2016 Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team Announced
Taylor Hodge
LAKELAND, Fla. --- Southeastern junior Christin Strawbridge headlined the list of honorees when The Sun Conference announced the 2016 Women’s Basketball All-Conference team at the conference tournament banquet hosted by Southeastern
on Thursday. The All-Conference team, which features seven first team and seven second team selections, was voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Strawbridge, a native of Lakeland, Fla., was named the conference Player of the Year and also garnered First-Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team accolades. The 6-2 forward averaged 16 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 62.7 percent from the field on the season. She recorded a double-double in 14 games this season.
St. Thomas’ Jamesha Willis earned Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as being named the All-Conference First Team. The 5-7 senior from Palatka, Fla., led St. Thomas in scoring with 14.9 points per game and in steals with 69 on the season. Her three steals per game ranks fourth in the NAIA this season.
Willis’ teammates Samara Auguste and Supavadee Kunchuan received Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, respectively. Auguste, a 5-5 freshman guard from West Palm Beach, Fla., averaged 8.9 points and recorded a team-high 71 assists to go along with 52 steals. Kunchuan led the Bobcats in rebounding, averaging 7.3 boards per game. The Bangkok, Thailand, native, averaged 13 points per game while shooting 53.9 percent from the field on the season.
Ave Maria’s Katie Ringdahl is the recipient of the Champions of Character award. The freshman from Gainesville, Fla., leads the Young Life program at Immokalee High School and is the only volunteer in the school and ministers to 1,300 high school students. Ringdahl is also an integral part of ReRun Sneakers, a non-profit organization started in Gainesville in 2012. Their mission is to give used sneakers to children and adults who are less fortunate.
St. Thomas Head Coach Albrey Grimsley was selected as the Coach of the Year. Grimsley led her team to a share of the Regular Season Conference Championship. The Bobcats finished the season at 14-9 overall and with a 13-3 overall record in Sun Conference play. St. Thomas will be the two-seed in the conference tournament.
Conference Tournament play will resume
on Friday when second-seed St. Thomas takes on third-seed Webber International in the first of two semifinal games. Top-seed and host Southeastern will take on fourth-seed Thomas in the second semifinal.
First-Team All-Conference
Christin Strawbridge, Southeastern
Jamesha Willis, St. Thomas
Bra’shey Ali, Thomas
Courtney Murphy, Keiser
Supavadee Kunchuan, St. Thomas
Alyssa Ramos, Southeastern
Marlisa Braxton, Webber International
Second-Team All-Conference
Deslyn Applewhaite, Webber International
Annie Artise, Ave Maria
Bria Joyner-Williams, Thomas
Samara Auguste, St. Thomas
Carlie Newman, Southeastern
Lauren Gillingham, Ave Maria
Katie Rienas, St. Thomas
All-Defensive Team
Jamesha Willis, St. Thomas
Miah Shephard, Keiser
Christin Strawbridge, Southeastern
Mariah Williams, Warner
Ashley Henry, Florida Memorial
Player of the Year
Christin Strawbridge, Southeastern
Defensive Player of the Year
Jamesha Willis, St. Thomas
Freshman of the Year
Samara Auguste, St. Thomas
Newcomer of the Year
Supavadee Kunchuan, St. Thomas
Champions of Character Award
Katie Ringdahl, Ave Maria
Coach of the Year
Albrey Grimsley, St. Thomas
All-Academic Team
Mariah Trinh, Johnson & Wales
Diamond Williams, Johnson & Wales
Khiyandra McCallam, Johnson & Wales
Cassidy Block, Southeastern
Bailey Hooker, Southeastern
Alyssa Ramos, Southeastern
Tiara Young, Southeastern
Tess Wright, Thomas
Charisa Broadway, Warner
Kashari James, Warner