live competition, FloSports plans to invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of NWC student-athletes and institutions. The NWC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Each year, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 800 regular-season and postseason events.

FloSports is available via web, mobile apps (iOS and Android), and streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The FloSports app is expected to be pre-installed on most topselling Smart TVs in the U.S. this year.

LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK

follow the ’cats home and away via live stream

The Linfield Sports Network again brings fans live action of all home Linfield basketball games during 2025-26. Fans can enjoy live video webcasts with play-by-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or smart TV. Live coverage begins 15 minutes prior to the start of each game. Broadcasts include a complete postgame wrap-up with analysis and statistical breakdown. Linfield will also provide live audio-only webcasts of all of the Wildcats’ Northwest Conference road contests.

McMinnville native Joe Stuart begins his seventh season as the playby-play voice of the basketball Wildcats. The 2020 Linfield graduate is the Athletics Broadcast Operations Coordinator, managing all aspects of Linfield’s webcasting outreach and handling lead play-by-play duties on Linfield football, baseball and softball webcasts in addition to basketball. Stuart also assists with other external sports communications and social media needs.

All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed via the FloSports platform at go.flocollege.com/partner/nwc using the Linfield Athletics app, your desktop computer, mobile device or smart TV.

ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame is regarded as one of the most impressive athletic showcases in NCAA Division III

The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by Pacific Office Automation, was established in 1998 as an means to honor former outstanding athletes, coaches, staff and contributors and to preserve the memory of their past achievements.

A new class of inductees is honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet each fall. Inductees are chosen from a list of submitted nominations and voted upon by the Hall of Fame Executive and Selection Committees. The 20-member panel is made up of current and former staff members, past inductees, a member of the media, and a former athlete representing each of the preceding six decades.

Nominations may be submitted by any interested person but must be submitted in writing using an official nomination form. Hall of Fame nominations are considered in any one of six categories: Athlete, Coach, Team, Athletics Staff, and Meritorious Service. Nominations must be accompanied by appropriate background information. Nominations are now accepted online. The deadline to submit nominations each year is March 1.

Athletes, through athletic achievement, must have brought distinction and honor to themselves, to Linfield University and to its intercollegiate program. Athletes are eligible for induction 10 years following their graduation class. Coaches, athletic administrators, or athletic staff members must have served on the staff for at least 10 years. At the time of induction, they must no longer be active in that position. Individual non-athletes, who in some manner have made extraordinary contributions to the success of the intercollegiate athletic program, may be considered for a meritorious service award. Eligibility of teams is based upon exceptional accomplishment at and above the conference level, with the team ranking among the nation’s elite.

Housed within the Paul Durham Lobby and Foyer, the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame and Hall of Champions is regarded as one of the most impressive athletic showcases of any NCAA Division III program in the country. Matching 55-inch touch-screen monitors chronicle the expansive array of Hall of Fame inductees. Visitors to the Hall of Fame can read details about each inductee as well as search by name, sport, classification and year of induction. The electronic displays provide access to summaries of every national champion, both team and individual, plus listings of major award winners.

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