Former Cougar wraps up basketball career with stellar senior season at Concordia

           Amber Kistler has had a whirlwind basketball career.

And, when the former Bayard and Western Nebraska Community College athlete graduates Saturday from Concordia University she can reflect back on her athletic career knowing that she left lasting impressions on her coaches, teammates, and supporters. After Saturday’s graduation, Kistler will then begin a new chapter in her life, one without a basketball in her as as she begins an accelerated nursing program on May 14 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

                Kistler could not have asked for a better ending then competing in the Final Four of the NAIA national championships. Despite not bringing home a national title, she couldn’t have asked for a more prestigious athletic career at Concordia.

                “It is a great feeling to know that all the hours in the gym, weight room, and hard work in the off season paid off and that other people recognize that,” she said. “Our conference is the best in the NAIA, in the Final Four there were 3 teams from our conference competing. To being named on the first team for the GPAC is a great accomplishment. It is an honor to receive any type of award and it is great that was in the Omaha World Herald, I have been really blessed to get the opportunity to be recognized.”

Her final honor came just a few weeks ago when she was tabbed the honorary captain of the Omaha World Herald’s all-Nebraska NAIA team. Other honors or accomplishments that Kistler received this year read like a Heisman Trophy winner’s accomplishments.

She earned GPAC Player of the Week, NAIA Player of the Week, was a NAIA 2012 All-American First Team selection, Omaha World Herald NAIA All Nebraska First Team & Co-Captain, 2012 Daktronics Scholar-Athlete, Co-Captain of the 2011-2012 Concordia Bulldogs, and Team Co-Offensive Player of the Year,

As a team, she helped the Bulldogs to a 34-3 record this season helping them to the GPAC tournament championship, GPAC regular reason champs, NAIA tournament qualifier, NAIA FINAL FOUR.

“We were 34-3 this year with the best record in the nation,” she said. “God truly blessed me with being able to be a part of this team. Our team was simply amazing. Our team was so successful because we took it one game at a time and focused on that.

“A big part of the success for me was that I did not go in to the game thinking I had to make big plays, score a certain amount of points, or anything like that. I went in every game willing to do whatever it took to win that game, whether it was passing, rebounding, defense, or scoring, I just wanted to win, I did not care if I scored 50 points or eight points, as long as we came out with a W.”

Kistler broke the Concordia single-season scoring record when she scored 37 points in a game against Briar Cliff. And, in the that game, she contributed all the way around, nearly totaling a triple double, finishing with eight rebounds and eight 3-pointers.

“The ball just kept going in, it was awesome,” she said. “Other big games were the GPAC Championship game where our fans stormed the court and we got tackled. It was crazy and unbelievable.”

Concordia women’s basketball coach Drew Olson said he saw a lot of basketball smarts in the talented guard.

“Amber is awesome and she is one of my favorite players I have had the chance to coach,” Olson said. “I only had her for two years here at Concordia but I saw so much development from her on and off the court. This season she became one of the best players in the country.”

Olson said what makes Kistler stand out is her wiliness to work hard to get better and that is what she did from her junior to senior year.

“Her big development from last year to this year was her understanding of what a good shot was for her,” he said.”Her percentage increased and became much more efficient on the offensive end.  Defensively she is always a terror.  She is so physical, so scrappy, and so competitive. I just loved her competitive greatness and work ethic every day. 

“I also saw an incredible change in her off the court too.  Amber came to Concordia with her guard up and didn’t really let anybody in.  But this year, she was so open, she had so much trust in her coaches, and so much love for her teammates.  It was awesome to watch.  I am so glad to have been able to witness that part of her life. We are going to miss Amber’s big shots, toughness, and attitude that she brought to this team. I am really excited to see her continue to be successful outside of basketball.  I am just really happy that she had this type of success and accolades that have followed.  She deserves it.”

Basketball has always been Kistler’s first love since playing at the Highland Country School and she continued excelling on the court through her four years at Bayard and her two years at WNCC. She also excelled in volleyball and track and field at Bayard, but those don’t compare to her love for basketball.

“Country school basketball is where I really knew I was in love with the game,” she said. “The country schools did not have any girl’s teams so we played on the boy’s teams. I remember being part of a little controversy [at Highland] because Amy Long, Terri and Toni Hulinsky, and I wanted to play basketball.”

“At WNCC, again I was blessed and lucky enough to play under head coach Dave Harnish. He molded me into much of the player I am to this day. He taught me how to be disciplined, be a smarter player even though he might still argue this, and showed me that hard work really does pay off in the end. I learned the most from him and I respect him so much”

Kistler excelled on the courts at WNCC from 2008-2010 and even though she never got to realize a Region IX championship, she was a two-year starter and was not afraid to hit the floor for a loose ball. Kistler finished with 337 points her sophomore season with 39 3-pointers, while hitting for 80 percent from the free throw line (90 of 113). She also finished with 63 assists and 48 steals. As a freshman, she had 202 points in just 23 games.

                At Concordia, Kistler finished with 530 points her senior season with an 84.9 free throw shooting percentage (118 of 139). She also buried 75 3-pointers and had 143 rebounds. She also had 91 assists and 83 steals. As a junior at Concordia, she finished with 342 points, 133 rebounds, 64 assists, 54 steals, 40 3-pointers and was 114 of 140 from the free throw line.

                In her four years of playing collegiate basketball, Kislter amazed 1,411 points, with 179 3-pointers. She also totaled 450 rebounds, 249 assists, and 212 steals.

“Concordia was just the cherry on top of a few great years of basketball,” she said. “Like I said, I had an amazing ending to my career, great teammates, and the best coaches. I could not have asked for more.”

For Kistler, the success she had on the court came from hard work and she is a perfect role model of what young girls can achieve through hard work.

“My advice to younger girls would be to work hard, get in the gym and get better,” she said. “You won't get anywhere if you don't work hard at it. Also, pray about it; it is a big decision and requires a lot of commitment. Most of all, do what you want to do, do not let anyone discourage you or defer you away from your dreams, go for it.”

Her future plans are pretty well set. Her playing days will consist of playing recreational and for fun. But, after she gets her nursing degree, her next big challenge is planning her wedding. She is engaged to former Bridgeport standout Jase Dean.

“I am really excited for that day [the wedding],” she said. “We have not got too deep in to planning yet. That part has been easier so far and it has not taken any early morning practices to do yet so that has been wonderful.”

But as she departs her collegiate career, she will miss that relationship she has developed with her teammates.

“There have been so many girls that I have become close to and will miss so much,” she said. “I thought I would miss the actual playing, but right now it is more of not being able to be around people that have the same passion and love for basketball that I do. I just want to thank God, my family and friends, coaches, players, teachers that have helped me in any way to get where I am today. God has blessed me with great people in my life and I am so thankful.”