Graduate transfer guard Rachel Gartner and graduate transfer forward Ashlyn Wert provide experience to the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team in their last year of eligibility. Gartner transferred from Boston College and Wert transferred from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Wert won three Southern Conference titles and made three NCAA Tournament appearances at Chattanooga while playing for former St. Joe’s women’s basketball Head Coach Jim Foster.
Originally from Lancaster, Pa., Wert said she wanted to be on a team close to home so that her family could see her play.
Wert’s journey to Hawk Hill was made easy by her St. Joe’s connection at Chattanooga.
“Ashlyn’s Assistant Coach Debbie Black was a former player here so she reached out to me and said that Ashlyn wanted to get closer to home,” Head Coach Cindy Griffin said.” Based on who we were losing, she thought Ashlyn would be a good fit.”
Gartner said she was familiar with the Hawks’ program, as the St. Joe’s coaching staff recruited her out of high school.
“I wanted to change it up [from Boston College],” Gartner said. “[St. Joe’s] just felt like home and knowing all the coaches was something that helped [ my decision].”
Wert said she brings a post presence through dominating on the block and grabbing boards. The team will have to wait for her arrival, as she is currently healing from an ankle injury that has delayed her debut.
“I rehab three times a week for my ankle and I try to do as much conditioning as I can with the boot on, either on the skis or on the bike,” Wert said.
Griffin said both Gartner and Wert have embraced their roles as leaders on the team, adding a vocal and mature presence both on and off the court.
“Rachel is very vocal, she understands what were trying to do here at St. Joe’s,” Griffin said. “She’s been through a different program, but she’s been there before as opposed to a freshman where everything’s a first.”
Freshman forward Katie Mayock said that Wert has taken up a motherly role with her, sharing advice and knowledge she’s gained over the years playing the same position. Wert agreed, saying she’s trying to be the person that she needed as a young player.
“I think at certain times you don’t see stuff or it doesn’t come naturally to you, in your first year especially,” Wert said. “Normally in practice, I’ll tell her small stuff like maybe she needs to position her hands a little differently.”
Gartner served as the captain at Boston College her senior year. She said her role at St. Joe’s is different.
“Just having a voice everyday, that’s a big thing,” Gartner said. “And there’s little nooks where I say ‘oh I can be a better asset here’ and with my experiences at Boston College for four years, I learned how to be a good leader so again I can help [the captains at St. Joe’s].”
Mayock said there’s a lot of inexperience on the team, so Wert and Gartner’s presence helps to add maturity.
“It’s funny saying its a young team because there’s eight seniors on the roster, but I would say it’s more of an inexperienced one,” Mayock said. “The seniors don’t really have a ton of experience and the young players are seeing a lot of playing time.”
After majoring in French and minoring in business as an undergrad, Wert said she is getting her MBA with the goal of a career in international business when she graduates. Gartner majored in math at Boston College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Organization, Development and Leadership. Gartner said her diverse interests led her to St. Joe’s.
“I’m also very much into nutrition and sports and athletics, so I wanted to see how I could maybe step aside from math,” Gartner said. “I’m good at math, but I wanted to see how I would fit in a world where leadership is needed and also working with athletes, so that’s why I decided to come here.”
Both players said they are glad to end their careers at Hawk Hill and have embraced the family mentality and camaraderie of the team.
“I really love that everyone is on the same page,” Wert said. “Everyone does a good job of doing what is expected, maintaining that and taking pride in our work.”
