PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots women's basketball team has added four incoming recruits as Lisa-Marie Kaempf (Aschaffenburg, Germany/Friedrich-Dessauer Gymnasium/Midland College), Erika Kankfelt (Espoo, Finland/Makelanrinne Sports HS), Maddie Muhlheim (Portland, Ore./Sunset HS), and Kristina Wooldridge (San Leandro, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd HS) will join the program, announced head coach Cheryl Sorenson. Kankfelt, Muhlheim and Wooldridge will all be freshmen in the fall, while Kaempf is a junior transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.
Lisa-Marie Kaempf is a 6-2 post who spent the past two years playing at Midland College in Midland, Texas. Kaempf landed All-WJCAC as a freshman and helped lead the Lady Chaparrals to the NJCAA Sweet 16 in 2016. Nationally ranked Midland reached the regional playoffs both years, and Kaempf averaged 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds during her junior campaign.
"Lisa-Marie will have an immediate impact on the floor," said Sorenson. "Her versatile skill set allows her to be a presence in the paint both scoring and rebounding. Lisa also has the ability to step out and knock down the three, and she will create offense with her ability to stretch the defense."
Erika Kankfelt, who is a 6-0 wing, has played in 38 international games for the Finnish Youth National Teams from 2012-16. She helped the WU18 win the Nordic Championships in 2016, after previously placing second with the WU16 in 2014. Kankfelt also played club with Tapiolan Honka and Helmi Basket, claiming Finnish Junior Championships in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16. In 2015-16 she helped her squad also win the Women's First Division Title.
"We are thrilled to add Erika to the Pilots," Sorenson said. "Her size and strength adds a unique aspect to our group of guards. She has a good feel for the game, has a well-rounded skill set, and is eager to display her game for the Pilots. Erika has a lot of international playing experience and that maturity will be a great addition to our program."
Maddie Muhlheim is a 5-7 guard who comes to The Bluff from nearby Sunset High School, where she earned four letters for UP alum and Apollos head coach Sarah Griffin. Muhlheim earned all-state honorable mention in 2016 and 2017, while also landing on the All-Metro League First Team both years. In 2015 and 2014, she earned conference second team and honorable mention accolades, respectively. She helped the Apollos finish sixth in the state during her senior campaign, earning all-state tournament second team honors. Muhlheim once buried 10 three-pointers in the game en route to a career-best 39 points.
"We are excited Maddie has joined our Pilot family," noted Sorenson. "She is a tremendous person on and off the floor. She is tenacious on defense and can score in multiple ways. We love keeping Portland kids home, she's staying in purple, and she was coached at Sunset by UP alumnae Sarah and Allyson (Sievers)."
Kristina Wooldridge starred at Bishop O'Dowd High School as a 6-1 forward. A four-year letterwinner, Wooldridge helped the Dragons win the DIII State Championship in 2015. The Dragons went undefeated in the West Alameda Country Conference all four years and they finished second in the NorCal Sections (NCS) Championships. Wooldridge was All-WACC Honorable Mention and earned academic honors four times.
"Kristina has a great team attitude and strong work ethic," said Sorenson. "She comes from a winning program in Bishop O'Dowd, and those are the type of players we want in our program. Kristina is going to challenge people with her knack for rebounding and finishing around the rim, and she's fearless."
