By Danny Waldo
Season Outlook: Head Coach – Erika Gustavsen (2nd season)
Last season – 2nd @ State
Last season, the Bozeman Lady Hawks may have overachieved in the eyes of many, placing 2nd at the State AA tournament in March in head coach Erika Gustavsen’s first season at the helm. Gustavsen took over a Hawk team that was high on potential following a strong showing at the previous season’s state tournament and willed them to a surprise runner-up position after taking over the team mid-summer following a career-ending injury to longtime Bozeman coach, Brad Rustan. This season, Bozeman looks poised to return to the top of the AA once again, returning a pair of decorated post players, as well as some key contributors in the backcourt, in addition to some new faces eager to make a name for themselves. If Bozeman is looking to take home another state title this year, the ball literally will need to run through the post to get there. That’s because Bozeman boasts two of the top inside players in the state in senior twin towers Emerald Toth and Caitlyn Lonergan. Toth, a Boise State commit, and Lonergan, a Montana State volleyball commit, both stand over six feet tall and have the ability to wreak havoc on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor. While Toth is the more polished of the two offensively, with the ability to hit from all spots on the floor, Lonergan dominates with her athletic ability, cleaning up the offensive glass, while wiping away opponent’s shot attempts on the defensive end. But Bozeman certainly is not one-dimensional. The Hawks are known for high-scoring perimeter players, and this year’s team is no exception. Juniors Riana Rodgers and Darra Perdaems both saw good minutes last season as sophomores, and both possess silky strokes from the outside, which opponents found are lethal when they are on. But the ‘X’ factor for Bozeman this year may very well be fellow junior Amber Tarabochia. Tarabochia, a natural athlete, has the ability to play four of the five positions on the floor if needed. Last season, the junior earned significant minutes on the varsity, making her mark on the defensive end and on the glass. After an offseason working on her shot and ball-handling, Tarabochia looks to be an offensive threat this season as well. There is no denying that this year’s Lady Hawks have a number of talented basketball players. How well they can gel together will determine how far they go come tournament time. If things play out the way they should, Bozeman should be hoisting the championship trophy once again come March. •
