(Thursday, December 14; Sioux Center, Iowa) Ava Lingemann, a senior at Ethan High School (South Dakota), has announced her intention to attend Dordt and join the Defender basketball program.  

"Ava has had a tremendous high school basketball career at Ethan High School under the direction of Tom Young.  She is a student of the game and has consistently improved throughout her high school years.  Ava is the definition of a servant leader and will impact our program and campus community with her humble and intentional personality," said Dordt basketball coach Bill Harmsen.  

Lingemann averaged 20.6 points per game as a high school junior with 5.6 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 rebounds per game. She converted 45 percent of her three-point shots and has scored over 1,000 career points. She earned first-team all-state honors last season and was the 2023-24 South Dakota Class B Preseason Player of the Year.  

"I chose to attend Dordt University because it feels like home. Everyone I met on campus and in Sioux Center was incredibly welcoming and kind. I also chose Dordt because I will be surrounded by like-minded people who truly care for me. Another huge reason I chose to attend Dordt is because of the chemistry of the women's basketball team. All of the coaches and players are so inviting to me, and I love that they all cheer each other on no matter the circumstances. Finally, I believe that I will be able to fulfill my calling from God and emulate servantship to Him by attending Dordt University," said Lingemann.  

Ava is the daughter of Chris and Crystal Lingemann of Ethan, South Dakota. She plans to study education at Dordt.  

Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).    

U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.