Carpenter Named to the All-GNAC First Team

BILLINGS, Mont.–  Alira Carpenter has been named to the All-GNAC Women’s Basketball first team for the second straight year.  Carpenter joins Rebecca Kielpinski (Alaska Anchorage) as the only unanimous selections.  Earning honorable mention for the Yellowjackets was Shantell Marquis and Kayla Ryan.

Joining Kielpinski and Carpenter on first team were Daesha Henderson (Seattle Pacific), Kelsey Hill (Seattle Pacific), Katie Torland (Western Oregon) and Dara Zack (Saint Martin’s).  Kielpinski makes first team for the third time while Carpenter does it for her second time.

Kielpinski was named the GNAC Player of the Year for the third time in her career.  Sharing Newcomer of the Year was Jessica Summers (Western Washington) and Jackie Thiel (Alaska Anchorage).  Freshman of the Year was given to Jordan Harazin (Seattle Pacific) while Coach of the Year went to Tim Moser of Alaska Anchorage.

Carpenter (Sr./Lewistown, Mont.) finished the season averaging 22.3 points and 3.6 rebounds a game while shooting 43.8% from the floor, 43.1% from 3-point range and 88.3% from the line.  She led the GNAC in scoring and three-pointers made per game (3.00) and was third in free throw percentage.  Carpenter is currently ranked among the top 25 in NCAA Division II in four categories; scoring (8th), three-pointers made per game, free throw percentage (17th) and three-point percentage (21st).

During the 2008-09 season, Carpenter was named the GNAC Player of the Week four times.  In addition she made ESPN The Magazine District 7 All-Academic first team, ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-American third team and State Farm All-Region 8 first team.

Carpenter leaves Montana State Billings with her name all over the record book.  Against Alaska Anchorage on Mar. 7, Carpenter became the fourth female collegiate player in the state of Montana to score 2000 in a career.  She is the all-time leader in points (2000), field goals made (700), field goals attempted (1628), three-pointers made (294), three-pointers attempted (712) and free throw percentage (86.2%).  In addition Carpenter ranks among the top 10 in three-point percentage (2nd – 41.3%), free throws made (4th – 306), games played (5th – 113) and free throws attempted (9th – 355). 

Marquis (Jr./Cascade, Mont.) averaged 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.15 assists, 3.42 steals and blocked 1.12 shots a game in 26 games.  She led the league in assists and steals and was ranked sixth in blocked shots.  Marquis is currently ranked seventh in assists and 16th in steals for NCAA Division II.  She finished the season with the second highest single-season totals in assists and steals in MSUB history.

Ryan (So./Big Timber, Mont.) averaged 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and blocked 1.03 shots a game while shooting 52.5% from the floor.  She led the league in field goal percentage and was eighth in blocked shots.  Ryan’s field goal percentage ranks among the top 10 in MSUB single-season history.

GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

First Team     Position          Height Class   Hometown

*+Alira Carpenter, Montana State Billings                Guard    5-8          Sr.           Lewistown, MT
Daesha Henderson, Seattle Pacific  Guard     5-8          Jr.            Snohomish, WA
Dara Zack, Saint Martin’s Forward 5-10        So.          Spokane, WA
Katie Torland, Western Oregon        Forward 5-10        Jr.            Burns, OR
Kelsey Hill, Seattle Pacific Center    6-2          Sr.           Portland, OR
**+Rebecca Kielpinski, Alaska Anchorage   Center    6-2          Sr.           Mandan, ND

*Repeater **Two-time repeater  +Unanimous

Second Team     Position          Height Class   Hometown

Jackie Thiel, Alaska Anchorage       Guard     5-4          Sr.           Plainview, TX
Amanda Dunbar, Western Washington          Guard     5-9          So.          Marysville, WA
Mallory Whipple, Northwest Nazarene           Guard     5-7          Sr.           Redmond, OR
Jessica Summers, Western Washington          Forward 6-1          Sr.           Blaine, WA
Kelsey Burns, Seattle Pacific            Forward 5-11        Sr.           Seattle, WA
Claire Pallansch, Western Washington            Center    6-1          Sr.           Redmond, WA

Player-of-the-Year – Rebecca Kielpinski, Alaska Anchorage (3rd time)
Newcomer-of-the-Year – Jackie Thiel, Alaska Anchorage & Jessica Summers, Western Washington
Freshman-of-the-Year – Jordan Harazin, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-7, Fr., Colfax, WA)
Coach-of-the-Year – Tim Moser, Alaska Anchorage

Honorable Mention – 
Ruby Williams, Alaska Anchorage (F, 5-10, Sr., Phoenix, AZ)
Sheena Brown, Alaska Fairbanks (G, 5-8, Sr., Fairbanks, AK)
Shantell Marquis, MSU Billings (G, 5-10, Jr., Cascade, MT)
Kayla Ryan, MSU Billings (F, 6-1, So., Big Timber, MT)
Kristin Hein, Northwest Nazarene (C, 5-11, Jr., Tualatin, OR)
Brittney Roggenkamp, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-11, Jr., LaCenter, WA)
Lindsay Brady, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-8, Jr., Boise, ID)
Jamey Gelhar, Saint Martin’s (G, 5-6, Jr., Brush Prairie, WA)
Roni Jo Mielke, Saint Martin’s (G, 5-6, So., Harrington, WA)
Maddie Maloney, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-10, So., Issaquah, WA)