March 15, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Four Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball players were named to the fifth annual d3hoops.com All-West Region Team and Buena Vista University men’s head coach Brian Van Haaften was named West Region Coach of the Year.

Buena Vista University seniors Katie Maguire (Treynor, Iowa/Treynor) and Kelli Staley (Charter Oak, Iowa/Boyer Valley) along with Luther College senior Anne Straate (Postville, Iowa/Postville) were named to the women’s All-West Region Team. Maguire, the two-time Iowa Conference Most Valuable Player, received First Team honors. It is her third straight year receiving regional honors from d3hoops.com. Staley, a two-time All-Conference performer, earned Second Team honors and Straate, also a two-time All-Conference performer, earned Third Team honors.

Central College junior Clint Driftmier (Clarinda, Iowa/South Page), a First Team All-Conference selection, was named to the men’s All-West Region First Team.

Van Haaften led the Beavers to the Iowa Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance by winning 11 of their final 13 games.

Players were nominated by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools, who were contacted several times as the season wound down to remind them to make their players eligible. A total of 599 players were nominated nationwide.

The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for 10 players in their region. SIDs voted for six frontcourt players and four backcourt players and the top vote-getters at each position were named to the All-Region team.

A regional Player of the Year and Coach of the Year were selected in each region for the first time, the Player of the Year as the top vote-getter in each region and the Coach of the Year in consultation with regional members.

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