BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team collected three major awards in New England Small College Athletic Conference postseason honors announced on Wednesday.
Senior Abby Kelly was named the 2019 NESCAC Player of the Year while classmate Taylor Choate was named Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Adrienne Shibles was named as the NESCAC Coach of the Year.
In addition, Kelly was joined by Maddie Hasson as a First Team All-NESCAC selections. Choate was named Second Team All-NESCAC.
Kelly is the second straight Polar Bear to earn Player of the Year, following former teammate Kate Kerrigan who was recognized in 2018. Kelly’s accolade also marks the sixth time a Bowdoin player has been honored overall, joining Lora Trenkle (2002 and 2004), Eileen Flaherty (2007), Shannon Brady (2016) and Kerrigan. Kelly, who led Bowdoin with 14.7 points per game this season, ranks in the top ten in the NESCAC in points, three-pointers, field goal percentage and steals this winter. She saw double-figures in 23-of-27 games and surpassed 1,000-point mark on Jan. 19 vs. Colby. Her 1,162 points rank seventh at Bowdoin and her 134 3-pointers are fifth in program history.
Choate was voted as the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year marking the second straight season a Polar Bear has won the honor. Kerrigan was honored in 2018 and also earned the accolade in 2015 and 2016. Choate, a senior, is the fourth player from Bowdoin to be recognized, joining Justine Pouravelis, (2004, 2005 and 2006), Katie Cummings (2007) and Kerrigan. Choate started all 27 games for the Polar Bears this season, chipping in 12.1 points per game, while dishing out 3.4 assists, and collecting 2.1 steals per game to earn Second Team All-Conference honors as well.
Hasson enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Polar Bears this season, averaging 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season. The junior led the NESCAC in field goal percentage (.608) and connected on a NESCAC-best 100 free throws. Additionally, she was dominant on the offensive boards as 88 of her 147 rebounds (59.8-percent) came on the offensive glass.
Bowdoin head coach Adrienne Shibles was selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year by her peers, winning the honor for the second time in her 11-year career at the helm. Earlier this winter, she became the program’s winningest head coach and has posted an astounding 249-64 record at Bowdoin (.795). The Polar Bears posted just the second perfect regular season in program history and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the 10th time in 11 years under Shibles.
Bowdoin will host an NCAA Regional this weekend at Morrell Gymnasium, opening against Hunter College in the first round on Friday at 7 p.m.
Simonds earns Second Team
Bowdoin senior Jack Simonds has been named Second Team All-NESCAC in awards handed out by the league on Wednesday.
Simonds closed out a fantastic career this winter by leading Bowdoin at 17.7 points per game while also grabbing
Bowdoin College men’s basketball player Jack Simonds drives to the basket in an early season matchup with the University of Southern Maine in Brunswick. Simonds was named a Second Team All-NESCAC player for the 2018/19 season. (Brian Beard / CiPhotography.com)
6.4 rebounds per game and dishing out 2.3 assists per contest. His 50.6 field-goal percentage and 42.4 three-point percentage both ranked among the best in the league.
He ends his Bowdoin career with 1,595 points to rank fifth all-time in program history. His 196 three-pointers and 84.9 free-throw percentage both also stand fifth at Bowdoin. He is just the second Polar Bear all-time to surpass 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists in a career, joining Kyle Petrie (2006).
Bowdoin finished its season with a record of 15-9.
Belsky receives Ann Wetzel Award
Bowdoin senior Natasha Belsky has been recognized as the 2019 recipient of the College Squash Association’s Wetzel Award.
The Wetzel Award is presented annually to a senior who began playing squash in college and has progressed to a high level of skill, demonstrates sound understanding of the game, and exhibits good sportsmanship and a positive demeanor on the court. It is the second straight year that a Bowdoin player has won the award (Zoe Wood in 2018) and third time in the last six years (Michaela Martin in 2014).
Belsky played primarily at the number two position for Bowdoin this season and closed her career on a high note, winning three matches as the Polar Bears finished second in their division of team nationals recently in Connecticut.
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