BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- West Liberty's Kierra Simpson is the 2016 Mountain East Conference Player of the Year, West Virginia State's Laura Szorenyi is the Freshman of the Year, and the Hilltoppers' head coach Lynn Ullom is the league's Coach of the Year.
Simpson made the leap from All-MEC honorable mention last season to Player of the Year honors. The senior post from Columbus, Ohio, controlled the paint for WLU and lead the league and was among the national leaders in rebounds (13.4), field goal percentage (.665), blocks (91) and double-doubles (19). She was the MEC Player of the Week on three occasions in 2015-16, and was the USBWA National Player of the Week on Feb. 9. Simpson finished the season averaging 14 points per game.
Szorenyi, a freshman from Budapest, Hungary, led all MEC freshmen and ranked seventh in the league in scoring with 16.2 points per game for the Yellow Jackets. She also ranked among the league leaders in field goal percentage (.450) and free throw percentage (.820). Szorenyi started all 28 games for WVSU and also contributed 4.0 rebounds per game. She was also named second team All-MEC.
Ullom directed West Liberty to a 25-3 overall record and the 2016 MEC regular season championship with a 20-2 mark in league play. West Liberty has been nationally ranked for the entire season and is also ranked second in the most recent NCAA Atlantic Region rankings. He has over 500 career wins and this season marked the 10th time in the last 11 years that the Hilltoppers have eclipsed the 20-win plateau.
The league also announced the 2015-16 all-conference teams. In addition to Simpson, the first team features four repeat selections in Jaila Bryant (WJU), Liz Flowers (WLU), Kailee Howe (WLU) and Martha Nagbe (NDC) from a season ago. Charleston's Chyress Lockhart, who was a first team all-league performer two years ago but missed last year due to injury, returns to the first team this year. A pair of sophomores, Danie Shafer (UU) and Mari Stewart (WVWC), complete the first team.
Glenville State had two players named to the second team in Brittany Jackson and Paris McLeod, as did Fairmont State with Amanda Ruffner and Makenzie White. Szorenyi, Morgan Arden (SU), Kennedy Boggs (UU) and Lauren Langenderfer (NDC) also earned second team honors.
The All-MEC teams are selected by a vote of the league's coaches.
| 2016 All-MEC First Team |
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Jaila Bryant |
Wheeling Jesuit |
Sr. |
G |
5-8 |
Pickerington, Ohio |
| Liz Flowers |
West Liberty |
Sr. |
G |
5-8 |
Williamstown, W.Va. |
| Kailee Howe |
West Liberty |
Sr. |
G |
5-10 |
Zanesville, Ohio |
| Chyress Lockhart |
Charleston |
Sr. |
G |
5-6 |
Euclid, Ohio |
| Martha Nagbe |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
G |
5-7 |
Lakewood, Ohio |
| Danie Shafer |
Urbana |
So. |
G |
5-8 |
Huber Heights, Ohio |
| Kierra Simpson |
West Liberty |
Sr. |
F |
5-11 |
Columbus, Ohio |
| Mari Stewart |
W.Va. Wesleyan |
So. |
F |
6-0 |
Templeton, Calif. |
|
|
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|
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|
| 2016 All-MEC Second Team |
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Morgan Arden |
Shepherd |
So. |
G |
5-5 |
Hanover, Pa. |
| Kennedy Boggs |
Urbana |
So. |
G |
5-5 |
Delphos, Ohio |
| Brittany Jackson |
Glenville State |
Jr. |
G |
5-8 |
Montgomery Village, Md. |
| Lauren Langenderfer |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
G |
5-8 |
Lyons, Ohio |
| Paris McLeod |
Glenville State |
So. |
G |
5-5 |
Belleville, Mich. |
| Amanda Ruffner |
Fairmont State |
Jr. |
F |
5-10 |
Procotorville, Ohio |
| Laura Szorenyi |
W.Va. State |
Fr. |
G |
5-10 |
Budapest, Hungary |
| Makenzie White |
Fairmont State |
Jr. |
G |
5-9 |
Madison, W.Va. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2016 All-MEC Honorable Mention |
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Mariah Callen |
Wheeling Jesuit |
So. |
G |
5-4 |
Morgantown, W.Va. |
| Blair Harding |
UVa-Wise |
Sr. |
G |
5-8 |
Baltimore, Md. |
| Kiara Johnson |
Charleston |
Sr. |
F/C |
6-2 |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Liz Myers |
Shepherd |
Jr. |
F |
5-11 |
York, Pa. |
| Taylor Sandidge |
UVa-Wise |
Jr. |
G |
5-5 |
Waynesboro, Va. |
|
|
|
|
|
Player of the Year: Kierra Simpson (West Liberty)
Freshman of the Year: Laura Szorenyi (West Virginia State)
Coach of the Year: Lynn Ullom (West Liberty) |
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