(LEBANON, Ill., March 9)-The American Midwest Conference has announced its All-Conference honorees and award recipients for the 2009-10 season. The post-season honors were selected by a vote of the league's eight men's basketball coaches.

The 2009-10 AMC Newcomer of the Year is Jarvis Walker of Harris-Stowe State University. Walker, a junior forward from Chicago, Ill., averaged 15.4 points per game and was among league leaders in rebounding at 8.4 caroms per contest. Walker shot nearly 48 percent from the field and was accurate from the foul line at 79.3 percent.

For the second year in a row, there was a tie for the AMC Freshman of the Year award. Logan Decker of William Woods University is a co-recipient of the 2009-10 award. In his rookie year with the Owls, Decker led the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game. Decker ranked among team leaders in three-point field goals made with 57 and was an 80 percent free throw shooter. Decker is a guard from Kansas City, Mo.

Decker shares this year's award with John Steppe from McKendree University. Steppe, a guard from Effingham, Ill., was second on the Bearcats' squad in three-pointers made with 42 and was also second in free throw percentage at 76 percent. On the year, Steppe averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

In his first year in the AMC, Jason Kline of Park University was named the league's 2009-10 Coach of the Year. Now in his fifth season at the helm of the Pirates' program, Kline led his team to a 20-8 overall record and 12-2 mark in the AMC. Park jumped into the NAIA Division I top 25 at No. 21 in the final regular-season poll.

Listed below is the complete list of 2009-10 AMC men's basketball award winners. For a PDF copy of the All-Conference team and award recipients, click here:

Robert Mumphard, Harris-Stowe State University (G, So., St. Louis, Mo.)
Kyle Hubbard, Missouri Baptist University (G, Sr., Caruthersville, Mo.)
Logan Decker, William Woods University (G, Fr., Kansas City, Mo.)
Jerone Lester, William Woods University (F, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
Wes Livingston, Williams Baptist College (F, Fr., Paragould, Ark.)

In a vote of the conference's nine head coaches, Rachel Oswald of Columbia College was chosen as the 2009-10 AMC Women's Basketball Player of the Year. Oswald, who was a three-time AMC Player of the Week honoree, led the Cougars in scoring (14.5 PPG) and rebounds (9.3 RPG) during the regular season. Entering the AMC Tournament, Oswald - a senior forward from Boonville, Mo., had collected 1,477 career points and is also Columbia's career rebounding leader. She connected on nearly 49 percent of her field goals attempts and shot 73.6 percent from the free throw line. Oswald is now a three-time first-team All-AMC selection and has been a two-time NAIA Division I honorable mention All-America choice.

The 2009-10 AMC Newcomer of the Year is Veronica Smith of Columbia College. Smith, a senior forward from East St. Louis, Ill., averaged 13.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest, and was second on the Columbia squad in both categories. Smith shot 42.1 percent from the field and 75.8 percent from the foul line. Smith collected four double-doubles in AMC play this season.

Courtney Harris of McKendree University has been named the 2009-10 AMC Freshman of the Year. Harris, a forward from St. Louis, Mo., joined the Bearcats' starting lineup early in her rookie season and responded by putting up some solid numbers. Harris averaged 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing. She also made 48.5 percent of her shots from the floor and was a 75.3 percent free-throw shooter. Harris finished fourth on the McKendree squad in scoring and was third in rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

For the second time in three years, Melissa Ringhausen of McKendree University earned the nod as the AMC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. Now in her 13^th season, Ringhausen led the Bearcats to a 25-5 overall record and a share of the AMC regular-season championship with a 14-2 league mark. The 25 wins for McKendree in 2009-10 matched a program record, and the Bearcats reached as high as No. 12 in the NAIA Division I rankings under her leadership. Ringhausen is the all-time wins leader in McKendree women's basketball history with 277 victories.

Listed below is the complete list of 2009-10 AMC women's basketball award winners. For a PDF copy of the All-Conference team and award recipients, click here:

Sammi Fowler, Rachel Looney, Olivia Morris, Jessica Shepard, Courtney Sublett, Kim Sutterfield, Ann Whiteside

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Stephens College senior Tia LaFavor of Leeton, Mo., has become the second player in school history to score 1,000 career points. The milestone occurred late in the Stars' loss to William Woods University in the American Midwest Conference quarterfinals on March 3.

LaFavor, a 6'0" forward, finished the game with 16 points in the 64-52 defeat to the Owls. With 4:58 remaining in the game, LaFavor needed 12 points and notched two field goals and seven free throws, closing to within a point of the career accomplishment. With 27.8 seconds, LaFavor was fouled and made the first free throw to score her 1,000^th point.

LaFavor finished her career at Stephens with 1,000 career points and 636 rebounds. She is a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and American Midwest Conference All-Academic Team member.

In May, she will graduate with a B.S. in Equestrian Business Management from Stephens College.

"This achievement is a tremendous honor for Tia and our basketball program because it not only recognizes Tia's individual accomplishment but also the growth of our team," said Stars Head Coach Dane Pavlovich. "She has been a relentless worker and she is a model student athlete."

 

(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 20)-The McKendree University men's indoor track and field team pulled away from Missouri Baptist University to claim the American Mdiwest Conference Championship Friday in Columbia, Mo.

Anthony Stockton of William Woods was selected as the AMC Oustanding Field Athlete. Stockton captured the title in the weight throw and took second place in the shot put. DeWain Meeks from Missouri Baptist garned AMC Outstanding Track Athlete honors at Friday's meet. Meeks won the 60-meter dash along with the 200-meter dash.

(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 20)-The McKendree University women's indoor track and field team took top honors Friday at the American Midwest Conference Championships, held on the campus of the University of Missouri.

Nadia Moore of McKendree was named the Outstanding Field Athlete of Friday's meet. Moore finished first in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. Tiffany Jackson from Missouri Baptist earned Outstanding Track Athlete honors on Friday. Jackson won the 60-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash. She was also part of the Spartans' second-place 4 x 400-meter relay team.

Roberson, a 5-10 senior guard from Rosharon, Texas, hit for a 30-point game in the upset win over No. 7 McKendree (Ill.). In the 81-78 victory on Feb. 13, Roberson totaled 30 points on 11-of-12 (.917) shooting. He added five rebounds, four assists and one steal. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point land. He scored 19 of his game-high point total in the second half to rally the Spartans from an 18-point deficit. The loss snapped McKendree's 27-game American Midwest regular-season winning streak, which dated back to the 2007-08 season.

On Feb. 11, Roberson finished with 23 points, four assists and three rebounds in the 82-80 road win at Harris-Stowe State (Mo.). He now stands with 24 games this year of going for at least 10 points.

In two wins last week, Roberson averaged 26.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He shot 71.4 percent (20-of-28) from the field, including 7-of-9 (.778) from 3-point range.

In NAIA statistics, Roberson ranks 12^th in scoring (20.0 ppg) and 27^th in total steals (47).

For more information on the national statistical leaders, click here.

National Nominees:
Lucas Dahl, Central Methodist (Mo.); Greg Scott, Vanguard (Calif.); Stan Mayfield, St. Xavier (Ill.); Brandon Springer, Cumberland (Tenn.); Jacobie Bias, Texas College; Casey Rodgers, Carroll (Mont.); Brandon Cooks, William Carey (Miss.); Andrija Tintor, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Nate Brumfield, Oklahoma Baptist; Nick Lagroone, Southern Wesleyan (S.C.).

2009-10 Composite Award Winners (Schedule):
WEEK 1:
Player: Robert Martinez, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) - Fr., G

Moore, a forward from Belleville, Ill., posted 25 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks to lead Missouri Baptist to a 75-74 double-overtime win over American Midwest Conference foe Park (Mo.) on Feb. 4. She followed that up with a season high 32 points and eight rebounds against AMC rival Stephens (Mo.) on Feb. 6. Moore leads the AMC in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field.

The 6-1 junior's 18.5 points per game rank 10^th nationally, while her field goal percentage of 55.6 percent ranks 14^th nationally. Moore has scored 20 or more points in her last five games and 12 total times this season. She has also posted six double-doubles this season.

For a complete listing of all the national statistical leaders, click here.

The next Player of the Week announcement will be on Feb. 16.

Player of the Week Nominees: Taujhnae Travis, Oklahoma Baptist; Kara Blankenship, Evangel (Mo.); Whitney Ballinger, Campbellsville (Ky.); Keiva Council, Loyola (La.); Sanetra Jackson, Langston (Okla.); Alysha Green, Carroll (Mont.); Alex Barone, St. Xavier (Ill.); Keshianna Hodges, Lyon (Ark.); Brooke Mckinnon, Lee (Tenn.); Champ Hood, Hope International (Calif.)

It took MBU's Brandon Roberson less than two seasons to score 1,000 career points at Missouri Baptist. The senior guard reached the milestone in Saturday's 103-62 non-conference win over Logan University. Roberson scored 30 points in the outing to bring his current point total to 1,003. Roberson, who transferred to Missouri Baptist University after finishing his career at NJCAA Kilgore College (Tex.), has led the Spartans in scoring both seasons. He was named the American Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year last season, averaging 17.9 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. This season, he currently leads the AMC in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. He is shooting 47.7% from the field. He again is leading MBU in assists and steals.

Roberson has helped lead his team to a 12-12 record so far this season, already matching their win total from last season. They are 3-5 in the AMC. The Spartans will return to AMC action on Thursday, February 11th, when they travel down I-64 to Harris-Stowe State University. The Spartans fell to the Hornets 68-71 in their last meeting in January. The Spartans sit in fourth in the AMC, just two games back of HSSU (13-10, 5-3). Tip-off on Thursday will follow the women's 5:30 p.m. match-up.