(Sioux City, Iowa) – Shandra Farmer of Hastings College has been selected as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Year and headlines the GPAC Basketball All-Conference Teams for 2019-20. Farmer, a senior, averaged 13.2 points per game. She also averaged 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game for the Broncos who went 28-2 overall and 20-2 in conference play.
Other GPAC basketball honorees for 2019-20 include: Defensive Player-of-the-Year Philly Lammers of Concordia; Freshman-of-the-Year Konnor Sudmann of Briar Cliff; and the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Coach-of-the-Year Jina Douglas from Hastings. The All-GPAC Basketball Teams and honors are selected by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Sammy Blum is among 10 players to receive first team accolades. Blum was the top scorer for the Red Raiders this season, averaging 15.6 points per game, sixth best in the GPAC. The junior led the GPAC in both three-point percentage (38%) and free throw percentage (86%) while making 72 three-pointers, third most in the league. Blum, an honorable mention selection last year, scored in double figures in 25 games this season.
“I am excited that Sammy would be recognized for this past season,” says Head Coach Chris Yaw. “She has worked hard to develop the ability to shoot the ball at a good percentage. Sammy puts lots of time to be a good shooter and scorer. She comes to compete each day in practice to make herself better and her teammates better.”
Alexis Toering is one of 10 players on this year’s second team as voted upon by the league coaches. Toering was the top rebounder in the conference, pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game, to go with 11.3 points per contest. The sophomore shot 48% from the field and led the team in both steals (63) and blocked shots (17). Toering recorded her first career double-double in the Red Raiders loss at Morningside in the GPAC Quarterfinal and scored in double figures in 15 games.
“I am humbled by the way that Lexi battled and competed as a post player for us this season,” states Yaw. “Being under-sized in almost every contest, she was able to be a double-digit scorer and the GPAC’s leading rebounder. Those statistics are a testament to her athleticism and to the competitor she is.”
Devyn Kemble and Bre Schuiteman earned honorable mention all-conference honors for Head Coach Chris Yaw’s squad. Kemble was third on the team in scoring (10.4ppg) and three-pointers made (45) while shooting 36% from beyond the arc. Kemble totaled 33 assists and grabbed 2.7 boards per game. She scored in double figures in 17 games, including a season-high 26 points in her team’s win at Jamestown.
“Devyn has worked at the craft of shooting the basketball. She was able to have some high-scoring games as a JV player a year ago and proved to have grown in her ability by having some of those same games as a varsity starter this season. A big part of our team playing so well over the course of our last 6-7 games had a lot to do with her embracing being a defensive presence on the other team’s best perimeter player. Devyn’s hard work is evident,” says Yaw.
Schuiteman ranked seventh in the GPAC with 61 three-pointers, shooting 38% from the arc, third best in the conference. The senior averaged 10 points and three rebounds per game while scoring in double figures in 15 contests.
“I couldn’t be more excited for Bre to be recognized by the GPAC for her performance this past season,” comments Yaw. “To play, lead and contribute to our team the way she did following ACL repairs in both knees is special. Bre did such a great job leading our team through her daily positive and committed approach. She has worked hard to be a very good shooter and continued to improve the consistency and quickness of her shot throughout her playing career.”
“Although these are individual recognitions, these four players, along with each and every one of their teammates, are selfless and humble teammates and friends,” comments Yaw. “Their ability to put others first and to work hard for the sake of improving others is the greatest mark they have and will put on our program.”
Northwestern finished sixth in the GPAC with a 12-10 record, 17-11 overall.
Erika Feenstra (Junior; Hull, Iowa), Rachel Evavold (Senior; Bloomington, Minnesota) and Karly Gustafson (Freshman; Ethan, South Dakota) claimed honors for the Defenders who were rated no. 12 in the NAIA Division II Coaches’ Poll when the regular season ended.
Feenstra led the Defenders in scoring with a 17.6 points per game average and she converted 60.4 percent of her field goal attempts which ranks in the top-10 in the nation. Feenstra also grabbed 5.9 rebounds per game and converted 80.8 percent of her free throws. Feenstra was a first-team selection in 2019 and also earned second-team all-American and Academic all-American honors that season.
Evavold claims second-team honors for the third straight season and averaged 10.1 points per game this season with 5.2 rebounds and she converted 61.6 percent of her field goal attempts. Evavold also handed out more than two assists per game for the Defenders in helping them to a fourth place finish in the GPAC and a likely at-large berth to the NAIA Division II National Championship.
Gustafson claims honorable mention honors after scoring 9.8 points per game and leading the Defenders in rebounding during her freshman season with 6.5 per contest. Gustafson made 53.4 percent of her field goals and averaged just over an assist and steal per game.
The Defenders posted a 24-8 overall regular season record and a 15-7 GPAC record, establishing a single season program record for wins in the process.
For the Complete First and Second Teams along with Honorable Mention selections view the release below:
2019-20 GPAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference Honors
