University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Dr. Karalyn Church 2000 - Basketball
Karalyn Church, inducted into the UVM Hall of Fame in 2010, is arguably one of the best players to don the Green & Gold Vermont uniform. A two-time America East Player of the Year (1998 & 2000), she finished her four-year basketball career as the program's all-time leading scorer and ranked fourth among the conference's all-time scoring leaders (2,317 points).
Church, the team MVP during both her junior and senior seasons, led the Catamounts in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and field goal percentage as a junior and senior. She finished her career ranked among Vermont's top 10 all-time leaders in nine different statistical categories and the all-time leader in four: points, field goal percentage (60.9), field goals made (928) and games played (117). She also ended up second in free throws made (438), third in rebounds (904), steals (216) and blocks (92), and 10th in assists (256).
She finished the 1999-2000 season among the NCAA leaders in field goal percentage. Church led Vermont to the America East Regular Season Championship, the America East Title, a NCAA berth and was named the America East Most Outstanding Player as a senior. She was also a unanimous America East All-Conference First Team selection during her final season. Church was named the America East Player of the Week 11 times during her career and was just the second player in conference history to reach the 1,000-point plateau as a sophomore. She reached double figures in 100 consecutive games during her career and was the fastest UVM player to 500 rebounds, as she accomplished the feat in only 68 games played.
Church also succeeded off the court, becoming the first player to garner GTE Academic All-America First Team honors during her senior year. She is also a two-time All-District All-Academic selection and one of just five players in America East history to earn all-conference honors all four years. A psychology major with a double minor in biology and chemistry, Church had a cumulative GPA of 3.68 while also earning the J. Edward Donnelly Award as a senior.
Following graduation, Church competed for a spot on the Canadian Olympic Team. Church also became the first UVM women's basketball player to earn an invitation to the WNBA Pre-Draft Camp following graduation. Her accolades include being named to the Women's Basketball News Service Preseason All-America Second Team in both 1998-99 and 1999-00, earning a spot on the 2000 Women's Basketball Journal All-America Team, and being inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
