Story courtesy of Christa Parulis-Kaye, Assistant Commissioner of Media Relations

For Immediate Release:
February 26, 2009

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - All nine of the sponsored programs were represented on 2009 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women's Basketball All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, three separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week.

The Mitchell College Mariners (16-9) took top honors as they finished tied for first place in the NECC at 14-2. The Mariners' junior guard Jennifer Iglesias (Waterbury, Conn.), a business administration major, was named the 2009 NECC Women's Basketball Player of the Year. In conference play, Iglesias averaged 17.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, six assists per game and 1.6 steals per game. She led the conference in steals (96) and assist/turnover ratio (1.7). Iglesias finished sixth in scoring, ninth in field goals percentage (.418), fourth in free throw percentage (.710), eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.340) and third in three-point field goals made (2.3).

Fellow Mariner freshman center Destiney Harris (Bristol, Conn.) nabbed the 2009 NECC Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year for her first season of collegiate play. Harris, a sport management major, topped all freshman players in rebounding at 9.0 boards per game. In conference play, she was eighth in scoring (13.4 ppg), tenth in steals (2.3 spg), seventh in blocked shots (0.7 bpg), fourth in field goal percentage (.489) and eighth in free-throw percentage (.642).

Iglesias and Harris were joined by their head coach Cas Grygorcewicz for top conference honors. Grygorcewicz was named the 2009 NECC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. He led the Mariners to a 16-9 overall record and 14-2 in conference play this season earning Mitchell the top seed in the 2009 NECC Women's Basketball Tournament. Mitchell posted the best overall winning percentage at .640 for their 2008-‘09 campaign.  The Mariners have continued a ten game winning streak heading into the semifinals of the tournament.

The Eagles of Daniel Webster (16-10), led by second year head coach Heather Jacobs, were honored as the 2009 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients. The Eagles finished 10-6 in conference play and earned the #4 seed in the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball Tournament.

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

Joining Iglesias on All-NECC First Team in the forward positions were Elms junior Amanda Brogna (Oxford, Mass.), Bay Path junior Jessica Hunt (Madison, Conn.), Lesley junior Hailee Lowe (Hamilton, Mass.) and Becker senior Beth Pion (Enfield, Conn.).

Second team honors went out to Harris along with Southern Vermont freshman Joa Claircius (Clermont, Fla.), Becker senior Rachel Pinak (Cheektowaga, N.Y.), Elms senior Paige Schneider (Windsor, Conn.) and Lesley Sophomore Kaitlyn Wechsler (Merrick, N.Y.).

Five players received honorable mention honors including Wheelock junior Sarah Brown (Plainville, Conn.), Lesley senior Lani Cabral-Pini (Wilmington, Mass.), Daniel Webster junior Nicole Conley (Hinesburg, Vt.), Newbury junior Katelyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) and Elms freshman Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, Mass.).

2009 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Iglesias, Mitchell, Junior, Guard (Waterbury, Conn.)

2009 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Destiney Harris, Mitchell, Freshman, Center, (Bristol, Conn.)

2009 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL COACH OF THE YEAR: Cas Grygorcewicz, Mitchell College

2009 NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Daniel Webster College

2009 ALL-NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM

Amanda Brogna, Elms, Junior, Forward (Oxford, Mass.)
Jessica Hunt, Bay Path, Junior, Forward (Madison, Conn.)
Jennifer Iglesias, Mitchell, Junior, Guard (Waterbury, Conn.)
Hailee Lowe, Lesley, Junior, Forward (Hamilton, Mass.)
Beth Pion, Becker, Senior, Center (Enfield, Conn.)

2009 ALL-NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM

Joa Claircius, Southern Vermont, Freshman, Guard (Clermont, Fla.)
Destiney Harris, Mitchell, Freshman, Center, (Bristol, Conn.)
Rachel Pinak, Becker, Senior, Forward (Cheektowaga, N.Y.)
Paige Schneider, Elms, Senior, Forward (Windsor, Conn.)
Kaitlyn Wechsler, Lesley, Sophomore, Forward (Merrick, N.Y.)

2009 ALL-NECC WOMENS BASKETBALL HONORABLE MENTION

Sarah Brown, Wheelock, Junior, Guard (Plainville, Conn.)
Lani Cabral-Pini, Lesley, Senior, Guard (Wilmington, Mass.)
Nicole Conley, Daniel Webster, Junior, Guard (Hinesburg, Vt.)
Katelyn Mark, Newbury, Junior, Guard (Quincy, Mass.)
Carolyn Talmadge, Elms, Freshman, Guard (Wilbraham, Mass.)