KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2016 Division II Women’s Basketball All-America Teams on Thursday. Olivet Nazarene’s (Ill.) Abbey Hengesbach was named the NAIA National Player of the Year.
Hengesbach – a second team selection last year – spearheaded the Bulldogs’ 29-6 season and team’s first quarterfinal appearance at the national championship. The Westphalia Mich., native is the first Olivet athlete to earn the Player of the Year honor since the award was established in 1998. The senior guard led the Tigers in scoring in 2015-16 at 22.7 points per contest (681 total points in 30 games). She also ranked first in steals (225), steal per game (3.4) and assists per game (7.5). Hengesbach hit double-digit figures in all 30 games this year, including four 30-plus point showings.
College of Saint Mary (Neb.) center Deaundra Young, Nicki Monahan, IU Northwest (Ind.) and Brooke Ridley, Saint Francis (Ind.) highlights the repeat selections from last season. All three standouts are making their second-straight appearance on the first and third team.
Ridley, who was named to the third team last year now sees her name on the list of first team players. The senior led her team in points per contest at 20.3 in 28 games played. She also had NAIA-highs in points in a single tilt (43 against Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Nov 11, 2015), and also made 17 field goals in the same game.
Following the conclusion of the national championship final game, Marian (Ind.) head coach Katie Gearlds was named Coach of the Year. Gearlds, who is in her 3rd season with the Knights, guided her team to a 32-6 record en route the national title. The third-ranked team out of the Naismith Bracket took home the title after beating the lone No. 1 seed Southern Oregon, 59-48.
2015-16 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-Americans
First Team:
| Name |
School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Deaundra Young |
College of Saint Mary (Neb.) |
C |
Sr. |
Mims, Fla. |
| Alex, Kneeland |
Mount Marty (S.D.) |
G |
Sr. |
Summit, S.D. |
| Jessica Tietz |
Morningside (Iowa) |
F |
Sr. |
Bancroft, Neb. |
| Abbey Hengesbach |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
G |
Sr. |
Westphalia, Mich. |
| Kara Krolicki |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
G |
So. |
Mokena, Ill. |
| Lakan Hasser-Smith |
Marian (Ind.) |
G |
Sr. |
Lafayette, Ind. |
| Brooke Ridley |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
C |
Sr. |
Fort Wayne, Ind. |
| Ashley Claussen |
Southern Oregon |
G |
Sr. |
Santa Cruz, Calif. |
| Jessica Buck |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
F |
Sr. |
Burnsville, Minn. |
| Shann Sellers |
Friends (Kan.) |
G |
Jr. |
Dallas, Texas |
|
Second Team:
| Name |
School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Christin Strawbridge |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
F |
Jr. |
Lakeland, Fla. |
| Brandy Uchtman |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
F |
Sr. |
Fordland, Mo. |
| Charnelle Reed |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
G |
Jr. |
Chicago Heights, Ill. |
| Erica Herrold |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
F |
Jr. |
Dimock, S.D. |
| Miranda Palmer |
Huntington (Ind.) |
G |
Jr. |
Arcadia, Ohio |
| Sophia Sears |
Goshen (Ind.) |
G |
Jr. |
Paoli, Ind. |
| Julie Whitfill |
Brescia (Ky.) |
G |
Sr. |
Hardinsburgh, Ky. |
| Tena Loewen |
Tabor (Kan.) |
F |
Jr. |
Hillsboro, Kan. |
| Becca Sabol |
Lawrence Tech (Mich.) |
F |
So. |
Shelby Township, Mich. |
| Alex Law |
Davenport (Mich.) |
G |
Sr. |
Grand Haven, Mich. |
|
Third Team:
| Name |
School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Tia King |
Indiana East |
G |
So. |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Jessi Corrick |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
G |
So. |
Esko, Minn. |
| Karly LeVeque |
Oregon Tech |
G |
Sr. |
West Linn, Ore. |
| Halie Butler |
Lawrence Tech University (Mich.) |
F |
Sr. |
Fairport Harbor, Ohio |
| Cassidy Deno |
Purdue Calumet (Ind.) |
G |
Jr. |
Otterbein, Ind. |
| Kelsey Key |
Indiana Wesleyan |
G |
Jr. |
Anderson, Ind. |
| Sydney Greiner |
St. Ambrose (Iowa) |
G |
Sr. |
Washington, Iowa |
| Nicki Monahan |
Indiana Northwest |
G |
Jr. |
Mokena, Ill. |
| Gabby Williams |
Goshen (Ind.) |
C |
Jr. |
Minooka, Ill. |
| Teeka, Thompson |
Hastings (Neb.) |
G |
Sr. |
Columbia Heights, Minn. |
|
Honorable Mention:
| Name |
School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Haley Cook |
Indiana Tech |
G |
So. |
Noblesville, Ind. |
| Lindsey Hernden |
Madonna (Mich.) |
G |
So. |
Romeo, Mich. |
| Kendall Bradbury |
Taylor (Ind.) |
F |
Fr. |
Highlands Ranch, Colo. |
| Bra'shey Ali |
Thomas (Ga.) |
F |
Sr. |
Plainfield, N.J. |
| Ashley Romig |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
C |
Jr. |
Waverly, Kan. |
| Jordyn Miller |
Southwestern (Kan.) |
F |
So. |
Wichita, Kan. |
| Hailey Davis |
Sterling (Kan.) |
G |
Jr. |
Haven, Kan. |
| Kristen Ward |
Johnson & Wales (Colo.) |
G |
Sr. |
Thornton, Colo. |
| Tyler Sumpter |
Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.) |
F |
So. |
Nixon, Nev. |
| Hannah Wisdom |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
G |
Jr. |
Urbana, Mo. |
| Kassidy, DeJong |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
G |
Fr. |
Hospers, Iowa |
| Lexi, Ackerman |
Morningside (Iowa) |
G |
Jr. |
Rock Rapids, Iowa |
| Jessica Almeida |
Marian (Ind.) |
G |
Jr. |
Lisbon, Portugal |
| Catie Fletcher |
Asbury (Ky.) |
G |
Sr. |
Versailles, Ky. |
| Jordan Klembaum |
Eastern Oregon |
G |
Sr. |
Oregon City, Ore. |
| Jade Lowrey |
Corban (Ore.) |
G |
Sr. |
Oregon City, Ore. |
| Carly Meister |
Southern Oregon |
C |
Sr. |
Elma, Wash. |
| Megan Klein |
Dickinson State (N.D.) |
C |
Jr. |
Killdeer, N.D. |
| Haley Froelich |
Presentation (S.D.) |
G |
Jr. |
Lemmon, S.D. |
| Emily Neitzel |
Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) |
G |
Sr. |
Lomira, Wis. |
| Mikayla Leyden |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
G |
Jr. |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Devan Griffin |
St. Ambrose (Iowa) |
F |
Sr. |
Moline, Ill. |
| Dereese Owens |
Point (Ga.) |
G |
Jr. |
Nashville, Tenn. |
| Courtney Danna |
UC Merced (Calif.) |
G |
Jr. |
San Jose, Calif. |
| Jamesha Willis |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
G |
Sr. |
Palatka, Fla. |
| April Watson |
Siena Heights (Mich.) |
F |
Jr. |
Detroit, Mich. |