NEW HAVEN - Holy Family University junior point guard Kelly Killion has been named the women's basketball Player of the Year in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), as the All-Conference teams were released today. Wilmington College freshman forward Amelia Simmons has earned Rookie of the Week accolades, while Holy Family head coach Mike McLaughlin has been named Coach of the Year by his peers for the 11th time in his 12 years at Holy Family. Nyack College has been handed the annual Team Sportsmanship Award. The Conference's 12 head coaches conducted the voting.
Killion leads the team with 14.4 points per-game and is among the national leaders in 3-point field-goals made (78) and 3-point percentage (44.6). Her 3-point field-goal percentage is ninth in Division II, and her 3-point field-goals made ranks 16th. In the conference, Killion is the leader in 3-point field goals made and she is fifth in assists (4.22). Killion, who was named to the All-CACC first team for the second straight season, scored her 1,000th career point in a 76-33 win over Felician on February 7.
Senior forward Meg Abele and senior center Alisha Ferguson of Philadelphia were both first team picks after leading the Rams to the second seed in this week's CACC Tournament. Abele was named to the first team for the second consecutive year after leading the conference in scoring (22.0 ppg) in the regular season. Ferguson leads the conference in rebounding (13.3) and ranks second nationally in the category. She also stands eighth in the CACC in scoring (15.7).
Other first team honorees were senior Shelby Rance of USP and senior guard Cherrise Graham of Goldey-Beacom. Rance is a three-time, first team All-CACC pick. She ranks sixth in the CACC in scoring (16.2) and second in free-throw percentage (85.6). Graham enjoyed an outstanding first season in the CACC and finished the regular-season second in the conference in scoring (20.9).
The All-CACC second team consists of 2005-06 CACC Co-Player of the Year, Megan Bauer of Holy Family, sophomore Mackenzie Lynch of Caldwell, junior forward Toni Jones of Goldey-Beacom, senior guard Jackie Tracey-Spitaleri of Dominican and junior forward Marissa Franklin of Bloomfield.
Wilmington College had three players make the third team in junior guard Sherrelle Holmes, junior forward Nordia Henry and freshman forward Amelia Simmons. The rest of the third team, which featured six players due to a tie in the voting, was senior guard Marjorie Prado and senior forward Tadj Williams of Post and Melissa Brooks of Holy Family.
The complete All-CACC team is listed on the following page.
2006-07 All-CACC Women's Basketball Teams
FIRST TEAM
F Meg Abele Philadelphia Sr. Lititz, PA
C Alisha Ferguson Philadelphia Sr. Fort Washington, PA
G Cherrise Graham Goldey-Beacom Sr. Philadelphia, PA
G Kelly Killon Holy Family Jr. Pennsauken, NJ
G Shelby Rance USP Sr. Bloomsburg, PA
SECOND TEAM
C Megan Bauer Holy Family Sr. Norwood, PA
F Marissa Franklin Bloomfield Jr. Pleasantville, NJ
F Toni Jones Goldey-Beacom Jr. Rehoboth Beach, DE
F Mackenzie Lynch Caldwell So. Wayne, NJ
G Jackie Tracey-Spitaleri Dominican Sr. Bronx, NY
THIRD TEAM
G Melissa Brooks Holy Family So. Levittown, PA
F Nordia Henry Wilmington Jr. Philadelphia, PA
G Sherrelle Holmes Wilmington Jr. Philadelphia, PA
G Marjorie Prado Post Sr. Bronx, NY
F Amelia Simmons Wilmington Fr. Wilmington, DE
F Tadj Williams Post Sr. Albany, NY
Honorable Mention: Shantae Barnes, Bloomfield; Rashanna Edwards, USP; Adele Laskowski, Dominican
Player of the Year: Kelly Killion, Holy Family
Rookie of the Year: Amelia Simmons, Wilmington
Coach of the Year: Mike McLaughlin, Holy Family
Team Sportsmanship Award: Nyack College