INA - Three Rend Lake College Lady Warriors were tapped for postseason basketball honors yesterday by the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and Region XXIV committees.
Sophomore guard Kemmy Dominique became a two-time All-Region and All-Conference selection while sophomore and Moorehead State transfer Candyce Flynn earned All-Region and All-Conference designations, and teammate Ebony Wilson was named All-Conference, All-Region and Freshman of the Year.
"I'm proud of them for doing well," said RLC Coach Ashley Allen. "I'm excited for them, especially for Candyce and Ebony who are in their first year … that other coaches in the conference and region recognize them for their effort here this year."
Allen said the news is particularly sweet for Dominique.
"It's Kemmy's second year in a row and that is a pretty big honor to make All-Conference and All-Region two years in a row."
"It makes you feel great because it shows people are acknowledging your hard work," Dominique said.
"It's a great honor," Flynn added. "This is my first year here and for me to come and get this … I'm happy."
The soft-spoken Wilson couldn't find the words explaining how she feels to be named Freshman of the Year. However, her teammates were quick to get her back.
"She was willing to work harder than most of the other freshman," Dominique said. "She deserves it. She busts her butt every single game."
"She is an all-around student-athlete," Flynn said. "She gets honors in the classroom and on the basketball floor. There is a correlation between her work ethic in class and on the court."
"I take pride in playing hard," Wilson said.
Coaches nominate players from around the league before casting their votes. The coaches may put their players into consideration, but cannot, however, vote for an athlete on their roster. Allen said the main characteristics she thought of when placing her votes were what impact the players made on their own team and how they played against the Lady Warriors.
Dominique - a 5-foot, 9-inch guard from Miami Jackson High School in Miami, Fla. - is averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3 assists , nearly 2 steals a game and is shooting 33 percent from three-point range for the Lady Warriors this season.
The 5-6 Flynn is a product of Cleveland Central Catholic High School in Ohio. She is putting up 13 points and one steal each game. Wilson, a 5-8 guard from Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, N.J., is averaging 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
Allen, in her first year as head coach at RLC, said she would like to have seen her 5-4 sophomore guard Natasha Bonner (Memphis, Tenn.) receive some sort of honorable mention or award for most improved player. Unfortunately, such an award does not exist for the GRAC or Region XXIV. Bonner, according to Allen, increased her averages from one point and less than a steal per game as a freshman to 11 points and four steals each game this season as a sophomore.
Dominique thanked her teammates for their hard work this year that led to the team finishing second in the conference.
"We had a lot of trials and tribulations, but I think we turned out as a good team," Flynn added.
Dominique also thanked the coaching staff of Allen, Assistant Coach Ozell Davis and Volunteer Assistant LaToya Morris for "pushing us and putting up with us every day."
"The pushed us and encouraged us," Wilson said.
"They kept us positive throughout the season," Flynn said.
Whitney Williams (5-9, G, Centralia) of Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill., and Ty'Ronda Benning (5-9, Muncie, Ind.) of Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill., were named Co-Players of the Year. Kaskaskia won the GRAC with a perfect 14-0 record and Lincoln Trail is in fifth with an 8-6 record.
RLC plays Lake Land College in their final regular season game Saturday night in Ina. The college has partnered with Krieger's Sports Grill, located inside the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn off Interstate 57, to present "Warriors Night" at Krieger's and raise proceeds for athletics at RLC. From 4 p.m. to close, Saturday night, Feb. 28, all dinner revenue generated by Warriors and Lady Warriors fans will be donated back to the department.
The Lady Warriors are second in the league with a conference record of 11-4, followed by Lake Land with a record of 10-4. Southwestern Illinois College is fourth at 9-6, Wabash Valley College is sixth at 5-9, John A. Logan College is seventh at 4-10, Southeastern Illinois College is eighth at 3-11 and Olney Central is last at 0-14.
The NJCAA Division I Region XXIV tournament will kick off March 6. The higher-seeded team will host in the first round with the remaining games being played at John A. Logan College. As of now, Kaskaskia would host Olney Central, RLC would host SIC, SWIC would host Logan, and Lincoln Trail would host Wabash Valley. Lake Land College does not play in the DI Region XXIV tourney.