Cal-U Women's Basketball Team Celebrating National Championship
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - March Madness was in full swing over the weekend with the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8 contests shown on KDKA-TV.
But, the Division II titles were handed out as well and the women's trophy for 2015 now makes it home in California, Pa.
The celebration continued this weekend as the Cal-U women's basketball team touched down at Pittsburgh International Airport.
"It's amazing. It's been great to be here with the team and to travel and have everyone tell us congratulations all day. It's just been amazing," sophomore Miki Glenn said.
"Mind blowing. To me, it just seemed too easy. Like, we knew we wanted this so bad and we worked so hard for it, and I'm just glad we got it," freshman Searra Barrett said.
But, getting to Friday's championship game and winning it didn't come without challenges.
In January, teammate Shanince Clark died in her sleep from a blood disorder.
"In that situation, you can either fall apart or you can come together, and the kids just decided to come together and they really believed they were family and they stuck together through everything. But, it's amazing. They could have fell apart, but they didn't at all," coach Jessica Strom said.
"Every single game after she passed was tough to play, but we knew we were taking the court for her and that everything we did was for her -- and this right here is for her as well," Glenn said.
"She is somewhere dancing right now and just laughing and being proud right now," Barrett said.
"We knew she was with us anyway. It's hard, but when you know she is with us it's forever family," Kaitlynn Fratz said.
The celebration continues Tuesday morning with a parade through California.
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