2009-10 Women's Basketball Weekly Awards

February 22-28

KC Blahnik, Lakeland College
...5-8...Senior...Forward...Gladstone, Mich. (Gladstone)...
Blahnik averaged 15.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the 2010 Northern Athletics Conference Tournament. She scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in a 71-60 victory against Benedictine in the tournament final to advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament.

Other nominees: Gabby Allen (Alverno), Jenn Bren (Benedictine), Hannah Schultz (Edgewood).

February 15-21

Rachel Johnson, Wisconsin Lutheran College
...5-9...Sophomore...Guard...Milwaukee, Wis. (Wisconsin Lutheran)...
Johnson averaged a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for the Warriors, who posted a 2-0 record last week. She finished her week shooting 45.5 percent (10-for-22) from the floor, while also dishing out nine assists.

Other nominees: Lisa Sorgi (Alverno), Becky Gifford (Aurora), Jenn Bren (Benedictine), Marche Smith (Concordia Chicago), Brittany Bylsma (Edgewood), KC Blahnik (Lakeland), Autumn Peotter (Maranatha), Brooke Haen (Marian), Carol Cayo (MSOE).

February 8-14

Marche Smith, Concordia University Chicago
...5-8...Junior...Guard...Oak Park, Ill. (Trinity)...
Smith led CUC to a 3-0 week, as she averaged 23.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She began the week by hitting the game winning shot in a 53-51 win over Aurora. On Thursday at Dominican she had a season-high 16 rebounds and 17 points in the 65-49 victory. Finishing out the week she scored a season-high 36 points versus MSOE on Saturday, the most by any NAC player this season.

Other nominees: Gabby Allen (Alverno), Becky Gifford (Aurora), Pearl Wallace (Concordia Wisconsin), Hannah Schultz (Edgewood), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran).

February 1-7

Marche Smith, Concordia University Chicago
...5-8...Junior...Guard...Oak Park, Ill. (Trinity)...
Smith became the CUC women's career leading scorer on Saturday with the 24th point of her 30-point performance in an overtime win versus Edgewood. She shot a sizzling 16-of-17 at the foul line, and scored four points in the overtime period, including the go-ahead free throws with 1:27 remaining and the clinching free throws with 0.2 seconds left. She also pulled down 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.

Other nominees: Rachel Diedrich (Alverno), Michelle Perry (Aurora), Jenn Bren (Benedictine), Hannah Schultz (Edgewood), KC Blahnik (Lakeland), Carol Cayo (MSOE), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran).

January 25-31

KC Blahnik, Lakeland College
...5-8...Senior...Forward...Gladstone, Mich. (Gladstone)...
Blahnik averaged 21.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game as Lakeland defeated Rockford and Wisconsin Lutheran last week. She scored 19 points on 8-14 shooting with nine rebounds in the Muskies' 59-39 win against Rockford, then put up 24 points and 13 rebounds as Lakeland defeated Wisconsin Lutheran 59-58 in overtime on Saturday.

Other nominees: Shataya McComb (Alverno), Karyn Conerty (Benedictine), Marche Smith (Concordia Chicago), Amber Hemp (Edgewood), Kristin Morrison (Maranatha), Emily Reiter (Marian), Dana Guthrie (MSOE), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran).

January 18-24

Marche Smith, Concordia University Chicago
...5-8...Junior...Guard...Oak Park, Ill. (Trinity)...
Smith tied her season-high for points with 26 and her career-high for steals with eight in CUC's lone game last week, a 70-62 loss to MSOE. She shot 53 percent (9-of-17) from the field and was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line while playing all 40 minutes.

Other nominees: Lisa Sorgi (Alverno), Michelle Perry (Aurora), Jenn Bren (Benedictine), Shae Beckwith (Edgewood), KC Blahnik (Lakeland), Dana Guthrie (MSOE), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran).

January 11-17

Marche Smith, Concordia University Chicago
...5-8...Junior...Guard...Oak Park, Ill. (Trinity)...
Smith led CUC to a perfect 3-0 week with 17.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. She shot 10-of-14 from 3-point range and shot 85 percent from the free-throw line. Versus Marian on Jan. 16, she had 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Other nominees: Becky Gifford (Aurora), Emily Decorah (Edgewood), KC Blahnik (Lakeland), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran).

January 4-10

Gabby Allen, Alverno College
...5-7...Junior...Guard...Milwaukee, Wis. (Bay View)...
Allen averaged 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in a 3-0 week for Alverno, while shooting 57.8 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3's, and 70 percent from the free-throw line. The junior point guard began the week with a game-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting and three assists in a 76-57 win over Edgewood on Monday. On Wednesday in a 54-49 victory over MSOE she had a game-high 17 points to go along with seven rebounds and four steals. To finish out the week she had a season-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, five rebounds and two blocks as the Inferno came back from a 15-point halftime deficit to win 61-55 over Lakeland. Of her 24 points versus Lakeland, 21 came in the second half. The wins over Edgewood and Lakeland were the first in Alverno history.

Other nominees: Marche Smith (Concordia Chicago), Sarah Budz (Dominican), Emily Decorah (Edgewood), KC Blahnik (Lakeland), Torey DeLozier (Maranatha), Erika Laete (Wisconsin Lutheran).

December 28-January 3

Melissa Schwab, Concordia University Chicago
...5-8...Junior...Guard...Elmhurst, Ill. (York Community)...
Schwab scored a career-high 25 points, going 5-of-11 from 3-point range, to lead the Cougars to a 77-40 win over Mount Mary on Sunday. Se also added 13 points and nine rebounds in a 59-55 win at Concordia of Austin on Dec. 29.

Other nominees: Gabby Allen (Alverno), Danielle Dixon (Edgewood).

December 21-27

Lexie Schmitgen, Edgewood College
...6-0...Senior...Center...Madison, Wis. (East)...
In the Eagles' only game of the week, Schmitgen scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 71-60 loss to UW-Oshkosh.

Other nominees: none

December 14-20

Whitney Miller, Wisconsin Lutheran College
...5-11...Senior...Forward...Germantown, Wis. (Kettle Moraine Lutheran)...
Miller averaged 21.0 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Warriors improved to 4-0 in the NAC with a pair of wins this past week. She tallied a team-high 19 points in a 62-57 victory over Concordia Chicago on Tuesday, before posting a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s 76-57 triumph at MSOE. Miller concluded the week by shooting 59 percent (16-for-27) from the field

Other nominees: KC Blahnik (Lakeland)

December 7-13

Carol Cayo, MSOE
...5-7...Sophomore...Center...Lake Mills, Wis. (Lake Mills)...
Cayo had 19 points and 19 rebounds in MSOE's 62-38 victory over Marian on Saturday as she shot 9-of-15 from the field. In the Raiders' 72-58 victory at Dominican earlier in the week she shot 6-of-7 from the floor for 14 points and snagged nine rebounds.

Other nominees: Gabby Allen (Alverno), Megan Russe (Aurora), Shae Beckwith (Edgewood), Mary Dennewitz (Lakeland), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran).

November 30-December 6

Whitney Miller, Wisconsin Lutheran College
...5-11...Senior...Forward...Germantown, Wis. (Kettle Moraine Lutheran)...
Miller scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in an 88-85 double-overtime victory over Alverno College in Wisconsin Lutheran’s only game of the week last Wednesday. She sealed the win by going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.

Other nominees: Rachel Diedrich (Alverno), Marche Smith (Concordia Chicago), Susan Paskey (Edgewood), Alexis Becker (Marian), Carol Cayo (MSOE), Megan Lawler (Rockford).

November 23-29

KC Blahnik, Lakeland College
...5-8...Senior...Forward...Gladstone, Mich. (Gladstone)...
Blahnik averaged 24.0 points and 8.5 rebounds as Lakeland picked up wins over Finlandia and Rockford last week. She scored a season-high 30 points in the 79-72 overtime victory against Rockford on Saturday.

Other nominees: Kelsey Kochanowski (Alverno), Jenn Bren (Benedictine), Marche Smith (Concordia Chicago), Brianna Droessler (Edgewood), Erika Laete (Wisconsin Lutheran).

November 16-22

Marche Smith, Concordia University Chicago
...5-7...Junior...Guard...Oak Park, Ill. (Trinity)...
Smith averaged a double-double as the Cougars split their first two games of the season. She shot 6-of-9 from the field to go with seven rebounds and three steals against Cornell College (Iowa) on Tuesday, Nov. 17. On Saturday, Smith scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and made three more steals to lead CUC to a 61-57 win over St. Catherine University. She made 12-of-14 free throws including a perfect 6-of-6 in the final five minutes.

Other nominees: Lisa Sorgi (Alverno College), Becky Gifford (Aurora University), Jenn Bren (Benedictine University), Pearl Wallace (Concordia University Wisconsin), Brianna Droessler (Edgewood College), KC Blahnik (Lakeland College), Autumn Peotter (Maranatha Baptist Bible College), Carol Cayo (MSOE), Whitney Miller (Wisconsin Lutheran College).