Waukee native was key player in two Kirkwood national championships
Kirkwood Community College was where Staci Gillum honed her college basketball skills. Two national championships later, she is headed east and moving to the NCAA Division I.
Gillum has signed a national letter of intent to study and play at the University of Evansville. The Waukee, Iowa native made her mark with Kirkwood in back-to-back NJCAA Division II national titles, 2009-10.
“It’s not often that you have the opportunity to sign a junior college point guard who comes in bringing two national championships with them,” said Evansville Women’s Basketball Head Coach Misty Murphy. “Staci is a proven winner both on the court and in the classroom. We are thrilled to have her join our program.”
Gillum was a four-time all-conference and all-district performer as well as an all-academic team selection during her high school years in Waukee. In her first year at Kirkwood she finished second on the team in steals and dished out an average of 2.8 assists per game.
In the past season she earned NJCAA Third Team All-American status while helping the Eagles to their fourth consecutive national championship. She led the team in scoring with 10.9 points per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3-point range. Gillum also notched seven assists in the national title game.
“Staci is a very intelligent player. She can be a second coach on the floor both offensively and defensively,” said Kirkwood Head Coach Kim Muhl. “She runs a smart offense and has the ability to knock down the open shot. Staci is an excellent student-athlete that should be a great asset to Evansville.”
In her two years at Kirkwood, Gillum helped the Eagles to a combined 73-2 record. The Kirkwood program has won six national titles under Muhl’s leadership, including the amazing four-straight national championships, 2007-10.