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March 5, 2013

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Three Western Washington University players were first or second-team picks and Carmen Dolfo was named Coach of the Year in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball All-Star selections announced Tuesday.

Two Vikings were first-team honorees - center Britt Harris (Sr., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck) and point guard Corinn Waltrip (Sr., Tigard, OR). Selected to the second team was forward Trishi Williams (Sr., Mabton).

Harris tops the team in scoring with a 14.4 points per game average, and is third in rebounding at 5.3. She is shooting 59.1 percent (146-of-247) from the field, which ranks third nationally and second in the GNAC.

Harris, who is tied for seventh among league leaders in blocked shots (1.1. 28) and is eighth in points, has scored double-figure points a team-best 22 times this season.

Waltrip is averaging 11.2 points, shooting 43.5 percent (57-of-131) from 3-point range, which ranks sixth nationally. She is second in the GNAC in 3-point accuracy and third in 3-point makes (2.2).

Waltrip, who was a second-team league choice last year, scored a career-high 36 points in a game this season, the fourth-highest total ever by a Viking.

Waltrip has a four-year career point total of 966 and ranks 15th among WWU leaders in assists with 304. She is on school-record pace for career free-throw shooting at 82.6 percent (138-of-167).

Williams is averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds, third and second respectively on the squad, while leading in assists (4.4) and steals (2.9). She ranks second among conference leaders in steals, fourth in floor accuracy at 48.2 percent (107-of-222) and fifth in assists.

Against Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 2, Williams became just the third WWU player in school history to record a triple double, finishing with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Dolfo, who is in her 22nd season at her alma mater, has WWU currently at 23-3 and winning its fourth regular-season GNAC title with a 17-1 mark.

Dolfo, who has a career record of 469-172, was selected COY for the fourth time. She also won the award in 2002, 2006 and 2011.

Named GNAC Player of the Year was Simon Fraser center Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe. Other special award winners were Simon Fraser guard/forward Erin Chambers, Defensive POY;

Northwest Nazarene guard Kylee Shierman, Newcomer of the Year; and Alaska Anchorage guard Jessica Madison, Freshman of the Year.

WWU is the No.1 seed at this week's third annual GNAC Tournament being held at Lacey.

Great Northwest Athletic Conference

Women's Basketball: Raincock-Ekunwe GNAC Player of the Year

PORTLAND, Ore. --- Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe of Simon Fraser has been voted the 2012-13 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year.

Raincock-Ekunwe finished the regular season as the conference's third leading scorer (16.9) and top rebounder (12.7). She also leads the GNAC in field goal percentage (66.1).

Nationally she is the NCAA Division II national leader in field goal percentage and also ranks third in rebounding and in double-doubles with 18.

Simon Fraser guard Erin Chambers was selected the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. She helped lead a defense that allowed a conference-low 55.0 points per game.

Also earning special awards were Kylee Schierman of Northwest Nazarene, Jessica Madison of Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington coach Carmen Dolfo.

Schierman, a transfer from College of Southern Idaho, earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors. Schierman averaged 5.4 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Crusaders. She also led them with 20 blocked shots. Madison, who averaged 9.7 points and 3.4 rebounds, was selected as the GNAC Freshman of the Year.

Dolfo, who is in her 22nd season at her alma mater, was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to a 23-3 record and their fourth regular-season GNAC title.

Dolfo, who has a career record of 469-172, was selected the Coach of the Year for the fourth time. She also won the award in 2002, 2006 and 2011.

Raincock-Ekunwe earned GNAC first-team all-conference honors for the third straight year. She is just the second player in conference history to accomplish that feat joining Rebecca Kielpinski of Alaska Anchorage (2007-09).

Joining Nayo on the first team all-conference team were Montana State Billings guard Bobbi Knudsen, Northwest Nazarene forward Megan Hingston, Western Washington guard Corinn Waltrip, Viking post Britt Harris and Seattle Pacific post Katie Benson.

Raincock-Ekunwe, Knudsen and Hingston were all unanimous selections. Knudsen was also a repeat selection from last year's first team.

Second team selections included guard Sasha King and forward Alysa Horn of Alaska Anchorage, Chambers and guard Kristina Collins of Simon Fraser, Western Washington wing Trishi Williams, Central Washington guard Jessica VanDyke and Saint Martin's forward Chelsea Haskey.

Seven players were honorable mention selections including two each from Montana State Billings and Northwest Nazarene and one each from Seattle Pacific, Central Washington and Western Oregon.

2012-13 GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

First Team: +**Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, Simon Fraser (F, 6-2, Sr., Toronto, ON); +*Bobbi Knudsen, Montana State Billings (G, 5-8, Jr., Malta, MT); +Megan Hingston, Northwest Nazarene (F, 5-9, Jr., Keizer, OR); Corinn Waltrip, Western Washington (G, 5-6, Sr., Tigard, OR); Britt Harris, Western Washington (P, 6-2, Sr., Marysville, WA); Katie Benson, Seattle Pacific (P, 6-2, Sr., Snohomish, WA). +Unanimous *Repeater **Two-time repeater

Second Team: Sasha King, Alaska Anchorage (PG, 5-7, Sr., Norman, OK); Alysa Horn, Alaska Anchorage (F, 6-0, Sr., Kodiak, AK); Kristina Collins, Simon Fraser (G, 5-10, Sr., Port Coquitlam, BC); Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser (G/F, 6-1, So., Mission, BC); Trishi Williams, Western Washington (W, 5-9, Sr., Mabton, WA); Jessica VanDyke, Central Washington (G, 5-9, Jr., Chester, MT)*; Chelsea Haskey, Saint Martin's (F, 6-1, Jr., Olympia, WA).

Honorable Mention: Heather Adams, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-7, Sr., Boise, ID); Aubree Callen, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-9, Jr., Jerome, ID); Jasmine Parker, Central Washington (F, 6-2, Fr., Spokane, WA); Janiel Olson, Montana State Billings (F, 5-9, So., Billings, MT); Kayleen Goggins, Montana State Billings (F, 6-1, So., Shepherd, MT); Chelsie Luke, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-9, Jr., Meridian, ID); Melissa Fowler, Western Oregon (F, 5-10, Jr., Canby, OR).

SPECIAL AWARDS: Player-of-the-Year - Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, Simon Fraser (F, 6-2, Sr., Toronto, ON). Defensive Player-of-the-Year - Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser (G/F, 6-1, So., Mission, BC). Newcomer-of-the-Year - Kylee Schierman, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-10, Jr., Portland, OR). Freshman-of-the-Year - Jessica Madison, Alaska Anchorage (G, 5-8, Fr., Port Angeles, WA). GNAC Coach-of-the-Year - Carmen Dolfo, Western Washington.