Yellowjackets, Vikings headline UMAC women's basketball awards
ST. PAUL, Minn.---After the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) crowned two different teams with regular season and tournament champions, those two programs headline the postseason awards with each the University of Wisconsin-Superior and Bethany Lutheran College earning three all-conference selections – including two First Team picks each – and the respective coaches sharing the Coach of the Year nod, the conference announced Monday.
Hannah Norlin of Wisconsin-Superior was named the UMAC Player of the Year, while Zach Otto-Fisher of the Yellowjackets and Lyle Jones of the Vikings were selected as Co-Coach of the Year. Naomi Hagstrom of North Central University was selected by the conference coaches as the Freshman of the Year.
Behind Norlin's play on the court and Otto-Fisher's leadership on the sidelines, the Yellowjackets finished the UMAC season 15-1 for a fourth-straight conference regular season title. Despite being upset in the tournament championship game, the Yellowjackets were spectacular in 2018-19 with a 24-3 overall record and two appearances in the NCAA Division III West Region rankings. During the season, the Yellowjackets boasted a 12-game winning streak that started following their first-ever loss to a UMAC opponent since joining the league in 2015-16. The Yellowjackets led the league in scoring margin with 24.1 points per game (ppg) and rebounding margin with 9.4 rebounds per game (rpg).
Speaking of that loss, the Vikings ended the Yellowjackets' UMAC winning-streak at 59 overall games and later ended their winning streak at home against UMAC teams Saturday following a 55-54 victory to advance to the program's first-ever NCAA tournament. Jones' Vikings finished second in the conference standings for the second time in as many seasons with a 14-2 UMAC mark. During the year, the Vikings rode a nine-game winning streak that started with their first win over the Yellowjackets and ended a three-game skid. The Vikings led the league in scoring in conference games with 75.9 ppg and were first in rebounding with 41.2 rpg. They enter the NCAA Championship with a 22-5 overall record this season.
The Yellowjackets solid season was due in large part to Norlin's ability to affect almost every aspect of the game. The senior forwardearned ehr third-straight All-UMAC First Team selection and finished the conference season third in scoring (15.7 ppg) and second in overall scoring (17.3 ppg). Her 53.3 percent shooting from the field in overall games was second-best, while her 48.3 percent in UMAC play was sixth. She was second in conference play for rebounds (8.7 rpg) and first in overall contests (9.4 rpg). In conference play, Norlin ranked in the top 10 in free throw percentage (78.8) and blocks (1.3 per game).
Norlin was five times named the UMAC Player of the Week and twice was selected for the D3Hoops.com Team of the Week. Additionally, she was picked as the UWSBA National Player of the Week following a season-high 32-point performance against the University of Wisconsin-Stout. This year, Norlin scored 20 points or more eight times including three times versus UMAC teams. She also had 12 double-doubles including six in conference games.
Hagstrom helped lead North Central to its first ever UMAC tournament appearance after finishing the regular season 8-8 in conference play. The rookie was named Honorable Mention and led all first-year players in conference scoring (13.3 ppg) and overall scoring (13.9) which ranked 11th and eighth, respectively. She was also 14th in rebounding (5.9) in conference games and seventh in overall games (6.6). Her 74.7 percent from the free throw line was also seventh-best in overall games.
Haley Sandin was the only player to be named All-UMAC First Team in each of her four seasons. The Vikings' all-time leading scorer was also the 2015-16 Freshman of the Year and was named ot the UMAC All-Decade Team in January. Amy Berglund of the University of Northwestern and Elli Stevenson of the University of Minnesota Morris were the only two other players to have been named either First Team or Second Team in each of their four seasons.
Norlin earned her third-straight First Team Selection, while Kendra Raths of Minnesota Morris and Michala Walther of the College of St. Scholastica were selected for one of the three teams in each of the last three seasons. Abby Olson of Bethany Lutheran and Eva Reinertsen of Wisconsin-Superior were the only two other individuals named to one of the three All-UMAC lists at least twice in their careers. Abby Van Kempen of Minnesota Morris is the lone indiviudal to be All-Defensive Team for two straight seasons.
Minnesota Morris won the team sportsmanship award, an accolade that is selected by the UMAC coaches and awarded to the team that best represents sportsmanship throughout the entire season. Each team also had one representative named to the individual sportsmanship award list.
Player of the Year Award* – Hannah Norlin, Sr., Wisconsin-Superior
Freshman of the Year Award# – Naomi Hagstrom, North Central
Co-Coach of the Year Award – Lyle Jones, Bethany Lutheran College
Co-Coach of the Year Award – Zach Otto-Fisher, Wisconsin-Superior
First-Team UMAC All-Conference
| Name |
Year |
School |
Position |
Hometown/High School |
| Hannah Norlin* |
Sr. |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Forward |
Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield |
| Abby Olson |
So. |
Bethany Lutheran |
Guard |
Montevideo, Minn./Montevideo |
| Kendra Raths |
Sr. |
Minnesota Morris |
Forward |
Sartell, Minn./Sartell |
| Eva Reinertsen |
Jr. |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Forward |
Duluth, Minn./Homeschool |
| Haley Sandin |
Sr. |
Bethany Lutheran |
Guard |
Zimmerman, Minn./Princeton |
Second-Team UMAC All-Conference
| Name |
Year |
School |
Position |
Hometown/High School |
| Amy Berglund |
Sr. |
Northwestern |
Guard |
Springfield, Va./West Springfield |
| Emily Carpenter |
Jr. |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Guard |
St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter |
| Haleigh Filer |
Sr. |
North Central |
Guard |
Sacramento, Calif./Captial City Christian |
| Hanna Geistfeld |
So. |
Bethany Lutheran |
Forward |
Truman, Minn./Martin Luther |
| Elli Stevenson |
Sr. |
Minnesota Morris |
Guard |
Hayti, S.D./Watertown |
Honorable Mention UMAC All-Conference
| Name |
Year |
School |
Position |
Hometown/High School |
| Naomi Hagstrom# |
Fy. |
North Central |
Forward |
Zimmerman, Minn./Zimmerman |
| Kaylee Kennedy |
So. |
St. Scholastica |
Guard |
Little Fork, Minn./Little Fork-Big Falls |
| Rio Landers |
Jr. |
Northwestern |
Forward |
Grand Meadow, Minn./Grand Meadow |
| Kelsea Lund |
Fy.. |
Northwestern |
Guard |
Madison, Minn./La qui Parle Valley |
| Abby Van Kempen |
Jr. |
Minnesota Morris |
Forward |
Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central Area |
| Michala Walther |
Sr. |
St. Scholastica |
Guard |
Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy |
| Emily Witkowski |
So. |
Martin Luther |
Forward |
Saint Joseph, Mich./Michigan Lutheran |
UMAC All-Defensive Team
| Name |
Year |
School |
Position |
Hometown/HS |
| Taylor Kane |
Sr. |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Forward |
Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids |
| Hannah Norlin |
Sr. |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Forward |
Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield |
| Haley Sandin |
Sr. |
Bethany Lutheran |
Guard |
Zimmerman, Minn./Princeton |
| Elli Stevenson |
Sr. |
Minnesota Morris |
Guard |
Hayti, S.D./Watertown |
| Abby Van Kempen |
Jr. |
Minnesota Morris |
Forward |
Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central Area |
UMAC Sportsmanship Awards
Team Award – Minnesota Morris
Bethany Lutheran – Kenlie Pytleski, So., East Chain, Minn./Granada-Huntley-East Chain
Crown – Stevey De La Ossa, Jr., Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic
Martin Luther – Sarah Dewey, Sr., Onalaska, Wis./Luther
Minnesota Morris – Zoe Loucks, So., PIllager, Minn./Pillager
North Central – Allison Bulthuis, So., Prinsburg, Minn./Central Minnesota Christian
Northland – Bryza Pizano, Fy., Albuquerque, New Mexico/Atrisco Heritage
Northwestern – Brooklyn Plagge, Sr., Hampton, Iowa/Hampton-Dupont
St. Scholastica – Michala Walther, Sr., Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy
Wisconsin-Superior – Taylor Kane, Sr., Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids