Phone: 814-863-2672 • Email: msw154@psu.edu
Walseth is in her sixth season at her alma mater where she is primarily responsible for coaching the post players. In addition to her duties as the post coach, Walseth concentrates on special situations for the Lady Lions, while also playing a significant role in the team's recruiting and opponent scouting efforts. She is also the team liaison for academic advising.
"Simply put, Maren is an outstanding post coach," Washington said. "Each year our post play gets better and its due to Maren's exceptional teaching skills. She knows how to help each and every post player reach their potential on the court. Maren has also had a powerful impact on our recruiting efforts. Her passion for Lady Lion basketball shows itself every day and that enthusiasm rubs off on everyone who comes in contact with our program."
Under Walseth's tutelage, post players Nikki Greene and Mia Nickson continued to flourish in 2011-12. Greene took home All-Big Ten honorable mention honors for the second consecutive season after averaging 9.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. She ranked in the Top 10 in the Big Ten in rebounding (4th), field goal percentage (7th- .472) and blocked shots (5th - 1.4).
Nickson fought through a series of injuries and still managed to claim All-Big Ten honorable mention honors as she averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, she was named to the NCAA Tournament Kingston All-Region team after tallying 19 points, five rebounds and two steals against eventual National Semifinalist Connecticut. In Big Ten play, Nickson was eighth in rebounding (7.5) and 10th in field goal percentage (.455).
Walseth also helped Talia East develop into a solid contributor off of the bench for the Lady Lions. With Walseth's guidance, East increased her scoring average from 0.8 points per game as a freshman to 3.4 points per outing as a sophomore. Additionally, East pulled in 5.2 rebounds per game, which far surpassed her freshman average of 1.3 rebounds.
Walseth's influence on Greene became evident in 2010-11 as Greene grew into an all-conference performer in her sophomore season. A daunting figure in the paint, Greene became one of the top shot-blocking forces in the conference en route to Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors. She tallied a career-best 75 rejections, which is sixth on the Penn State single-season list, and became the seventh player in school history with 100 blocks. A 2011 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, Greene was also solid on the boards for the Lady Lions as she accounted for 7.8 rebounds per game to rank sixth in the Big Ten.
With Walseth's guidance, Nickson's development was astounding in her first year in the blue & white as she accounted for 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game after sitting out the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Nickson was ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding and 14th in free throw percentage (.795). Nickson finished second in the league in field goal percentage with a .521 effort and was third in offensive rebounds (3.2).
In 2009-10, Walseth guided Greene, who was the only Lady Lion to start every game. Greene took home Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors (Dec. 14) and finished second on the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg). She was a presence in the paint, rejecting 55 shots, the second-best total among freshman in Penn State history and the ninth-highest single-season total in Lady Lion history.
On the academic front, Penn State continued to find success with five Lady Lions earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. The Lions had seven players earn 3.0 or better GPAs in the fall semester and seven 3.0s or higher in the spring. Additionally, four Lady Lions were on the Dean's List in the spring semester.
Walseth returned to Happy Valley after three seasons as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy. While at Navy, Walseth was primarily responsible for working with the post players, including the development of All-Patriot League performer Nikki Curtis and All-Lowe's Senior CLASS first team selection Kate Hobbs. Additionally, Walseth assisted with recruiting, prepared team scouting reports, managed the film exchange program and worked with the male scout team. She also served as the academic liaison for the women's basketball team.
As a player at Penn State, Walseth was a key member of the Lady Lion team that advanced to the 2000 NCAA Final Four. Walseth, who was also a member of the 1998 WNIT Championship team, is 16th on the Lady Lions' career scoring charts with 1,328 points and 19th in rebounding (645). During her career, Walseth earned All-Big Ten first team accolades in 2000 and 2001, a Kodak All-District berth in 2001 and a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman squad in 1998.
After her time at Penn State, Walseth, who was the Sacramento Monarch's third-round pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft, spent four years in the professional ranks. Walseth spent the 2002 season with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, before heading overseas to play with Cavigal of the French Basketball Federation in 2002-03. She also played with SCAB 63 of the French Basketball Federation, in addition to a season with the Colorado Chill of the National Women's Basketball League.
Walseth was inducted into the Bloomington Jefferson (Minn.) High School Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in the fall of 2006. Also part of the inaugural class were NHL players Ben Clymer and Mark Parrish and former Charlotte Hornet Kevin Lynch.
Walseth earned her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism with a minor in movement science from Penn State in 2002.
