Former Federal Way teammates meet again

Former Federal Way High School teammates Jodie Kaczor and Jessica Iserman shared the basketball court one more time last weekend.

While students at Federal Way High School, the Kaczor and Iserman teamed up to win the 1997 Class 4A state championship. Iserman was also the Federal Way Mirror’s female Athlete of the Year in 1997.

Now, Iserman is a 5-11 senior center at Pacific Lutheran University and Kaczor is a 5-5 senior guard and co-captain at Western Washington University.

The two teams met in the championship game of the fifth annual Lynda Goodrich Women’s Basketball Tournament in Bellingham last weekend.

In the finals, Western defeated Pacific Lutheran 61-53. Iserman led Pacific Lutheran with 15 points and nine rebounds. Kaczor scored nine points and had six rebounds for Western.

Kaczor and Western also beat PLU in last year’s tournament final 57-52.

In the opening round of the tournament, Iserman had 10 points and grabbed five rebounds for PLU in an 88-37 win over Evergreen.

For her performance, Iserman was named to the 2001 All-Tournament team.

“Jessica Iserman is flat out a big-time player, and if she was two or three inches taller she would be at a (NCAA) Division I school starting,” said PLU coach Gil Rigell. “She is an intense and physical player, and that intensity you need on the court in our conference. She is a gamer.”

Last season, Iserman earned first team All-Northwest Conference after averaging 14.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Her 271 rebounds last season ranks third in the PLU record books.

Last season, Kaczor was a first-team All-Pacific West Conference.

She was the only player to start all 29 games for Western, averaging 11.9 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals. She led Western’s 3-point barrage, hitting 79-of-185 to rank seventh in NCAA II in 3-point percentage (42.7).

“Jodie is a competitor,” said Western coach Carmen Dolfo. “She steps up in key situations. If we need a basket, she’ll take the shot and usually make it. She’s a very smart point guard and floor leader, and smart defensively, too.”

Western is 2-0. Pacific Lutheran is 1-1.

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