Kirk, Christensen earn individual awards as DWU women well-represented in GPAC postseason awards
Mar. 2—SIOUX CITY, Iowa. — After claiming the program's first Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament title with
an 83-60 drubbing of top-seeded Morningside on March 1
, the Dakota Wesleyan women's basketball team was well-represented in the conference's postseason awards announced Wednesday.
Senior Kaylee Kirk was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year and was also a second-team all-conference honoree after earning honorable mention status a season ago. The 5-foot-5 guard led DWU with 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game, while also ranking third on the team with 9.5 points per game.
DWU coach Jason Christensen was honored as the conference's Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 26-7 record entering national tournament play in his 12th season with the program.
After earning second-team honors last season, junior Matti Reiner was the conference champion Tigers' lone representative on the GPAC first team. The 5-foot-10 forward and Tripp native led DWU in scoring this season at 13.3 points per game along with top-three marks for rebounds (6.0) and assists (3.8).
Joining Kirk on the conference's second team was 6-foot-4 senior center Jada Campbell, who had a 33-point, 17-rebound outburst in the GPAC championship game. Campbell, who hails from Alexandria, connected on a team-best 56.4% of her shot attempts and led the Tigers with 1.3 blocks per game, as she was also second on DWU's roster in scoring (12.8) and rebounding (6.0).
Junior Rynn Osthus, who averaged 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists, was recognized as an honorable mention selection.
Ethan native and Dordt forward Karly Gustafson was named first-team all-conference as the junior forward averaged 12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season for the Defenders.
Dordt's Ashtyn Veerbeek won GPAC Player of the Year, with Doane's Mak Hatcliff taking home Freshman of the Year honors.
2021-22 GPAC Women's Basketball all-conference Teams
* GPAC Player of the Year: Ashtyn Veerbeek, Dordt
* GPAC Defensive Player of the Year: Kaylee Kirk, Dakota Wesleyan
* GPAC Freshman of the Year: Mak Hatcliff, Doane
* GPAC Coach of the Year: Jason Christensen, Dakota Wesleyan
First Team (10 members, Listed alphabetically by Last Name — Name School Height Year Position Hometown)
Madelyn Deitchler Briar Cliff 5-11 Senior C Treynor, Iowa
Hannah DeMars Jamestown 5-11 Junior F Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Sierra Mitchell Morningside 5-6 Senior G Pleasant Hill, Iowa
Sophia Peppers Morningside 5-10 Senior F Exira, Iowa
Karly Gustafson Dordt 5-11 Junior F Ethan, South Dakota
Mak Hatcliff Doane 5-7 Freshman G Beatrice, Nebraska
Matti Reiner Dakota Wesleyan 5-10 Junior F Tripp, South Dakota
Taysha Rushton Concordia 5-4 Freshman G Lubbock, Texas
Molly Schany Northwestern 6-1 Sophomore C Emmetsburg, Iowa
Ashtyn Veerbeek Dordt 6-2 Junior F Sioux Center, Iowa
Second Team
Taylor Beacom Hastings 5-6 Senior G Papillion, Nebraska
Bailey Beckman Dordt 5-5 Junior G Panora, Iowa
Jada Campbell Dakota Wesleyan 6-4 Senior C Alexandria, South Dakota
Maddie Jones Northwestern 5-6 Junior G Twin Lakes, Iowa
Noelle Josephson Jamestown 5-10 Senior F Ramsey, Minnesota
Kaylee Kirk Dakota Wesleyan 5-5 Senior G Balaton, Minnesota
Alyssa Marsh-Contreras College of Saint Mary 5-7 Senior G Omaha, Nebraska
McKenna Sims Morningside 5-8 Junior G South Sioux City, Nebraska
Konnor Sudmann Briar Cliff 5-11 Junior G Treynor, Iowa
Peyton Wingert Midland 5-11 Senior G Dakota Dunes, South Dakota
Honorable Mention
Briar Cliff: Payton Slaughter, Kennedy Benne
College of Saint Mary: Sidney Anderson, Honnah Leo
Concordia: Sadie Powell, Rylee Pauli, Mackenzie Toomey
Dakota Wesleyan: Rynn Osthus
Doane: Maddie Davis
Dordt: Janie Schoonhoven
Hastings: Riley Clavel, Ali Smith
Jamestown: Kia Tower, Madelyn Schmidt
Midland: Erin Prusa
Morningside: Chloe Lofstrom Taylor Rodenburgh, Aspen Jansa
Mount Marty: Eve Millar
Northwestern: Jada Cunningham, Devyn Kemble, Taylor VanderVelde
