A collection of area female graduates helped the Grand View Women’s Basketball team qualify for the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship for the first time in program history. The Lady Vikings received one of 17 at-large bids to the tournament Wednesday evening, entering the championship event as the No. 8 seed of Naismith Bracket with a 23-10 overall record. Grand View, one of five Heart of America Conference schools to qualify for the tournament, continues their postseason run Thursday, March 15, at the Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings, Montana against No. 1 Shawnee State University out of Ohio, posting a record of 30 wins and three losses.

This year’s version of the Lady Vikings Women’s basketball team includes four former athletes from the Raccoon Valley Radio listening area, including a pair of juniors from Guthrie County and two freshmen from Dallas County. Highlighting the area athletes is 2015 West Central Valley alum Bailee Arnburg, who started all 33 games as a junior guard. Arnburg, a Heart of America Honorable Mention selection, averages 10.8 points per contest and leads Grand View University with 89 assists on the year. She’s also knocked down 30 three-point shots and averages four rebounds per game. Other area graduates suiting up for the Grand View Women’s basketball team this fall include junior Jessi Campbell (2015 Panorama graduate), freshman Sydney Bertman (2017 ADM alum), and freshman Mackenzie Roberts (2017 Van Meter graduate).

Grand View’s debut in the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship is set for 7:15 p.m. central standard time Thursday from Billings, Montana.