BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- Urbana's Tyra James has been selected as the Mountain East Conference Player of the Year, while Charleston's Dakota Reeves was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year and Notre Dame's Lauren Macer was tabbed as the Coach of the Year, as the league announced its top honors and all-conference teams today.
James, a graduate student from Cincinnati, Ohio, led the league in scoring in addition to ranking among the conference leaders in multiple other catgories. James' 24.6 points per game led the MEC and is in the top five in the country in NCAA Division II this season, and her 530 points in conference play is third-best in league history. The four-time MEC Player of the Week was also fourth in the league in rebounds (10.9) and second in the conference in assists (4.63). She shot .500 from the field (eight-best in the MEC) and averaged 1.19 blocked shots per game. She set the Urbana single-season scoring record and also became the first MEC player to record two triple-doubles in the same season.
Reeves, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of just two freshmen to average double figure scoring this season at 10.8 points per game. The sharpshooter led the MEC in three-point field goal percentage at .466, which also ranks in the top 10 in the country. Her 89 made three-pointers is the most by a freshman in conference history. She had three games where she made eight or more threes.
Macer is the league's Coach of the Year for the first time in her career after guiding Notre Dame to a runner-up finish in the Mountain East. Macer, in her third season at the helm, led the Falcons to a 24-4 overall record and an 18-4 mark in conference play. The 24 wins are the most in program history (Division II-era), and the 18 MEC wins are the most in school history. Notre Dame cracked the WBCA Top 25 earlier this year, and are in position to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance holding down the No. 4 spot in the most recent Atlantic Region rankings.
The league also announced the 2019-20 all-conference teams. In addition to James on the first team, Notre Dame's Seina Adachi was a first-team selection for a third-straight year, while three others were repeat honorees from a year ago in Anna Hayton (UC), Sierra Kotchman (FAIR) and Madison May (CU). Davis & Elkins' Jamiyah Johnson, who set the MEC record four double-doubles in a season with 25, along with the league's top rebounder in Wheeling's Lilly Ritz and Glenville State scoring ace Re'Shawna Stone rounded out the first team.
West Liberty teammates Morgan Brunner and Taylor Johnson were second-team selections, along with Concord's Riley Fitzwater, Urbana's Sylvia Hudson, Notre Dame's Jada Marone, Charleston's Brooklyn Pannell, Glenville State's Zakiyah Winfield and Fairmont State's Rachel Laskody.
Ty Armstrong (Glenville State), Charity Shears (W.Va. State), Emily Stoller (Glenville State) and Jessica Stout (Notre Dame) earned honorable mention recognition.
The All-MEC teams are selected by a vote of the league's coaches.
| 2020 All-MEC First Team |
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Seina Adachi** |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
G |
5-7 |
Attica, Ohio |
| Anna Hayton* |
Charleston |
Sr. |
F/C |
6-2 |
Parkersburg, W.Va. |
| Tyra James |
Urbana |
Gr. |
G/F |
6-0 |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Jamiyah Johnson |
Davis & Elkins |
Jr. |
F/C |
5-11 |
Williamsburg, Va. |
| Sierra Kotchman* |
Fairmont State |
Jr. |
G |
5-6 |
Washington, Pa. |
| Madison May* |
Concord |
Sr. |
F |
6-0 |
Athens, W.Va. |
| Lilly Ritz |
Wheeling |
So. |
F |
6-1 |
Cambridge, Ohio |
| Re'Shawna Stone |
Glenville State |
So. |
G |
5-6 |
Waynesville, Mo. |
| * First team in 2019 • ** First team in 2018 and 2019 |
| 2020 All-MEC Second Team |
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Morgan Brunner |
West Liberty |
Sr. |
G |
5-9 |
Wheeling, W.Va. |
| Riley Fitzwater |
Concord |
Jr. |
F |
6-4 |
Glenville, W.Va. |
| Sylvia Hudson |
Urbana |
Sr. |
F |
5-10 |
Sidney, Ohio |
| Taylor Johnson |
West Liberty |
Sr. |
G |
5-9 |
Pickerington, Ohio |
| Jada Marone |
Notre Dame |
So. |
G |
5-6 |
Berea, Ohio |
| Brooklyn Pannell |
Charleston |
Jr. |
G |
5-9 |
Columbus, Ohio |
| Zakiyah Winfield |
Glenville State |
So. |
G |
5-7 |
Reading, Pa. |
| Rachel Laskody |
Fairmont State |
Sr. |
F |
6-0 |
Morgantown, W.Va. |
| 2020 All-MEC Honorable Mention |
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Ty Armstrong |
Glenville State |
Sr. |
G |
5-4 |
El Dorado, Ark. |
| Charity Shears |
W.Va. State |
So. |
G |
5-9 |
Ashland, Ky. |
| Emily Stoller |
Glenville State |
Sr. |
G/F |
6-1 |
Fairmont, W.Va. |
| Jessica Stout |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
F |
5-11 |
Stow, Ohio |
|
|
|
|
|
Player of the Year: Tyra James (Urbana)
Freshman of the Year: Dakota Reeves (Charleston)
Coach of the Year: Lauren Macer (Notre Dame) |
Previous Winners
MEC Player of the Year
2014: Lexy Carson (WVSU)
2015: Martha Nagbe (NDC)
2016: Kierra Simpson (WLU)
2017: Paris McLeod (GSC)
2018: Paris McLeod (GSC)
2019: Marissa Brown (WLU)
2020: Tyra James (UU)
MEC Freshman of the Year
2014: Cara Mason (SU)
2015: Mari Stewart (WVWC)
2016: Laura Szorenyi (WVSU)
2017: Sydney Bates (WVSU)
2018: Sierra Kotchman (FSU)
2019: Re'Shawna Stone (GSC)
2020: Dakota Reeves (UC)
MEC Coach of the Year
2014: Adam Collins (UC)
2015: Jenna Eckleberry (SU)
2016: Lynn Ullom (WLU)
2017: Katie Hine (NDC)
2018: Kim Stephens (GSC)
2019: Kim Stephens (GSC)
2020: Lauren Macer (NDC)
2014 All