For the Gazette

The SPASH Athletics Department announced today the hiring of Janel McCarville as the new girls’ basketball coach. 

Coach McCarville is a 2001 graduate of SPASH. 

Janel was a multi-sport athlete at SPASH, playing basketball and soccer. 

She led the girls’ basketball team to the WIAA Division 1 State Basketball Tournament in 2001.  

During her basketball career at SPASH, Janel compiled an impressive set of statistics, and she is still the career leader in a variety of categories to this day.

“I am extremely honored and excited to be the next head girls basketball coach at SPASH. To be part of this rich tradition and culture as a coach now is truly humbling. I look forward to working with all the student-athletes, SPASH coaches, teachers, administration and community members that are all involved in making Stevens Point an incredible place to play girls basketball,” McCarville stated.

After SPASH, she moved on to the University of Minnesota to continue her basketball career for the Gophers. 

As a member of the Gopher women’s basketball team, she became the first player in Gopher’s history to play in the NCAA Tournament during each of her four years.

McCarville was in the top five of every major statistical category for the Golden Gophers women’s team, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. 

McCarville holds the NCAA record for most rebounds in the tournament, with 75 rebounds in five games. She also has the NCAA record for tournament rebound average, with 15 per game.

Following her playing career at Minnesota, Janel was drafted in the first round of the 2005 WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) draft, the first overall pick, by the Charlotte Sting and started her professional playing career.

In the fall of 2022, Janel moved back to Custer, WI, and joined the SPASH basketball coaching staff as the JV girls’ basketball coach.