CEDAR FALLS – UNI women’s basketball is proud to announce their four-player signing class of 2023. The class is made up of a trio of guards and a forward.
“We are so excited to welcome these four young women to our Panther family,” said head coach Tanya Warren. “We love the versatility that they all will bring to our team. They all come from winning programs and love to compete.”
Kaylynn Janes | Incarnate Word Academy | 6-0
A 6-0 guard out of St. Louis, Missouri, Kaylynn Janes comes to the Panthers after a stellar career in a Red Knights uniform. Ranked the No. 3 small forward in the state of Missouri and the No. 8 overall player by Prep Girls Hoops Missouri coming into her senior season, Janes was a four-year varsity athlete for Incarnate Word. In the 2023 Girls Class 6A State Championship game, Janes led all scorers with 19 points, going 5-for-6 from three-point range. The State Championship victory was also her team’s 100th consecutive win.
Basketball accolades include: 2023 State Champion, 2023 MWAA Second-Team All-Conference, Class 6A All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2023 Iolani Classic Honolulu All-Tournament team, 2022 Class 6A All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2022 MWAA All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2022 Class 6A State Champion 2021 All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2021 State Champion.
Classroom accolades include: Three-time National Honor Society member, Four-time Student Council class representative, IWA Mission Model recipient, Three-time IWA student Ambassador.
Mya Nicholson | Janesville Craig | 5-10
A 5-10 guard out of Milton, Wisconsin, Mya Nicholson signs with Northern Iowa after being a two-sport athlete for the Cougars of Janesville Craig. Playing both basketball and golf in high school, she was named First-Team All-Conference two years in a row heading into her senior year. Nicholson was also named State Honorable Mention after reaching 1,000 points in her junior year. She was also named a team captain each of the last two seasons. Averages 19 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars and was a regional champion as well as a part of the team that broke the school’s wins record in her sophomore year. In the classroom, Mya was named to the Honor Roll all three years, heading into her senior year at Janesville Craig.
Eliana Sheplee | Rice Lake | 5-10
A 5-10 guard out of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Sheplee was a three-sport, varsity athlete for the Warriors, claiming four letters in volleyball, basketball, and track and field. A two-time, all-conference basketball athlete, Sheplee averaged 19.2 points and 10.9 rebounds last season as well as 15.4 points and seven rebounds a season ago. She was named to the All-State team after the 2023 season, a season which saw her eclipse the 1,000-point scoring mark.
Athletic accolades include: Basketball Regional Champion (2020-21 / 2021-22), Track State Runner-Up (2023), State track 400-meter champion and record holder, State track 200-meter champion and runner-up, All-State volleyball (2022), All-Conference volleyball (2021 / 2022), volleyball 1,000 kills (2023).
Academic accolades include: National Honor Society, Academic All-State (2021-22 / 2022-23), Four-year 4.0 Honor Roll.
Elise Jaeger | Valley | 6-1
A 6-1 forward from West Des Moines, Iowa, Jaeger comes to UNI from 5A Valley High School. As a Tiger, Jaeger was a two-sport athlete, claiming four letters in both basketball and volleyball. As a forward, she averaged a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She also averaged two steals and three assists. Was a part of the Tiger 2022-23 team that was State Qualifiers and the 2021-22 team that was State Semi-Finalists.
Basketball accolades include: CIML Honorable Mention freshman year, All-Tournament team, Second-Team All-State, and Third-Team All-CIML sophomore year, Unanimous First-Team All-CIML and Second-Team All-State junior year, holds the records for most rebounds in a game (17) and a season (219).
Academic accolades include: CIML All-Conference Academic Award.
