Southern Oregon's Chelsey Muri captured 2007-08 CCC Player of the Year honors in a vote of the league's head coaches.
SOU's Muri Named CCC Player of Year; Kennedy Honored as Top Coach
PORTLAND, Ore. – Chelsey Muri, who helped lead Southern Oregon University to a 26-4 regular season record and a share of the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season title, has been named the CCC’s Player of the Year, the league office announced Sunday.
Other top award winners in balloting of the league’s head coaches were Christon Vander Esch of The College of Idaho, who was named Defensive Player of the Year; Danielle Clauson of Concordia University, who was named Freshman of the Year; and OIT’s Amanda Johnston, who was named Newcomer of the Year. Fourth-year Southern Oregon head coach Lynn Kennedy, who inherited a program that went 4-25 the season prior to his arrival, was voted Coach of the Year.
Muri, a 5-8 senior guard from Monroe, Wash., finished the 20-game CCC regular season ranked in the top 10 of six statistical categories, including scoring (third, 17.0 ppg), field goal percentage (ninth, .481), steals (second, 2.70 spg), assists (10th, 3.15 apg) and free throw percentage (10th, .765). The Raiders went 17-3 in CCC play to share the regular season title with Eastern Oregon.
Vander Esch, a 5-11 junior forward from Riggins, Idaho, was named the CCC’s Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in blocked shots (41, 2.05 pg) and steals (58, 2.90 pg) during conference play. Vander Esch also finished in the top 10 in total rebounds, offensive rebounds, and defensive rebounds.Clauson, a 5-10 freshman forward from Edmonds, Wash., led the Cavaliers in a host of statistical categories, including points, rebounds, assists and steals. Johnston, a transfer from Umpqua CC, was voted the Newcomer of the Year after averaging 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
2007-08 Cascade Collegiate Conference All-Conference Team
Player of the Year: Chelsey Muri, Sr., G, Southern Oregon
Defensive Player of the Year: Christon Vander Esch, Jr., F, College of Idaho
Newcomer of the Year: Amanda Johnston, Jr., F, Oregon Tech
Freshman of the Year: Danielle Clauson, Fr., F, Concordia
Coach of the Year: Lynn Kennedy, Southern Oregon
| Name |
Institution |
Pos. |
Hgt |
Class |
Hometown |
| Te Awhina Aranui |
Cascade |
F |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Jenna Ball |
Oregon Tech |
G |
5-6 |
Sr. |
Scappoose, Ore. |
| Brittany Bowsher |
Northwest |
F |
6-0 |
Jr. |
Issaquah, Wash. |
| Whitney Clark |
College of Idaho |
G |
5-6 |
Sr. |
Jerome, Idaho |
| Sheena Henderson |
Eastern Oregon |
F |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Coulee City, Wash. |
| Chelsey Muri |
Southern Oregon |
G |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Monroe, Wash. |
| Jennifer Solberg |
Evergreen |
F |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Tacoma, Wash. |
| Jacki Speer |
Southern Oregon |
F |
6-1 |
So. |
Centralia, Wash. |
| Jessica Steigleman |
Corban |
G/F |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Eugene, Ore. |
| Tiffanie Ulmer |
Eastern Oregon |
F |
5-9 |
Sr. |
Ellensburg, Wash. |
Honorable Mention: Denise Benedict, Concordia; Danielle Clauson, Concordia; Amy Croll, Northwest Christian; Elise Gray, Northwest Christian; Amanda Johnston, Oregon Tech; Cora McVey, Oregon Tech; Christon Vander Esch, College of Idaho.
2007-08 Cascade Collegiate Conference All-Defensive Team
| Name |
Institution |
Pos. |
Hgt |
Class |
Hometown |
| Te Awhina Aranui |
Cascade |
F |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Sheena Henderson |
Eastern Oregon |
F |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Coulee City, Wash. |
| Cora McVey |
Oregon Tech |
F |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Dexter, Ore. |
| Jacki Speer |
Southern Oregon |
F |
6-1 |
So. |
Centralia, Wash. |
| Christon Vander Esch |
College of Idaho |
F |
5-11 |
Jr. |
Riggins, Idaho |