Taylor Becomes Third Straight Falcon to Take Top GNAC Award
March 8, 2005

SEATTLE (Mar. 8) ­ Amy Taylor, the top scorer and playmaker for Seattle Pacific University's postseason-bound women's basketball team, has been voted player of the year in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Taylor (Sr., 5-8, Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood) was joined on the all-conference first team by the Falcons' Carli Smith (Jr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian). Center Brittney Kroon (Jr., 6-4, Wasilla, Ak.) received honorable mention.

Gordy Presnell shared the GNAC women's basketball coach of the year with Tim Healy of Saint Martin's. Presnell, who guided Seattle Pacific to its third straight league crown, had won the award exclusively the previous two seasons.

Presnell's Falcons (25-2) put their 28-game home win streak on the line Friday night when they host Montana State Billings in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional at Brougham Pavilion.

Although Taylor does not rank among the GNAC's top 10 in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game, she is widely regarded as the team's catalyst and leader. She was the only unanimous first team all-conference selection, and also averages 3.8 assists and shoots 40.1 percent on three-pointers.

Taylor is the third SPU player to be chosen the GNAC's top player in as many years. Kerie Hughes won in 2003 and Valerie Gustafson in 2004.

Smith is the first Falcon to average doubles figures in both scoring and rebounding since 1992. She averaged 10.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and shot 54.7 percent from the field and 84.6 percent from the foul line during the regular season.

Also making the first team all-GNAC were Martina Kartikova of Saint Martin's, Adrienne Taalak of Alaska Fairbanks and Jodi Gerald of Western Washington.

Kroon leads the GNAC and ranks fourth in NCAA in shot-blocking (3.74) and is on school-record pace in shooting percentage (.597). She averages 9.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. Kroon was also honorable mention a year ago.

In addition to Taylor, Humboldt State forward Jenna Washington and Seattle University forward Laina Sobczak were voted the newcomer and freshman of the year, respectively.

GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

First Team
+Adrienne Taalak, Alaska Fairbanks Guard 5-6 Sr. Nuiqsut, AK
**Martina Kartikova, Saint Martin's Forward 6-0 Sr. Kosice, Slovakia
**Amy Taylor, Seattle Pacific Guard 5-7 Sr. Shoreline, WA
Jodi Gerald, Western Washington Guard 5-10 Sr. Tacoma, WA
Carli Smith, Seattle Pacific Forward 5-11 Jr. Spokane, WA

Second Team
Beth Layton, Saint Martin's Guard 5-6 Jr. Toledo, WA
**Nicole Lynch, Humboldt State Center 6-2 Sr. Danville, CA
++Cody Burgess, Alaska Fairbanks Forward 5-10 Sr. Leavenworth, WA
Laura Wright, Central Washington Center 6-2 So. Longview, WA
Tina Donahue, Western Washington Forward 6-0 Jr. Stanwood, WA

Honorable Mention ­ Brittney Kroon, Seattle Pacific (C, 6-4, Jr., Wasilla, AK); Jenna Washington, Humboldt State (F, 5-11, Jr., Springfield, OR); Laina Sobczak, Seattle (F, 5-11, Fr., Tacoma, WA); Danielle Pridgen, Northwest Nazarene (C, 6-0, So., Nampa, ID); Shannon Talbott, Western Oregon (F, 5-10, Sr., Enterprise, OR); Loni Ainslie, CWU (Guard, 5-7, Sr., Graham, WA); Jamie Corwin, Central Washington (F, 5-11, Jr., Auburn, WA).

*Unanimous +Repeater ++First-team in 2003 **Second-team repeater (Lynch from 2003)