LINCOLN, Neb. - For the first time in four seasons, the Nebraska Wesleyan University women's basketball team had student-athletes placed on the American Rivers Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention team.
Carney Black, Anastyn Pettlon and Maddie Demke were each recognized following the 2025-26 season, marking the first Prairie Wolf All-Conference selections since 2021-22 and the most in a single season since joining the league. Prior to this year, Nebraska Wesleyan had never had more than one honoree in the same season since joining the A-R-C.
The trio's recognition comes during a year of measurable progress. NWU finished 5-20 overall and 2-14 in conference play, a three-win improvement from the previous season and one more league victory. The Prairie Wolves also swept the University of Dubuque for the first time since 2018-19, including a season-ending road win that showcased the team's defensive identity.
Black, a senior forward from Tilden, capped her career with the most complete season of her time in Lincoln. After scoring 214 points in her first year with the program, she followed with 233 as a senior while anchoring the Prairie Wolves on both ends of the floor. She averaged 8.4 rebounds per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field, leading the team in both categories while adding 14 blocks.
Her defining moment came during her final home game of her career against Buena Vista, when she delivered a 30-point double-double, the first 30-point, 10-rebound performance by a Prairie Wolf in at least 15 years. Earlier in the season, she pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds against Hastings. Black finished second in the conference with 209 total rebounds and ranked ninth in minutes played at 30.8 per game. She was named American Rivers Conference Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week during the final week of the regular season.
Pettlon, a sophomore guard from Maryville, Missouri, emerged as one of the league's most dynamic perimeter threats. She averaged 12.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while knocking down 58 three-pointers, the fourth-most in a single season in program history. Her ability to stretch the floor and create off the dribble gave NWU consistent scoring punch.
She delivered a career-high 25 points in a road win at Graceland and developed into a focal point of the offense while maintaining the defensive intensity that defined the team's approach.
Demke's impact often showed up in the margins and in the defensive box score. The sophomore guard averaged 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while leading the Prairie Wolves with 2.2 steals per contest. Her anticipation and activity fueled a defense-first system that kept NWU competitive throughout conference play.
In the season finale at Dubuque, Demke authored one of the most disruptive performances of her career, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and seven steals, tying a career high and sealing the sweep.
The postseason recognition arrives as Sydney Golladay was officially named head coach after serving as interim since November. The All-Conference honors provide tangible evidence of growth and a foundation for what the Prairie Wolves believe is ahead.
