The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) announced the 2015-16 Women's Basketball awards and All-Conference teams following the first semifinal game of the SLIAC Tournament. Westminster's head coach Tracey Braden was announced as the SLIAC Coach of the Year. Seniors Krista Armontrout and Kasey Gatson were placed on the All-Conference First Team, while Gatson also earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Junior Andrea Zalis was named to the All-Conference Second Team, and senior Mackenzie Haddox was placed on the All-Conference Third Team.
Coach Braden led the team to a 20-4 overall record with an active 14-game winning streak. The winning streak is just two games away from breaking the program record and is currently the longest active streak in Mid-Missouri. The team won their fourth conference championship with a 16-2 conference record, and are sitting in eighth in the NCAA regional rankings. This is Coach Braden's fourth time receiving this award.
Armontrout, a senior from Centralia, Mo., leads the Blue Jays in rebounds with 182. She amassed 334 points throughout the 24 games and is shooting 50 percent from the field. She averages 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and also has 41 assists and 21 steals.
Gatson, a senior from Vandalia, Mo., is tied for second on the team with 334 points. She holds a 44.4 shooting percentage and ranks second in the SLIAC with a 42.7 three-point percentage. She has 116 rebounds, 73 assists and 51 steals to her name. This is her second All-Conference honor.
Zalis, a junior from Rolla, Mo., currently leads the team with 337 points and averages 14 points per game. She holds a 41.6 shooting percentage with an 81.4 percentage from the foul line. She also leads the team with 26 blocks. She has 150 rebounds, including 108 defensive boards, and 42 assists. This is her second All-Conference honor.
Haddox, a senior from Washington, Mo., leads team with 105 assists and 52 steals. She is tied for third in the SLIAC rankings for her season assists. She holds a 2.3 assist to turnover ratio, and of her 97 season rebounds, 87 are defensive boards. She ranks second on the team with 10 blocks and has amassed 237 points on the season. This is her second All-Conference honor.
The ten conference schools vote on the team they thought displayed the best example of sportsmanship throughout the season. The Blue Jays, for the fifth consecutive year, were selected by the conference members for the 2015-16 Spotrsmanship Award for their constant display of good sportsmanship.
Each conference school also has one student-athlete named to the All-Sportsmanship Team for their display of sportmanship. Senior Sadie Theroff was selected by Coach Braden and the team to receive this award for Westminster.
