Austin College Athletes Earn Post-Season Awards


Austin College's Kayla Smiley was named Monday to the American Southwest
Conference All Conference team.  Smiley also earned honors being named First
Team All-East Division.  Smiley, a junior from Friona, TX, completed the
season shooitng 63% from the field, good for first place in the conference
and 3rd in the nation.  The 5'8" post averaged 15.7 ppg and 8 rebounds,
leading the Roos to 2nd place in the ASC-Eastern division and an ASC
tournament birth.  


Senior Nelleke Plantinga joined Smiley on the awards list, earning East
Division Defensive Co-Player of the Year.  Plantinga was the East-Division's
second leading shot blocker at 1.12 per game.  The 6'2" senior also earned
Honorable Mention All-East Division.


Junior guard Velencia Johnson (9.9ppg, 6rpg) was named Second-Team All-East
Division, while freshmen Raney Bauer (5.5ppg) and Stephanie Knudson (8.7ppg,
39% 3-point) were named to the East Division Freshman Team.  Knudson
finished the season leading the east in 3-point shooting.   


AC wrapped up their season last Friday 18-8 and 12-2 with a 71-64 loss to
eventual ASC tournament champion Hardin-Simmons University in Clinton, MS.


On the men's side, junior J.P. Johnson was named Second-Team All-East
Division.  Johnson finished the season leading the team in scoring at 15.9
ppg on 44% from the 3-point line and hitting 88% of his free throws.


Mississippi College's Lacey Palomarez and East Texas Baptist University's
Cedric Isom earned East Division Player of the Year honors. 


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Hunter Named Coach of the Year


Austin College's women's basketball coach, Deb Hunter, was honored by her
peers Monday in being named the American Southwest Conference East Division
Coach of the Year.  


Hunter spearheaded a huge turnaround this year taking an 8-17 record from
2002-2003 and turning it into an 18-8 season.  The season included a ten
game win streak, capped by a first round sweep of east division teams.  The
Roos earned a birth in the ASC conference tournament at Mississippi college,
going 12-2 in conference play.  


Hunter is in her fifth season at AC, coming to Sherman in 1999 after a stint
at Colorado College.  She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where
she was named to the Hall of Fame in September.