Young named First Team All-Conference

WBB: Ford, Poock and Learn named Second Team All-Missouri Valley

Katelyn Young is averaging 21.9 points per game this season for the Racers. (Photo: David Eaton/Murray State Athletics)

For the third time in her career, Murray State’s Katelyn Young has earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors.

This season, Young is averaging 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists. She is joined by USC’s Juju Watkins and South Dakota’s Grace Larkins as the only players to put up that stat line this season. After becoming Murray State’s all-time leading scorer and rebounding, Young is currently 18th on the NCAA Division I all-time scoring list.

Young helped lead the Racers to a 22-7 record overall and a share of their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference championship this season.

Murray State’s Halli Poock, Haven Ford and Ava Learn all made the Second Team. Poock, the sophomore guard who transferred in after playing her freshman season at Bradley, averaged 16.7 points and 4.6 assists per game this year. She earned Third Team All-Conference honors last year.

Ford made a giant leap in her second season with the Racers. She joins Virginia’s Kymora Johnson as the only players in the country to average at least 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and shoot at least 38.0% from three-point range this year.

Senior forward Ava Learn not only earned a spot on the Second Team, but she was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Most Improved Player. Last season, Learn averaged 11.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. This year, she improved to 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds, while shooting 36.8% from three-point range. After making one triple in her first three collegiate seasons, Learn has knocked down 28 this year.

Here’s a list of the All-Missouri Valley Conference awards:

FIRST TEAM

• Kendal Cheesman, Belmont

• Katie Dinnebier, Drake (Jackie Stiles Player of the Year)

• Leah Earnest, Valparaiso

• Maya McDermott, Northern Iowa

• Lacy Stokes, Missouri State

• Katelyn Young, Murray State

SECOND TEAM

• Shannon Dowell, Illinois State

• Haven Ford, Murray State

• Ava Learn, Murray State

• Anna Miller, Drake

• Halli Poock, Murray State

THIRD TEAM

• Jailyn Banks, Belmont

• Soleil Barnes, Bradley

• Tuti Jones, Belmont

• Kayba Laube, Northern Iowa

• Gift Uchenna, Southern Illinois

ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM

• Soleil Barnes, Bradley (Newcomer of the Year)

• Elyce Knudsen, Illinois State

• Sarah Linthacum, Missouri State

• Addison Martin, Illinois State

• Gift Uchenna, Southern Illinois

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

• Lainie Douglas, Missouri State

• Elise Jaeger, Northern Iowa

• Ellie McDermid, Bradley

• Camryn Runner, Evansville (Freshman of the Year)

• Doneelah Washington, Illinois State

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

• Katie Dinnebier, Drake

• Ryley Goebel, Northern Iowa

• Tuti Jones, Belmont

• Anna Miller, Drake

• Lacy Stokes, Missouri State (Defensive Player of the Year)

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Kaemyn Bekemeier, Missouri State

COACH OF THE YEAR

• Beth Cunningham, Missouri State