2008-09 All-PSAC Women's Basketball Teams
Lock Haven, Pa. - Shippensburg’s Lauren Beckley, who was last year’s PSAC West Player of the Year, has been named this year’s PSAC East Player of the Year after the Lady Raiders moved to the Eastern Division this year, while IUP’s Jahzinga Tracey and Brooque Williams have been named the PSAC West co-Players of the Year, the first time in league history that there have been co-Players of the Year in women’s basketball. That trio highlighted the All-PSAC East and West women’s basketball teams as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Beckley, a junior out of Fairfield, Pa., is also on an All-PSAC first team for the third straight year as she was also a two-time All-PSAC West first team selection in her first two years at Shippensburg. She leads the All-PSAC East first team this year. One of three players in the PSAC to average a double-double and one of three to average over 20 points per game, Beckley finished the year second in the PSAC in scoring at 21.5 points per game and led the league in rebounding at 11.4 boards per contest and in defensive rebounds with 9.1 per game. A dual threat from both the inside and outside, Beckley finished third in the league in both three-point field goal percentage and three-pointers made, and second in free throw percentage at 86.4 percent.
Williams, a junior out of Pittsburgh and Tracey, a senior out of Des Moines, Iowa, led their respective teams to PSAC championships this year, as both helped their teams maintain championship streaks. Williams helped California (Pa.) to its second consecutive PSAC West championship, as the Vulcans won the division by one game this year after tying with IUP to the division title last year. Tracey helped the Crimson Hawks to their third straight PSAC Tournament title, as IUP knocked off Cal in last weekend’s championship game after losing to the Vulcans in both regular season meetings.
Williams currently leads the PSAC in scoring at 22.1 points per game and is second in rebounding behind Beckley at 10.8 boards per game. Also a good defender, Williams finished second in the PSAC with 3.6 steals per game. She will lead her team into the NCAA regional this weekend at the No. 1 seed. Tracey is just short of averaging a double-double at 19.3 points per game and 9.7 rebounds, but should have a chance to finish the year doing just that as she leads the PSAC champion Crimson Hawks in NCAA regional play this weekend as well. An extremely accurate shooter from inside, Tracey’s 57.3 field goal percentage is third in the PSAC. She is also the conference’s leading offensive rebounder, averaging 4.5 offensive boards per game.
Bloomsburg’s Kelsey Gallagher, an eight-time PSAC East Freshman of the Week selection this year, has been named the PSAC East Freshman of the Year while Edinboro’s Renee’ Brown, a seven-time PSAC West Freshman of the Week pick this year, is this year’s PSAC West Freshman of the Year. Gallagher quickly became the center of the Bloomsburg offense this year and was the busiest player in the league, as she led the PSAC in minutes played this year while also lead the Huskies in scoring at 15.4 points per game. Brown averaged 11.2 points per game for the Fighting Scots this year.
Kutztown’s Janet Malouf is the PSAC East Coach of the Year while California (Pa.)’s Heather Kearney is the PSAC West Coach of the Year. Malouf led the Golden Bears to a third place finish in the PSAC East at 10-4 and 20-8 overall, one spot higher than the Bears were projected to finish in the preseason poll. Kearney, in her first year as the Vulcans’ head coach, has guided Cal to a 13-1 divisional record and a 26-4 overall mark this year and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA regional that begins this weekend.
Also highlighting the All-PSAC East first team is East Stroudsburg’s Jackie Yandrisevits. Now a four-time All-PSAC East selection and a three-time first team pick, Yandrisevits broke East Stroudsburg’s school record for career points earlier this year. She was the other player of the trio of PSAC players to average over 20 points per game this year, as she came in just a shade over at 20.1 and also had 8.4 rebounds to lead the Warriors. Joining Yandrisevits on the first team were repeat selections Gladine St. Julien of Millersville, and last year’s PSAC East Player of the Year, Dana Weems of West Chester. Weems’ teammate Janelle Garber, a second team selection last year, joins her teammate on the first team while Kutztown’s Melissa McQuade, the other player from the trio that averaged a double-double in the PSAC this year, rounds out the East first team.
Six new face dot the All-PSAC East second team, led by the Freshman of the Year, Gallagher, who is the only freshman to be named to either the East of West first or second teams this year. She is joined on the second team by last year’s East Freshman of the Year, West Chester’s Megan Stewart. Four juniors round out the team, featuring the Cheyney duo of Lutiffyya Muhammad and Angel Stephens, Kutztown’s Rachel Wisemiller and Millersville’s Jenna Craig.
Tracey and Williams highlight the Western Division first team. Tracey is also now a four-time All-PSAC West selection and a three-time first team selection as well. Clarion’s Katrina Greer is also a repeat first team selection and ends her outstanding career as a three-time All-PSAC West pick. Kayla Smith of California (Pa.) is also a repeat first team selection while Edinboro’s Kelsey Conklin, a second team pick from last year, moves up to the first team this year. Gannon’s Kristina Freeman rounds out the first team.
The second team is highlighted by Edinboro’s Samantha Reimer, a first team honoree last year. The remainder of the second team is all first-time All-Conference honorees, featuring Amy Achesinski of Mercyhurst, Lindsay Johnson of California (Pa.), Sasha Sales of Slippery Rock and Brittany Tabron of Gannon. Clarion’s Bethany Koch and Gannon’s Carrie Nolan were tied in the voting for the final spot on the second team and as a result, both were named to it.
2008-09 All-PSAC East Women’s Basketball Team
First Team
Lauren Beckley** Shippensburg Jr. Fairfield, Pa./Fairfield
Janelle Garber^ West Chester Jr. Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown
Melissa McQuade Kutztown So. Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler
Gladine St. Julien* Millersville Sr. Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley
Dana Weems* West Chester Sr. Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove
Jackie Yandrisevits**^ East Stroudsburg Sr. Wind Gap, Pa./Nazareth
Second Team
Jenna Craig Millersville Jr. Lewistown, Pa./Lewistown
Kelsey Gallagher Bloomsburg Fr. East Stroudsburg, Pa./ES South
Lutiffyya Muhammad Cheyney Jr. Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware State
Angel Stephens Cheyney Jr. Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem
Megan Stewart West Chester So. York, Pa./York Catholic
Rachel Wisemiller Kutztown Jr. Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton
PSAC East Player of the Year
Lauren Beckley Shippensburg Jr. Fairfield, Pa./Fairfield
PSAC East Freshman of the Year
Kelsey Gallagher Bloomsburg Fr. East Stroudsburg, Pa./ES South
PSAC East Coach of the Year
Janet Malouf Kutztown
* Indicates previous All-PSAC first team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC second team selection
2008-09 All-PSAC West Women’s Basketball Team
First Team
Kelsey Conklin^ Edinboro Jr. Edinboro, Pa./General McLane
Kristina Freeman Gannon Jr. Yonkers, N.Y./Pelham Memorial
Katrina Greer*^ Clarion Sr. Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley
Kayla Smith* California (Pa.) So. Elkins, W.Va./Elkins
Jahzinga Tracey**^ IUP Sr. Des Moines, Iowa/Hoover
Brooque Williams* California (Pa.) Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry
Second Team
Amy Achesinski Mercyhurst So. Butler, Pa./Butler
Lindsay Johnson California (Pa.) Sr. New Springfield, Ohio/Springfield
Samantha Reimer* Edinboro Jr. Altoona, Pa./Altoona
Sasha Sales Slippery Rock Sr. Cleveland, Ohio/Martin Luther King
Brittany Tabron Gannon Jr. Canton, Ohio/Central Catholic
Bethany Koch Clarion (tie) Jr. Sligo, Pa./Union
Carrie Nolan Gannon (tie) Jr. Girard, Pa./Girard
PSAC West co-Players of the Year
Jahzinga Tracey IUP Sr. Des Moines, Iowa/Hoover
Brooque Williams California (Pa.) Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry
PSAC West Freshman of the Year
Renee’ Brown Edinboro Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia Catholic
PSAC West Coach of the Year
Heather Kearney California (Pa.)
* Indicates previous All-PSAC first team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC second team selection