Jessica Hunt Named to All-NECC First Team

All nine of the sponsored programs were represented on the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women’s Basketball All-Conference Teams according to NECC Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, three separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were voted upon and selected this week.

Bay Path College junior and Wildcats forward Jessica Hunt of Madison, CT, was named to the All-NECC First Team, along with Becker College senior Beth Pion of Enfield, CT; Elms College junior Amanda Brogna of Oxford, MA; Lesley University junior Hailee Lowe of Hamilton, MA; and Mitchell College junior Jennifer Iglesias of Waterbury, CT.

Second team honors went to Mitchell freshman Destiney Harris of Bristol, CT; Southern Vermont College freshman Joa Claircius of Clermont, FL; Becker senior Rachel Pinak of Cheektowaga, NY; Elms senior Paige Schneider of Windsor, CT; and Lesley sophomore Kaitlyn Wechsler of Merrick, NY.

Five players received honorable mention: Wheelock College junior Sarah Brown of Plainville, CT, Lesley senior Lani Cabral-Pini of Wilmington, MA, Daniel Webster College junior Nicole Conley of Hinesburg, VT, Newbury College junior Katelyn Mark of Quincy, MA, and Elms freshman Carolyn Talmadge of Wilbraham, MA.

In other NECC news, the Mitchell College Mariners received top honors as the team tied for first place in the NECC, and Iglesias, a Mariners’ guard, was named the 2009 NECC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Fellow Mariner Harris, a center, nabbed the 2009 NECC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year. Iglesias and Harris were joined by their head coach Cas Grygorcewicz, who was named the 2009 NECC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

The Eagles of Daniel Webster, led by second-year head coach Heather Jacobs, were honored as the 2009 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients.

Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was conducted among all NECC women’s basketball head coaches.