January 27, 2012
Each week a local alum of West Michigan High School sports will be featured in our ‘Where Are They Now?’ piece. All of these students have moved on to continue their athletic careers at Davenport University as the Panthers continue to find success athletically in nearly every sport they participate in. For more information about Davenport and what they can offer you check out their homepage!
Name: Karlee Despres
Height: 5’11
Class: Senior
Major: Sport Management
Hometown: Belmont, Mich.
High School: Comstock Park
Number: 10
Position: Forward
2010-2011 Highlights: Played in all 38 games as a junior…Second on the team with three point field goals made (59)…Scored 7.8 points and pulled down 3.4 rebounds a game…Recorded 54 assists, 30 steals, and 10 blocks…Earned NAIA Scholar Athlete and Academic All-WHAC Honors.
2009-2010 Highlights: One of primary players off the bench for 31-3 Lady Panthers…Scored in double-digits four times and shot 36.5% from behind the arc…Averaged 5.0 points per game
2008-2009 Highlights: Played in all 34 games…Led the team from the foul line, shooting 91% and averaged 7.6 points per game
High School Highlights: Class B all-state selection…Led team to an 18-3 record and an OK Blue conference title…Averaged over 16 points and seven rebounds per game while also leading her team in assists and steals…Comstock Park’s all-time leading scorer with well over 1000 points in her career…Named Miss Softball in Division 2 as a senior.
Career Highs: Points (24), Rebounds (9), Assists (5), Steals (3), Blocks (3)
Personal Information: Parents: Mike and Dawn…Birthday: 06/13/1990
How has DU helped you in transitioning your game from the high school level to the collegiate level and who/what has had the biggest impact in helping you with that transition?
DU definitely played a huge role in my transition from high school to college sports. Right for the get-go, we were held accountable to work extremely hard in the off-season. Going into my freshman year, our summer workouts consisted of timed-two mile runs, hill workouts at Belknap, track and weight workouts, as well as making 10,000 three-point shots. The biggest impact overall was the leadership of my teammates. Playing with so many talented girls was a privileged, and I definitely looked up to them and always wanted to work as hard as I could because they always did the same; the set the bar very high.
Who is your biggest conference rival?
Our biggest conference rival the last fours years has been Cornerstone.
What do you enjoy most about this rivalry?
You can always count on a close game between Davenport and Cornerstone. Maybe it has something to do with “battle of the beltline,” but something about this game always brings a rivalry. The best part about this is on game days. No matter how prepared we are, I always have a nervous-excitement. I know that neither our team or Cornerstone ever quit, so it always is an intense battle; you live for games like that.
Playing for DU, do you ever play against former high school competitors? If so, do you feel the old high school rivalry continue?
Playing for DU, I have had the opportunity to play against a few former high school rivals such as Joslyn Narber (AQ), Jasmine Padin (GVSU) and Cheritee Green (SVSU), all from Wyoming Park High School, as well as Elyse Schlump (Concordia) from Cedar Springs. I have also had the opportunity to play against several of my former teammates from AAU such as Robyn and Melissa Veltkamp (CU), Kate Cousins (CU), Brooke Carter (CU), Shelby Carter (AQ), Lindsey Karpowicz (AQ), and many more in summer leagues. More than feeling a rivalry, I feel there is a level of respect amongst each other. Although during the game we are all very competitive, before or after its always nice to catch up.
What has been your favorite part about going to DU outside of your sport/team?
Outside of Davenport University Athletics, my favorite memory of DU was studying Spanish abroad in Costa Rica. It was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the Davenport University staff encouraging me to go.
Would you recommend DU to friends or other student athletes you know are searching for a place to continue their education? Why?
Yes, I would definitely recommend DU to others for a number of reasons. First and foremost, DU has so many professors who have applied what they are teaching into the real life situations. My classes aren’t just studying a book; it is actually getting you ready for the real world. I have had so many teachers that I stay in contact with, and even some that come to the games to support us. It truly is a great community.
As an athlete, I have had two of the best coaches I could have asked for in both basketball and softball. Although they both take the game very seriously, I have learned so much about life from them. I know that any athlete would love to play for coaches that encourage you to be the best person you can be, not just on the playing field, and Davenport University strives on that.
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