Two Lady Indians tabbed for Region IX awards
A pair of McCook Community College women's basketball players have received Region IX post-season honors.
Gemma Gruettner-Bacoul and Audra Vine were both selected to the Region IX's All-South team while Gruettner-Bacoul also earned all-defensive-team honors and was named to the all-tournament team.
Gruettner Bacoul, the sophomore from Berlin, Germany, led all Region IX players in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game. She was second in the south division in 3-point shooting, connecting on 38.8 percent of her shots, second in steals at 2.5 per game and third in rebounding with 6.6 For the season, she made 43.6 percent of her shots from the field and 77.7 percent of her free throws.
In 31 games, she scored in double-figures 28 times with her high coming in a 36-point performance Nov. 10 against Dawson Community College. She topped 20 points 10 times and topped the 30-point mark three times.
In Region IX tournament play she scored 17 points in MCC's opening-round win against Lamar, with five rebounds and a nine-for-10 showing from the free-throw line. On March 14 against Casper College, she scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
This season she scored 564 points to give her 781 for her career along with 312 rebounds and 116 steals.
This is the second-straight year Gruettner Bacoul was named to the all-defensive team.
Vine, sophomore from Thornton, Colo., transferred to MCC this year after a season at Fort Lewis College. She played in all 31 games this season, starting in 30 of them, averaging 9.1 points, 1.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds. She shot 38.4 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from the 3-point line, which was sixth best in the south division of Region IX. From the line she made 53 of 74 attempts (71.6 percent).
She scored a season-high 23 points in a home win Jan. 16 against Southeast Community College. She reached double-figures in scoring 14 times.
Casper College (28-5) won the Region IX Championship with an 81-69 win over Northeastern Junior College. The T-Birds will open the NJCAA Championships in Casper against Blinn College. Casper Coach Dwight Gunnare was named the Region IX North Coach of the Year while NJC Coach Bronson Moton was named the South's Coach of the Year.
ALL-REGION IX SOUTH TEAM
Mackenzie Joseph, Western Nebraska
Gal-La Font, Western Nebraska
Faith Walker, Western Nebraska
Seneya Martinez, Northeastern JC
Ruby Sweeney-Spitzeck, Northeastern JC
Genesis Sweetwine, Northeastern JC
Gemma Gruettner Bacoul, McCook
Audra Vine, McCook
Gia Bradley, Otero
Hedda Koehne, Otero
SOUTH All-Defensive Team
Laura Montiel, Western Nebraska
A'mya Winfrey, Northeastern JC
Darling Harris, Lamar
Gemma Gruettner Bacoul, McCook
Hedda Koehne, Otero
South Coach of Year: Bronson Moton, Northeastern JC
ALL-REGION IX NORTH TEAM
Andi Schissler, Casper College
Logann Alvar, Casper College
Blanche Toualeu, Laramie County
Hailey Long, Eastern Wyoming
Kayde Strauss, Western Wyoming
Roxanne Rogers, Northwest College
Sierra Eddiem, Western Wyoming
Tamryn Blom , Western Wyoming
Luna Moreno, Eastern Wyoming
Lylah Spring, Laramie County
NORTH All-Defensive Team
Anna Csenyi, Casper College
Bianca Silva, Northwest College
Andrea Gutierrez, Eastern Wyoming College
Alyssa Beckford, Gillette College
Lylah Spring, Laramie County CC
North Coach of Year: Dwight Gunnare, Casper College
REGION IX ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Dasani Nesbit, Gillette
Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia, Eastern Wyoming
Gemma Gruettner Bocoul, McCook
Amiyah Donaldson, Western Nebraska
Gia Bradley, Otero
Jayden Jenkins, Otero
Sierra Eddie, Western Wyoming
Kayde Strauss, Western Wyoming
Logann Alvar, Casper College
Ruby Sweeney-Sitzeck, Northeastern JC
Andi Schissler, Casper College
Seneya Martinez, Northeastern JC
Anna Csenyi, Casper College
Genesis Sweetwine, Northeastern JC
Irene Fernandez de Caleya, Casper College