When Cesca Vardman moves on from Kishwaukee College to pursue her doctorate in psychiatry from Northern Illinois University, she’ll be leaving the women’s basketball program as the school’s all-time record holder in career steals.

Vardman saw improvements across the board throughout her sophomore season with the Lady Kougars. The former Rochelle Township High School student-athlete averaged 11.3 points, second-most on the team, while adding 4.1 rebounds and a team-leading 4.3 steals per game. Vardman appeared in 27 games, totaling 19 double-digit scoring performances.

“My second season with the team was a lot of fun,” Vardman said. “The best part about playing junior college basketball was the different competition I got to see. What I enjoyed most was being on a team with such amazing people. The thing I will miss most is not only playing, but seeing my teammates every day. They are all great people.”

Vardman recorded a triple-double in her final game with the Lady Kougars, scoring 11 points while adding 15 rebounds and a career-high 10 steals against Moraine Valley Community College. She finished her two-year NJCAA career with a school-record 197 steals, and she grabbed 117 of those steals during her sophomore campaign.

Vardman increased her field-goal percentage by over 10 points this season, and her 3-point shooting percentage rose by about nine points. Her improved shooting paid off with a career-high 20 points against Carl Sandburg College on Feb. 11. On defense, Vardman notched at least five steals in 11 of the team’s 27 games this season.

“My role was to push everybody as hard as I could during practice so that our work would transition to our games,” Vardman said. “I think my defense is where I improved the most. My goal this season was to beat the steals record at Kishwaukee College and I accomplished that by getting better on defense.”