LCU WBB Nets Two All-Americans; LCU MBB Get One

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2011 Division I Women’s Basketball All-America teams, and the All-America committee selected Lubbock Christian University’s Emily Atkins and Brittany Hampton to the NAIA All-American Honorable Mention team.

Atkins, a freshman from Crandall, Texas, led the Lady Chaps in scoring with 14.7 points a game. She broke the Rip Griffin Center single-game scoring mark with 36 points on Nov. 5 in her very first home game. Atkins also led LCU at the NAIA National Championship tournament with an average of 16.3 points a game, including a 27-point performance against Columbia College.

Hampton claims her second consecutive NAIA All-American honor. She led the NAIA and set the Sooner Athletic Conference and LCU program single-season free-throw mark with a 91.3% free-throw percentage on the season. The Canyon, Texas native also ranked seventh in the NAIA with a 43.6% three-point shooting percentage. She eclipsed the 1,000 career point totals and has 1,012 points in her LCU career.

The honors mark the 13th time All-American status has been handed to a Lady Chaps player in program history, and the ninth time under head coach Steve Gomez. It is the fifth consecutive year a Lady Chaps member has made the list. Hampton becomes the fourth player in program history to win the honor twice, joining Mamy N’Kolomoni, Sierra Lovorn and sister Jordan Hampton.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2010-11 Division I Men’s Basketball All-America Teams on Wednesday. The NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Association All-America Committee selected Lubbock Christian University’s Kenny Hewitt as a Second Team NAIA All-American member.

Hewitt, a Dallas, Texas native, becomes the second player ever in program history to claim Second Team NAIA All-American honors, joining Max Eding from the 2006-07 season. He becomes the fourth Chaps player to become a multiple recipient of All-American honors. Hewitt was an Honorable Mention honoree in 2008-09, and he joins Brandon Jones, Jared Fears and James Omondi as a multiple recipient. The Chaps all-time leading scorer led the team his senior season with 17.2 points a game and wrapped up his college career with 1,835 points. Hewitt finished his career ranking second in program history in field goals attempted (1,360), field goals made (613), free-throws made (412) and free-throws attempted (539). He also ranks third in three-pointers attempted (561) and fifth in three-pointers made (197).

The honor for Hewitt marks LCU with 19 all-time NAIA All-American recipients and 18 that were produced during the 31-year tenure of John Copeland as the Chaps head coach.

The NAIA recognized 127 women’s basketball student-athletes and Lubbock Christian University led the list with five players receiving 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition.

April Ehlers, Rachel Gray, Brittany Hampton, Severyn Smith and Whitney Wehmeyer were each recognized by the NAIA for maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and achieving junior academic status. LCU led all NAIA programs with five players selected.

NAME CLASS MAJOR GPA
April Ehlers Jr. Exercise Science 3.83

Rachel Gray Sr. Physical Education 3.83

Brittany Hampton Jr. Exercise Science Promotion 3.96

Severyn Smith Sr. Biology 3.77

Whitney Wehmeyer Sr. Accounting 4.00

It marks the eighth consecutive season the Lady Chaps have had multiple recipients recognized for their work in the classroom. The names of the five Lady Chaps places 39 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete award winners in program history, and 22 in the eight-year tenure of head coach Steve Gomez. Wehmeyer is a multiple recipient of the honor. Hampton and Wehmeyer were also recognized earlier in the season nationally becoming the first LCU recipients of the Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District® First Team honors. LCU was one of only two programs nationally to have two first team members .

The Lady Chaps just recently completed their eighth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championship tournament in Jackson, Tenn. and closed out the season with an elite eight finish and a 23-10 final record.

From Chris Due