Contact: Heather Benning, Executive Director, 920-430-0934

GRINNELL, Iowa –  For the second year in a row, Cornell College's Diamond Boyd is the Midwest Conference (MWC) Player of the Year. 

First-Team All-Midwest Conference
Diamond Boyd - Cornell - Player of the Year
Kelsey Burton - Lake Forest - Newcomer of the Year
Brielle Greenleaf - Illinois College
Emma McDonald - Ripon College - Elite 20 Award Winner
Kayla Morrissey - Grinnell College
Maggie Oimoen - Ripon College

Boyd, named Second Team All-Central Region by D3hoops.com as a junior, is a three-time First Team All-MWC selection. The senior ranks No. 1 in steals (281), No. 2 in field goals made (518), No. 3 in scoring (1,276) and rebounding (807), and No. 6 in blocked shots (74) and free throws made (295) on the all-time Cornell leaderboard. Boyd broke her own single-season school for steals with 90 (that ranks fifth in MWC history). She stands third on the MWC’s career list for steals with 281 (13 shy of the all-time mark).

Kelsey Burton, the 2018 Newcomer of the Year, started 25 of 26 games for Lake Forest, playing more minutes than any other member on the Forester roster. The guard is the only freshman on the league's First Team. She led Lake Forest and ranked sixth in the conference with 14.4 points and fourth with 2.1 steals per contest. Burton also finished seventh in the MWC in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game and recorded a league-high 10 double-doubles. She scored at least 10 points in 21 of 26 appearances and poured in 20 or more five times. Her 368 points on the year rank ninth in program history while her 207 rebounds are tied-for-eighth.

Illinois College's Brielle Greenleaf, a Second Team All-MWC pick as a sophomore, is among the elite six named First Team in 2017-18. She started every game for the Lady Blues and led her team in scoring (384), steals (39) and 3-point field goals (35). Greenleaf ranks fifth in school history for career baskets from beyond the arc (103).
 
Senior Emma McDonald (Ripon) concludes her career ranked atop the Red Hawk leaderboard in 3-point field goals made (167) and No. 4 in all-time blocked shots (77). McDonald is a three-time Elite 20 honoree - recognizing the individual participating in the MWC Women's Basketball Tournament with the highest cumulative grade point average. Teammate Maggie Oimoen is a repeat First Team All-MWC selection. The junior scored a career-high 27 points against Illinois College on January 18. Oimoen ranks third on the Red Hawk all-time blocked shot list (78) and seventh in career double-doubles (9).

Kayla Morrissey, a two-time First Team selection, ranks third across NCAA Division III in free throws made this season with 168. She ranks first in the Midwest Conference in four categories: points per game (20.7), total points (456), defensive rebounds per game (6.8) and free throw attempts (211). Morrissey and McDonald also both were named First Team Academic All-District® earlier this month.

Second-Team All-Midwest Conference
Kenya Earl - Lawrence University
Haley Grana - Cornell College
Shelby Kline - Beloit College
Jarrelyn McCall - Knox College
Hannah O'Day - Lake Forest College
Carley Turnbull - Monmouth College

Kenya Earl concluded the 2017-18 season as Lawrence's leading scorer (433) and rebounder (190) while nabbing 32 steals and 26 blocks. The first year broke three school season records including points, free throws made and free throws attempted. Earl also tied the game record for free throws made going 13-for-14 against Beloit College on Feb. 3.

The sole Ram to start every game this season for Cornell, Haley Grana makes the All-MWC Second Team for the first time in her career. The senior was second only to Boyd in points (238) and steals (59) while leading the team in assists (76). Grana enters the postseason ranked No. 3 in Cornell history for career assists.

Shelby Kline of Beloit College is atop the Beloit statistical leaderboard in nearly a dozen categories. The junior concluded the season ranked No. 1 in points (363), scoring average (15.1 ppg), field goal percentage (.466), field goal attempts (353), field goals made (126), 3-point field goal attempts (142), 3-point field goals made (41), free throw percentage (.729), assists (78) and steals (64). Kline also is No. 3 in rebounds (124) and blocked shots (9).

Jareelyn McCall (Knox) made the All-MWC Second Team for the second time in as many years. The sophomore led the Prairie Fire in nearly every major statistical category - field goals made, free throws made, rebounds, assists, steals, and points. McCall had a single-game high of 30 points, including going 11-for-11 on free throws, against Lake Forest on Jan. 27, while posting eight double-doubles on the season. 

Sophomore Hannah O'Day (Lake Forest) makes her debut on the All-MWC team after a season in which she scored 272 points and posted a career-high 24 points against Co-Champion Ripon College on Feb. 3. O'Day suffered a season-ending injury prior to the final regular-season game and was unable to compete for the Foresters in the Conference Tournament.

As a first year, Carley Turnbull was Monmouth's leading scorer (278) and rebounder (136). Turnbull tallied three double-doubles and was one of only two Fighting Scots to play in every game this season.

Coach of the Year
Lake Forest College Head Coach Tamlyn Tills was voted Coach of the Year by the league coaches after leading the Foresters to their first MWC Tournament Final since 2008. Tills, in her tenth year as head coach at Lake Forest, led her team to the only league wins against the co-champions Ripon and Cornell. The Foresters improved from 5-13 in 2016-17 to 9-7 in 2017-18.

Sportsmanship Award
Each year the league coaches vote for the program they feel best upholds the ideals of sportsmanship. The 2017-18 Women's Basketball Sportsmanship Award goes to Grinnell College. The Pioneers are led by Coach Dana Harrold who just finished her fifth season as head coach.
 

Newcomer of the Year
Kelsey Burton	First Year		Lake Forest College
Player of the Year
Diamond Boyd	Senior		Cornell College
Coach of the Year
Tamlyn Tills			Lake Forest College
First Team
Diamond Body	Senior		Cornell College
Kelsey Burton	First Year		Lake Forest College
Brielle Greenleaf	Junior		Illinois College
Emma McDonald	Senior		Ripon College
Kayla Morrissey	Senior		Grinnell College
Maggie Oimoen	Junior		Ripon College
Second Team
Kenya Earl	First Year		Lawrence University
Haley Grana	Senior		Cornell College
Shelby Kline	Junior		Beloit College
Jarrelyn McCall	Sophomore		Knox College
Hannah O'Day	Sophomore		Lake Forest College
Carley Turnbull	First Year		Monmouth College
Sportsmanship Award
Grinnell College