Members of the NIU women’s basketball team have selected Lisa Foss and Toby Meeks as co-captains for the upcoming season.

Already in leadership positions as seniors, the two guards will be directing the team on and off the floor, a task that Meeks compares to her role as a veteran.

“I think it’s a great honor to be elected captain,” Meeks said. “Just being a senior puts me in a leadership position. It’s more of a communicative thing between the coaches and the players, but nothing more than really being a senior.”

At the annual media luncheon held on Monday at Chick Evans Field House, the announcement of the co-captains wasn’t the only thing on the menu. Head coach Jane Albright introduced the entire 1990-91 team, but with a bit of a twist. Entering her seventh season at the helm, Albright compared this year’s squad to a bumblebee.

“The bumblebee is a strange creature,” Albright said. “People say that it’s impossible for a bumblebee to fly (because its body is too heavy for its wings) and people are worried about us this year.”

Concern is being expressed over the loss of Carol Owens, Tammy Hinchee and Kris Weis to graduation. The trio accounted for 58 percent of last season’s rebounds and 53 percent of the points in 1989-90. Not to mention the fear instilled by possibly one of the best post-tandems in the country last season.

Owens is now in Japan, Hinchee is playing in Spain and Weis is preparing to be married to Ted Hennings, the NIU football alumnus who tried out for the Chicago Bears this year.

Although Albright and Co. aren’t concerned about the make-up of this team, the coach acknowledged the inexperience factor, but quickly overruled it. The winning experience that the players have under their belts coupled with the team’s youth make them comparable to the bee.

“The bumblebees don’t know that they can’t fly, so they fly anyway,” Albright said. “And our team doesn’t know what they are not supposed to do, so…”

As per any coach making preseason predictions, Albright didn’t promise anything, but did avow her excitement about the team. Another aspect Albright smiled about is the automatic bid allotted to the champions of the North Star Conference in 1990-91.

“A great thing is the automatic bid,” Albright said. “Now, we don’t have the pressure of having our best game every time out.”

So obviously, the Huskies will be aiming high within the conference. But, according to Albright, the NSC won’t be as easy as last season when NIU coasted to a 12-0 showing.

“There’s a lot more balance this year,” Albright said. “Last season, we were a lot better than all the other teams. You won’t see that lopsidedness this year because the other teams are better.”

Mainly because the NSC foes haven’t lost a big chunk of their 1989-90 starting line-up, unlike the Huskies.

“We’ve worked hard and are ready for the year,” Albright added. “The momentum is on our side.”